LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With a heatwave expected to last through the middle of this week, Pacific Gas and Electric is urging customers to reduce electrical usage through Wednesday night.

Customers are asked to conserve energy by doing the following:

– Adjust your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher or turn it off if you will be away from home. Use a fan instead of air conditioning when possible.
– Draw drapes and turn off unnecessary lighting.
– Keep the refrigerator full (with bottles of water if nothing else) and unplug the second refrigerator.
– Avoid using electrical appliances and devices. Put off tasks like vacuuming, laundry, dish washing and computer time until after dinner (6 p.m.).
– Set your pool pump to run overnight instead of during the day.

PG&E said it does not anticipate initiating any public safety power shutoff events for the next week. Any power outages that occur during this hot spell are not PSPS events.

Transformer failure is the top cause of heat-related outages that may fall outside of any direction from the California Independent System Operator to initiate rotating power shutoffs.

Transformers, which help distribute power to homes and businesses, need periods of time when they can cool down, and that usually happens overnight, when temperatures drop.

When there are unusual heat events with sustained high overnight temperatures, transformers are unable to cool down. That puts stress on the transformer’s components, and they can become fatigued and can fail.