Dominion Meets Third Record Winter Peak Demand in 35 Days
RICHMOND, Va. – Dominion (NYSE: D), one
of the nation's largest energy companies, Monday met its third record winter
one-hour peak demand in 35 days from its Virginia and North Carolina electricity
customers.
Demand from the company’s 2.2 million electric
customers in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina reached an estimated 16,962
megawatts from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday. The old mark of 16,689 megawatts was
set last Tuesday, Jan. 18. It had surpassed the record of 16,448 megawatts of
Dec. 20, 2004. Further tabulations may adjust the final amount of megawatts
generated and consumed by customers.
The Dominion all-time record peak demand is 17,084
megawatts set July 29, 2002.
Dominion encourages its customers to use smart
energy practices to keep homes warm and heating systems working at peak efficiencies.
Heating costs can account for 25 percent to 50 percent of a home’s total
energy expense, so efficiency experts offer these tips to control heating costs:
Have a qualified heating contractor inspect and service
your system to ensure it is safe and working at peak efficiency.
If you have a forced-air heating system, clean or replace
the filter monthly and keep heat vents open and unobstructed by furniture.
Set the thermostat at 68 degrees or the lowest temperature
you find comfortable. For every degree you lower the setting, you can see
a difference of up to 3 percent in energy costs. Setting it lower at night
will produce savings with gas and oil systems, but is not recommended for
heat pump systems unless you have a programmable thermostat specifically designed
for that system.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers
of energy, with an energy portfolio of about 28,340 megawatts of generation.
Dominion also serves retail energy customers in eight states. For more information
about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.
