Crews Ready for Another Round of High Temps

The fall season may be around the corner, but Southern California continues to deal with heat waves and high temperatures are again forecast through this week. The National Weather Service is predicting another round of consecutive days of 100-plus degree weather.

Temperatures from 100 to 105 degrees are forecast for the Inland Empire and high deserts, and the low deserts could reach around 110 degrees. The most significant heat is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.

Southern California Edison crews are monitoring the ongoing high temperatures and are ready if there are heat-related outages. Customers can check the latest outage information at SCE.com/outages. Various counties will also be opening cooling centers.

"We have our crews and various field resources available to respond if outages occur during this latest round of heat waves," said Thomas Jacobus, SCE's principal manager of Business Resiliency. "Our teams are also on alert in case of any fire or emergency that could occur due to these high temperatures."

When high temperatures continue for multiple days, and customers are running air conditioners the entire day, electrical equipment has less time to cool down and could possibly lead to an outage. If there are heat-related outages, crews will work as quickly and as safely as possible to make the needed repairs so power can be restored to customers.

For more information on outages, customers can visit: SCE.com/outages.

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water regularly and often, even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.

• Limit your exposure to the sun if possible. If you must be outside, wear a hat, use sunscreen, and dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible.

• Use a buddy system when working in high heat, and remember to take frequent breaks. Try to avoid strenuous work during the hottest part of the day.

• Check on elderly family, friends and neighbors who live alone or do not have air conditioning to ensure they're safe.

• If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates "backfeed," which is dangerous to repair crews. Please consult the manufacturer's manual for operating the generator.

• Never leave children or pets in enclosed vehicles, even with the windows "cracked" or open.

• Pets should not be left in a garage as it can get very hot due to a lack of ventilation and insulation.

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and to 85 degrees or "off" when you are away. Customers can sign up for SCE's Smart Energy program, which adjusts smart thermostats.

• Businesses should shift power-intensive work to the morning or late-evening hours, when possible.

• Give your air conditioner a rest when you can and cool your home with open windows and fans.

• Shut off lights when leaving a room.

• Close your blinds to keep out the afternoon heat.

• Limit the opening and reopening of refrigerators, which are major electricity users in many homes.

• Plug home electronics into power strips and turn off power strips when equipment is not in use.

• Unplug electronic devices and chargers when they are not in use.

• Give your dryer a break and hang dry your clothes.

• Cook with a grill outside or microwave to keep your home cooler.

• Set pool pumps to run in the early morning or late at night.