ST. GEORGE, Utah — The City of St. George is asking residents to avoid using appliances and to close exterior doors and windows in an effort to avoid taxing the energy grid in extreme temperatures forecast this week.
"We are expecting a high temperature of 114° - 115° F for the next several days. This can put a strain on our electrical grid as well as the larger regional grid. We are designating today as an ORANGE Alert day," the city said in a statement Wednesday.
The orange alert asks residents to avoid using high-demand appliances like washers/dryers, ovens and EV chargers between the hours of 3pm and 7pm. They also ask residents to close exterior doors and windows.
"Raising the thermostat a couple of degrees and using a fan to move the air around also helps lower our demand on the power grid while maintaining the comfort level of our homes," the city said.
The orange alert could last several days, city officials told FOX 13 News.
St. George is on its own power supply and has utilized a color-coded system to alert residents when there is an exceptional demand on the energy supply.
A green alert system indicates no issues with the grid and recommends standard conservation, while the orange makes more stringent recommendations.
A red alert asks residents to raise the thermostat to 80 degrees, turn off pool pumps and avoid using other high-demand energy appliances.
