(Danville, Va.) – Danville Utilities is asking customers to turn back the air conditioning and not run major appliances for a few hours for the next couple of days.

The utility company is asking customers to conserve power between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and has issued a peak power alert.

The alert means demand for electricity on these hot, humid days may to be at its highest level of the year.

Utilities Director Jason Grey says simple conservation measures can affect rates for the coming year and that customers can help by doing things like turning up the thermostat a few degrees or not washing or drying clothes during the peak hours.