Now that warm summer weather has arrived, Geneva residents can provide some relief to the city’s electric operations — and their own utility bills — by reducing their power consumption for a few hours in the afternoon.

The city offers a voluntary electric load reduction program to all customers by alerting them via Twitter and the city’s website to cut down power usage during peak hours of the day.

The program is strictly voluntary, has no penalties and requires no reporting or tracking of usage. The benefits of reducing energy are making Geneva a greener community and keeping future electric costs down. The Geneva electric system has plenty of capacity and reserve to serve all its customers.

People wanting timely updates of when to reduce electricity consumption in a home or business during peak power days can:

• Follow the city’s Twitter account @CityofGeneva
• Visit the city’s website, click the “Notify Me” button, and subscribe to the “Peak Power Day Alerts” in the “Alert Center.”

After an alert has been issued, the easiest ways customers can reduce electric use is by adjusting their thermostats a few degrees, running major appliances later in the evening and turning off unused lights.

During an average summer, the city will issue about 20 alerts to customers.

For more information, visit the city’s website or call the Public Works Department Electric Division at 630-232-1503.

About the City of Geneva

Located 40 miles west of Chicago along the Fox River, Geneva is home to 21,495 residents and serves as the seat of Kane County government. Geneva’s character is found in its historic architecture, adaptive re-use of historic buildings, mature landscapes and open space with more than 700 acres of park land. With festivals and events year-round, Geneva is a place to connect with others for shopping, dining or browsing art galleries. Home to excellent schools, library and parks, Geneva continues to be one of the premier cities in the Chicago area to live, work, play and raise a family. For the latest news, visit the city’s website.