With the recent surge of winter weather, Southern Pine Electric is asking customers to reduce energy usage to avoid possible outages.

According to a Jan. 17 statement from Southern Pine, the cooperative “and other power companies are experiencing a critical shortage of electricity” due to increased usage.

Customers are asked turn off non-essential lighting and appliances; minimize use of appliances such as water heaters, electric ovens and dryers; and lower thermostats to 68 degrees or lower, the statement said.

The request does not apply to life-support devices.

If the situation does not improve, Southern Pine will enact its emergency load reduction plans, which could result in a loss of service for some customers on a rotating basis.

Customers can monitor the situation via Southern Pine’s Facebook and Twitter pages and its website.

“This voluntary curtailment of usage will hopefully result in a sizable reduction in load on the electric system,” the statement said.

Southern Pine serves 11 counties in Mississippi, including — Rankin, Smith, Jasper, Newton and Forrest counties.

The reduction appeal does not apply to Mississippi Power Co., and East Mississippi Electric Power Association customers, representatives from both companies said Wednesday.

“EMEPA’s wholesale power provider for the southern portion of our service area (Lauderdale and Clarke counties) is Mississippi Power, and we have not been asked to reduce use at this time,” Julie Boles of EMEPA wrote in an email. 

Mississippi Power spokesman Jeff Shepard on Wednesday morning said the utility’s “generating plants and power delivery system are performing well and meeting our customers’ needs.”

“We have been monitoring the forecast and our generation, transmission and distribution teams are prepared to respond as needed to Winter Storm Inga,” Shepard said. “As conditions improve and temperatures warm up, any strain on the system will be reduced.”