N.J. Residents Almost Set Electricity Use Record During Weekend Heat Wave: PSEG

New Jersey residents weren’t shy about cranking up the electricity during this weekend’s heat wave, according to PSE&G.

This weekend, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) reported that it came close to tying its all-time Sunday summer usage peak, estimating that it delivered about 9,300 megawatts of power to its clients. The current high – 9,310 megawatts - was set on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2005.

Forecasters had predicted heat index temperatures up to 115 degrees along with heavy rains, flooding and scattered thunderstorms.

• See related article: Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued For N.J. Weekend Storms, Heat

Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G), which serves about 2.2 million electric customers and 1.8 million gas customers in New Jersey, reported that its systems performed well despite the near-record demand.

The company stated that heat-related outages during the weekend’s heat wave were “isolated” and primarily due to “transformer failures,” which often occur when a transformer is overloaded.

Several New Jersey residents found themselves scrambling to get their air conditioners fixed during the heat wave; PSE&G stated that its appliance service technicians responded to more than 1,100 calls for air conditioner repairs over the weekend.

• See related article: Keep Cool, Save Money On Your Electric Bill: PSEG Offers Summer Savings Tips

Photo: Qfamily, Flickr Commons