Dominion Virginia Power urges customers to brace for cold snap

RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Having come through a wind storm and a snowstorm in the past five days, Dominion Virginia Power is now bracing for record cold temperatures and encouraging customers to do the same.

Weather forecasters are predicting temperatures Thursday and Friday could be in the single digits or drop below zero through much of our service area. 

Robert M. Blue, president of Dominion Virginia Power, said: "When the mercury drops this low, it can have a large impact on customer bills, as customers use more energy to stay warm. So we are encouraging them to use energy wisely."

To help customers limit the impact of these frigid temperatures on their bills they should be mindful of their energy usage. These easy-to-do energy-saving tips will help:

• Set your thermostat at a temperature at which you can be comfortable while wearing an extra layer or two of light clothing, such as a sweater. Set it at 68 degrees or lower.
• Change your air filter in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation. A clean air filter will increase the efficiency of your furnace.
• If you have a fireplace, make sure the flue is closed.
• If you are using the fireplace, turn down your thermostat. This prevents warm heat from escaping through the chimney.
• On sunny days, open the curtains or blinds to let sunshine in. Remember to close them after the sun goes down.
• If you have ceiling fans, operate them in reverse so they push the warm air back down.
• Close the heat registers and doors in rooms that are not being used.
• You can use towels or old blankets to seal areas at the base of exterior doors where heat often escapes.
• Increased humidity in your home helps you to feel warmer. Use humidifiers or bring a large pot of water to boil on your stove. Don't forget to turn the stove off.

Safety tips:

• Check on elderly neighbors, relatives, and friends to be sure they are warm and safe.
• If using a kerosene or butane heater, make sure the room is well ventilated.
• If you are using an electric space heater make sure it is well away from flammable objects and that it has a safety switch to turn it off if it gets too hot or tips over.
• Bring pets indoors.

For more tips, visit https://www.dom.com/residential/dominion-virginia-power/ways-to-save/energy-saving-tips/winter-tips

Dominion will be closely monitoring the weather and our system and will be prepared to respond quickly in the event of outages. In case of an outage please call 866-Dom-Help (866-366-4357).

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 24,600 megawatts of generation, 12,400 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,455 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 949 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves utility and retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power

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