LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Rolling blackouts are no longer expected for customers of LG&E and KU on Christmas Eve.

Company spokesman Daniel Lowry tells WDRB that it no longer anticipates service interruptions since power usage is down and temperatures are up slightly.

Lowry said there were "brief service" interruptions only in the KU service area on Friday night, but he said there weren't any in the LG&E service area. The company had said its goal was to keep rolling outages to 30 minutes or less.

In a release Friday night, LG&E and KU said that high energy demand was creating scattered power outages, as technicians worked "diligently" to minimize the impact.

"There was pressure on the regional grid, and we had to take action," Lowry said, but he still urged customers to conserve power.

Simple actions like turning down the thermostat to its lowest comfortable setting is one possible step to help cut demand. The company also suggested using a slow cooker, which uses less energy than a conventional oven.

Other ideas for conserving energy include: 

  • Reducing reliance on other heating sources.
  • Wearing extra layers.
  • Using extra blankets.
  • Closing dampers and doors on fireplaces when not in use, unless it is a gas fireplace.
  • Use draft stoppers for windows and doors.
  • Turn off all unnecessary lights, including holiday lights, and appliances.
  • Run dishwashers, dryers and washing machines only when full.
  • Open curtains, drapes or blinds during the day to let the sun provide heat, and close them at night to retain heat.
  • Make sure furniture and/or drapes aren't blocking air registers.
  • Prepare cold meals using a microwave oven or a slow cooker, as they use less power than ovens.

For more tips, click here.

LG&E expects outage numbers to continue to fluctuate. Customers should report any power outages they experience. That can be done by calling 502-589-1444 or 800-331-7370, texting OUTAGE to 454358, or through the LG&E phone app. For more information on reporting an outage, click here.

To look at LG&E's outage map, click here. You can also text STATUS to 454358 for outage updates.

Electric Cooperatives in Kentucky: 

Kentucky's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives are also asking members to reduce unnecessary power use during the extreme cold through at least 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 25. 

“Our cooperative crews are working hard to keep the power flowing,” said Nick Comer, External Affairs Manager. “We appreciate cooperative members’ help in reducing power use to avoid too much strain on the grid, which can lead to outages.”

The cooperatives include 17 not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperatives that serve more than 1.1 million Kentucky residents across 87 Kentucky counties. The cooperatives include:

  • Big Sandy RECC, Paintsville, Ky.
  • Blue Grass Energy, Nicholasville, Ky.
  • Clark Energy Cooperative, Winchester, Ky.
  • Cumberland Valley Electric, Gray, Ky.
  • Farmers RECC, Glasgow, Ky.
  • Fleming-Mason Energy, Flemingsburg, Ky.
  • Grayson RECC, Grayson, Ky.
  • Inter-County Energy Cooperative, Danville, Ky.
  • Jackson Energy Cooperative, McKee, Ky.
  • Licking Valley RECC, West Liberty, Ky.
  • Nolin RECC, Elizabethtown, Ky.
  • Owen Electric Cooperative, Owenton, Ky.
  • Salt River Electric, Bardstown, Ky.
  • Shelby Energy Cooperative, Shelbyville, Ky.
  • South Kentucky RECC, Somerset, Ky.
  • Taylor County RECC, Campbellsville, Ky.
  • East Kentucky Power Cooperative

Southern Indiana: 

In southern Indiana, Clark County REMC asked customers to conserve power because of the extreme cold, but didn't mention any rolling blackouts. On Saturday, the REMC posted on social media that "usage dropped overnight as families turned in for the evening and turned off non-essential electronics." 

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