Beat the Heat

What the Weather Service Is Talking About

  • Excessive Heat Watch - Conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event to meet or exceed local Excessive Heat Warning criteria in the next 24 to 72 hours.
  • Heat Advisory -  Heat Index values are forecasting to meet locally defined advisory criteria for 1 to 2 days (daytime highs of 100 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Excessive Heat Warning - Heat Index values are forecasting to meet or exceed locally defined warning criteria for at least 2 days (daytime highs of 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit).

What You Can Do

  • Avoid extreme temperature changes
  • Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat
  • Eat small meals and eat more often
  • Ensure that your animals’ needs for water and shade are met
  • Know those in your neighborhood who are elderly, young, sick or overweight; they are more likely to become victims of excessive heat and may need help
  • Listen to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio for critical updates from the National Weather Service (NWS)
  • Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles
  • Postpone outdoor games and activities
  • Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day
  • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids even if you do not feel thirsty; avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol
  • Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors
  • Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat
  • Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing; avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays

Cooling Areas

If you do not have air conditioning, choose places you could go to for relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day (schools, libraries, theaters, malls). In Warren Township, the local cooling center is the Warren Township Library during their working hours.

What the Utility Companies Suggest

FirstEnergy’s utilities also offer some common-sense hot weather tips customers can follow to stay comfortable while using electricity wisely during this period of high demand:

  • Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day. The less heat produced at home, the less work.the air conditioner will do.
  • Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters waste energy and money by forcing HVAC systems to work harder than necessary.
  • Close rooms that aren’t used regularly during the summer, and close the air conditioning vents in those rooms, as well.
  • During sunny weather, close drapes or blinds on windows facing the sun to prevent direct radiant heating from impacting interior temperatures.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers as full as possible. Frozen or cold items in the refrigerator help keep other items cool, reducing the amount of work the refrigerator has to do to maintain a lower temperature.
  • Only operate window air conditioners when someone is in the room.
  • Set thermostats as high as comfort will allow. Every degree a customer can increase the temperature in their home will result in using about 3 percent less energy during the hottest summer days. Don’t cool an empty house.
  • Use fans; moving air cools skin faster, resulting in greater comfort on hot days. Ceiling fans cool fast and cost less than air conditioning.
  • Use a programmable thermostat to keep temperatures higher when no one is home, and to reduce the temperature before arrival back home.