Norfolk, Va. - As temperatures continue to rise, people are using more central air.
But trying to stay cool could leave you in a sweat.
Bonita Billingsley Harris with Dominion Power explains.
“The system is built to withstand these type of extreme temperatures but sometimes the extreme demand on extreme hot days can lead to equipment failure,” Billingsley Harris said.
This failure caused 13,000 Virginia Beach Dominion Power customers to lose power last night.
Some of the traffic lights even went out.
“We know how uncomfortable and stressful it is to be without air conditioning in extremely hot weather like this,” Billingsley Harris said.
Dominion Power’s website says 15 customers are still without power.
With demand on their system increasing because of the heat, Billingsley Harris say you can help prevent further outages.
“Only use the power that you need. If you’re not using it – unplug it. Your power cords, your television, your lights in the room. You also may wanna consider not using heat producing appliances during the peak time of the day,” Billingsley Harris told News 3.
She also says to lower your shades to keep your home cool.
If you have an outage, report it immediately.
No word yet on when the remain outages will be restored.
