ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Duke Energy is asking customers to turn down their thermostats and conserve energy on Monday, Feb. 2.
Caroline Fountain with Duke Energy says the reason they are asking residents to conserve energy is that temperatures have been between 10 and 20 degrees lower than normal.
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Since the weather been between 10 and 20 degrees lower than normal, there is an unusually high energy demand but power supplies are limited.
To help conserve energy, there are many things Duke Energy is asking customers to do between the hours of 4 a.m. and 10 a.m.
“You can reduce your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting. You can avoid using anything like a dishwasher or laundry,” Fountain said. “You can avoid using any appliances that you don’t need to be using during those hours, and then if you have an EV, charge during midday.”
The reason for this time frame in the morning is the anticipated peak demand on the grid.
“We all need to do our part and be conservative to help our neighbors out,” said Jim, a Buncombe County resident.
FEB. 1, 2026 – Duke Energy is asking customers to turn down their thermostats and conserve energy on Monday, Feb. 2. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
This request is not just for residential customers; Duke Energy is urging all customers to do this.
News 13 reached out to the City of Asheville to find out if they have any concerns about this, and they messaged us back saying, in part, “We see no conflicts with Duke Energy’s conservation messaging at this writing. We have reshared Duke’s messaging with community members as guidance for their personal consumption decisions.”
The city also announced today that its offices will open at 11 a.m. on Monday.
News 13 also reached out to Mission Health to learn how this would impact them, but has not heard back.