Pool attendance, electric bills rise with temperatures
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Like many area residents, Courtney and Jacob Curigliano, of Canonsburg, beat the heat at the local pool. The Curiglianos spent a day earlier this summer cooling off in Town Park pool.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
This summer has felt hotter than usual, and local pools are experiencing record attendance. At Town Park in Canonsburg, the pool nears capacity on the hottest days, and assistant manager Mallory Mohon said they’ve had more busy days this summer than last.
It’s a hot one, and temperatures are expected to rise into the weekend.
Temperatures will continue in the mid-80s and rise into the upper 80s and low 90s this weekend, said Jason Frazier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Pittsburgh.
“We’re going to see humidity slightly increase. It’s basically going to be dry through a good portion of the day Sunday. It will be warm feeling.”
Hot days mean packed pools, where folks have increasingly spent their summer afternoons.
“On our busy days, we can get anywhere over 600 people, close to 700, which is our capacity,” said Mallory Mohon, assistant manager at Town Park Pool in Canonsburg.
That’s “almost double the amount” of busy days the pool had during the 2021 season, Mohon said, noting last year’s busy days capped around 400 people.
It doesn’t matter the day of the week; if it’s toasty, people cool off in the pool.
“It’s kind of like, if it’s hot, people come,” said Mohon.
Washington Park Pool, too, is swimming in guests. The pool was closed the last couple seasons due to COVID-19 and other issues, but this year, Washington Park secretary Myndi Tran said admissions are high.
“We definitely keep, probably around 300 people at the pool on really, really hot days, which is quite a lot,” said Tran. “Having 300, 350 people is a lot for the pool itself.”
While some cool off in the pool, others beat the the heat indoors, cranking up the air conditioning – and electric bills.
West Penn Power services Washington and parts of Greene counties, and its parent company, First Energy, also provides electricity to Fayette County.
Last June, non-shopping residential West Penn Power customers paid 5.71 cents per kilowatt hour. The price per kilowatt hour jumped to 8.2 cents this year, and the average June electric bill for those customers increased almost $15.
This June’s average electric bill for non-shopping West Penn customers who used 750 kilowatts of electricity was $93.89.
“The increases for the price-to-compare are largely due because the fuel to generate electricity is much more costly now,” said Todd Meyers, senior communications representative for West Penn.
Rising fuel costs play a large role in higher electric bills, which typically spike in summer. There are ways to save on electric bills, though, said Meyers.
Like turning up the thermostat.
“For every degree a customer raises the temperature on their AC – say from 78 degrees to 79 – they can save 3% on their electric bill,” Meyers said. “For every degree they lower the thermostat, it adds about 3% to the electric bill.”
Keeping the curtains closed on bright, sunny days prevents heat from warming up the house. Meyers also recommends not using the stove or other heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day.
“Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters waste energy and money by forcing HVAC systems to work harder than necessary,” he said. “A lot of times people will have – myself included – furniture over their central air. Make sure those grates are clear. You also want to make sure that ductwork is clear so that cold air can get out into the room where it belongs.”
Cool air indoors and cool spots outdoors will remain in high demand this summer, which has felt scorchingly hot. Frazier said this summer is warmer than last, but not unseasonably so.
“We’re only talking about average temperature 0.5 degrees (warmer), so it’s not a significant increase,” he said.
This summer’s record high 94 degrees is hotter than last year’s, but our most blistering days haven’t touched past records (like a 98-degree day in 2012). Still, if you swear you’re hotter more often this summer than last, you’re not alone.
“We might’ve had more humid days (this year). We’ve also had less precipitation than last summer up to this point, so just by having days where you’re having less clouds … you’re feeling the heat of the sun, which artificially can feel like a little more (heat),” Frazier said.
“People need to take precautions as they’re outside,” he added.
Earlier this week, the state Department of Aging released a memo for keeping cool.
The DOA’s advice is solid for people of all ages: Drink water throughout the day, and pass on caffeinated, alcoholic or sugary beverages, which cause dehydration. Limit exposure to the sun and heat, and venture outdoors during the cooler parts of the day. Wear light colors, hats and sunglasses, and go heavy on the sunscreen.
Check up on your neighbors, especially older folks, to ensure they’re staying comfortable.
And relish the warm weather now; cold weather is just around the corner, and Christmas is only 156 days away.