By DANE LILLINGSTONE
There were power outages in Stanthorpe on Monday as South West experienced surges in power usage with people desperately trying to stay warm.
Power use peaked at 336MW just before 6pm on Monday, the second highest peak of 2015 after the 379MW recorded on the morning of 5 June.
This follows another high of 334MW recorded at around 7am on Monday making it the highest day for power usage this year in the region.
The South West is different to other parts of regional Queensland in that it experiences its power peak demand in the colder months while most others experience it in summer.
The peak use for power last summer was the 320MW recorded for a couple of days in mid-December.
Ergon Energy is reminding customers to stay safe while trying to stay warm over this cold front period.
Basic safety procedures to follow include:
* Avoid touching anything electrical with wet hands;
* Do not use electrical appliances such as hair dryers around wet places such as baths or basins containing water.
* Use only bathroom heaters specially designed for bathroom use.
* Check all appliances which have not been used for some time, particularly electric blankets. Exposed elements, perished, stiff or damaged connections on the flexible cord or plug top and any other visual defects should be inspected by licensed electricians before use.
* Don’t overload circuits with too many heating appliances. This can cause damage to wiring, plugs and electrical circuitry.
* Don’t pile items such as suitcases or piles of clothes on beds with electric blankets switched on. Trapped heat in such circumstances can cause fires.
