Gulf Power Meeting High Heat Demand

July 31, 2010

Gulf Power Company’s power plants are humming around the clock to meet higher customer demands for electricity as temperatures soar across Northwest Florida.

“We work hard to anticipate additional demand from our customers in the summer,” Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesperson, said. “We have to plan wisely for future energy needs, forecasting demand years in advance so we have enough electricity. Our connection to the Southern Company power grid with sister companies Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power also helps to ensure we have enough capacity to handle peak demands.”

The company can generate 2,659 megawatts of electricity on its own and purchase more electricity if necessary from neighboring utilities. The peak demand for Wednesday was 2,477 megawatts and Gulf Power’s all-time peak was 2,634 megawatts set in August 2007. The utility is not expecting to set a new all-time peak this summer, but forecasts predict that Gulf Power will surpass Wednesday’s peak today and again early next week.

“About half of the electricity a customer buys during the summer is for air conditioning,” Rogers said. “And when customers choose to buy more electricity that means higher bills. That’s why we recommend that customers take advantage of our energy efficiency services including free Home Energy Check-Ups, online energy saving tips, energy reduction programs and billing options that make paying bills easier.”

Gulf Power’s customer service representatives work with customers who may have trouble paying for their electricity. The company offers a program called Budget Billing that helps smooth out seasonal changes in a customer’s electricity bill.

Comments

One Response to “Gulf Power Meeting High Heat Demand”

  1. Faith on July 31st, 2010 12:20 pm

    Thank you for the information on Gulf Power’s Budget Billing. The plan is a wonderful idea although I have EREC power.

    Do you know if EREC has a similar plan?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News