By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Your thermostat accounts for about 50% of your Duke Energy bill. With triple digits expected this week, it’s going to be very hard to avoid putting your air conditioning unit on full blast, driving up that bill.
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According Logan Stewart with Duke Energy, the utility company has prepared for temperatures like this for months.
“We model and forecast what we think, demand on the grid is going to be,” Stewart said. “What we try to do is we try to pair those numbers up to be able to meet that demand.”
Duke Energy generates power from different sources such as hydrofacilities, natural gas, and even coal. The utility company determines what the demand will be and which sources will help meet that demand.
“We have planned for this weekend, we know what’s coming and we have the available, generation there to meet the demand that we expect from customers,” she said.
According Stewart, more pressure is put on the grid every year.
“We are seeing more and more people move to North Carolina, to the Carolinas, and this region in general,” Stewart said. “What that does is drive up demand even higher.”
That’s why Stewart says Duke Energy continues to make improvements to the grid, with the company planning years in advance for how to generate more power.
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“Whether that’s new forms of energy, new types of power plants, a lot of what we do is looking at what are the newer things and energy technology,” she said.
According to Stewart, the utility company recently invested in battery storage to harness renewable energy and utilize it when demands for power increase.
It will be difficult to keep energy use down the next few days. One tip Duke Energy is offering is to set your thermostat one or two degrees higher if you can stand it.
“The closer your temperature is to the outside temperature, the lower your bill is going to be” Stewart said. “I know that’s difficult for people to hear, but even if you can take the temperature where you’re comfortable, bump it up just a few degrees. That’s going to help you save on your bill.”
Its a good time to check your air filters because dirty filters can clog up your system and keep cool air from circulating. You should also close up any blinds and opt for ceilings fans when possible.
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