The Israel Electric Corporation has asked the public to conserve electricity
during the ongoing heat wave in hopes of preventing blackouts over the next
week.
As temperatures surge during over the next few days, the IEC said
it expects electricity demand to be extremely high – at 11,500 megawatts on some
days – which may necessitate forced blackouts. The company may have to
stop power lines intermittently throughout the country, it said, in outages will
last only about an hour and will be divided among customers equally.
The
weather forecast for the next week shows expected temperatures throughout the
country of about 36 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels reaching between 50
and 60 percent. The heat index, factoring in the humidity, will be about
46 degrees Celsius, the IEC reported.
Due to the fragile state of the
country’s electricity reserves, the company therefore asked that the public
conserve and divert the use of energy-intensive devices to early morning or late
evening only. Residents should particularly refrain from using such appliances
as dishwashers, washing machines, ovens, electric cookers and vacuum cleaners
between 12 and 5 p.m., as well as make sure that air conditioners are set on 25
degrees Celsius or above.
Meanwhile, the IEC said it is preparing for the
heat wave by running all production units at its disposal and by making special
arrangements with private power producers. The company apologized in advance
about the difficulties that its customers are likely to experience and reminded
residents to backup all devices that require power.
Aiming to ensure the
population’s safety, the IEC recommended ensuring the integrity of all
generators in highrise buildings every six months, including connections to
elevators, alarm bells in elevators and emergency lighting systems. If
stuck in an elevator during a power failure, the company reminded residents to
call the fire department at *102 and said that rescues can only be performed by
someone authorized to do so.
“The IEC will continue to make every effort
to provide its customers [with] all electricity demands, and thanks the public
for understanding, responsiveness and cooperation,” a statement from the company
said, reminding customers to check its website regularly for updates about
outages.
The same day, the IEC also announced the official launch of its
Facebook page and its participation in a wide range of social networking
platforms – Twitter, YouTube, Picasa, Flickr and blogs. By taking part in social
media, the company can “create a direct connection with the company’s
customers,” especially during the days when they “might have to cope with
unexpected power shortages,” the company said.
“The launch of social
networking activities, specifically these days, is designed, among other things,
to create more open communication with the public for transmitting messages and
information about managing anticipated shortages in the electricity sector
during summer months and in general,” said Eli Glickman, CEO of
IEC.
“These new communication channels are part of a process of openness
and transparency with our large community of clients.”