The Kentuck electrical substation that serves 4,100 customers in Pittsylvania County will remain out of service for another three to four hours as a Danville Utilities crew makes repairs to the bus work that connects the transformer to the breaker building.
Those customers without power are asked to reduce the electrical load that will be generated in their homes when power is initially restored. Customers can help by lowering the setting on their thermostats and turning off electrical breakers or unplugging appliances and electronics until power is restored and remains on for 20 to 30 minutes.
“If we don’t get this help from these customers, then we may not get the substation back on tonight,” said Ken Ashworth, power and light division director of Danville Utilities.
When the substation is brought back online, Ashworth explained that the initial load would be much greater due to the low temperatures and the length of time in which the substation has been offline today.
“We need these customers to help us ease the initial load, however they choose to do so,” Ashworth said.
Customers should turn their thermostats down to 60 degrees. One power is restored and remains on for 20 to 30 minutes, customers can begin raise the thermostat setting a few degrees at a time.
The substation went out of service at 1:30 p.m. Ashworth said ice formation inside the trim way in which the bus work is housed created the problem. Materials are available to make the repairs, but the repair process is lengthy.