CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - With temperatures soaring into the 100's this weekend, you can count on air conditioning units running at full blast.
Eugene Bittle has his unit cranked up.
"It cost a little bit more money to stay cool, but it's best to stay cool than to get sick," said Bittle, a Charlotte resident.
Just imagine how much energy it takes to keep all of those a/c units running.
With nearly 2 million customers to provide for, Duke Energy has its hands full.
But the company says it's business as usual.
"Our system is designed for this hot weather, for the heat of the Summer and it's well maintained to provide customers with reliable electricity," said Jason Walls, a spokesperson with Duke Energy.
Energy officials aren't taking any chances.
On Sunday, 3,500 customers in the Clover, South Carolina area will loose power from 1am - 4am so crews can make a repair to the system.
The decision isn't sitting well with some customers considering the triple digit temperatures.
But Walls says the repairs are a must to keep the system running properly.
"We've scheduled that in the middle of the night, when folks will be sleeping and the temperatures are cooler to make that repair so as the day and the temperatures heat up, our customers can count on the electricity to be there," said Walls.
The company says it uses the most efficient power plants to supply power and as the power needs increase, additional plants will be used to keep the electricity flowing.
Anyone affected by the scheduled power outage this weekend will be advised through an automated telephone message.
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