(WJHL) — Temperatures in the mid-90s loom ahead in the Tri-Cities this week, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES) asked that customers reduce their power usage to avoid outages.

TVA officials stated in a news release that the system expects the highest June temperatures in over a decade, which will drive the TVA’s peak demand to surge past 30,000 megawatts (MW). The electrical services ask customers to reduce their usage from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

TVA Public Information Officer Jim Hopson said the voluntary power reduction may have its greatest impact on customers’ next electric bill.

“It ultimately ends up saving you money because it keeps you from using the most power when it has the highest demand period,” Hopson said.

Reductions may include postponing the use of electrical appliances, adjusting thermostats 2-3 degrees warmer and turning off lights and other appliances that are not needed.

“Per request from TVA, BTES has joined TVA in reducing power usage at our facilities by adjusting thermostats, reducing lighting, and taking other measures to reduce electricity consumption,” said Mike Browder, CEO of BTES. “The voluntary reduction is needed to help ensure a continued supply of power throughout the Tennessee Valley region and avoid interruptions in service.”

Despite the expected high demand, Hopson said TVA would have adequate power supply because it is used to these high temperatures, just not this early in the year.

“We’re not running out of power. We’re not looking at anything as drastic as blackouts or brownouts,” Hopson said. “We are nowhere near the record demand that we would normally see for TVA system during the Summer.”

Hopson said TVA uses their cheapest electricity sources first, then turn to alternatives as demand increases.

He said TVA may have to purchase power during periods of high demand if they don’t have enough from its own generation.

“We can ensure that we can provide reliable energy at the lowest cost possible,” Hopson said. “In high demand periods, it does create a little bit more of a challenge.”

But that cool air inside the house comes with a cost, and Hopson wants customers to be prepared to avoid a high bill this month.

“Your HVAC system is generally one of the biggest users of power in your home,” Hopson said. “People tend to overreact and will try to raise their thermostat too high and that just makes your unit have to work harder when you have to cool it back down later.”

Hopson also recommended closing the blinds on the sunny side of the house to avoid additional heating inside.

Brightridge, which supplies power for Johnson City and Washington County, Tennessee, confirmed they will also recommend the power reduction.

Appalachian Power, supplier to Kingsport and much of Southwest Virginia, said they had not notified customers of any need to reduce power.

TVA and BTES will keep status reports updated throughout the heat wave, and crews will work around the clock to ensure possible outages stay at a minimum.

Storm Team 11 predicted that the extreme heat could lead to the development of strong to severe storms throughout the region.