City of St. George issues “Orange Alert” in an effort to save energy

The City of St. George recently issued an “Orange Alert” in an effort to save energy across Southern Utah.

What Exactly is an “Orange Alert”?

An “Orange Alert” is an initiative from the city of St. George which is essentially a call to action to reduce the use of energy, specifically during certain parts of the day.

Saving energy means reducing the use of major appliances during the busiest parts of the day.

What do you need to do?

According to the city, the period of time where the most energy is consumed is between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Appliances like ovens, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers chew through energy like crazy.

There is one specific convenience which is seen as an essential in St. George that consumes a massive amount of energy that the city has special instructions for.

Your good old air conditioner.

Air conditioners are especially useful during these hot months where it’s not surprising to see temperatures of over 110 degrees. The issue that comes with so much usage is the surplus amount of energy that is consumed to keep your home nice and cool.

The city has a solution for this issue, but you may not like it. The city recommends you set your thermostat to nothing lower than 78 degrees. My mom can barely handle a room set at 75 degrees, let alone 78 degrees.

If you follow the city’s instructions though, you can save a whole lot of energy.

Some other solutions to saving energy in a similar fashion from the city is to close your blinds/curtains, specifically if they’re in the South or West side of your house.

Good luck and stay cool out there.