NSTAR Just Called

An automated message from NSTAR just came in on Bostonist's phone. They're not threatening to turn off our power, rather they just want to kindly remind us to turn off any unused electrical equipment. Perhaps they forgot that they're charging us enough for every kilowatt/hour that we've already had the forethought to turn off anything we weren't actually using. It's not surprising that they're sending out a warning about load – it's bloody hot outside and even with promises of thunderstorms it doesn't look like it's getting any cooler. We heard scattered reports from JP, Cambridge, Brookline, and Somerville of some blackouts last night – though the Somerville outage was due to a fire down the block (which may or may not have been started by a downed power line). When the temperature and humidity make things this uncomfortable it's time to be reminded to check on your elderly neighbors, family, and anyone else who may have trouble surviving the heat. Take in a movie (theatres are always so cold), take another cold shower, or just sit in front of the air conditioner with a tall glass of your favorite iced beverage. Today seems like a perfect day to hit up Contribute! with some tips on staying cool and saving electricity.

Thermometer image comes courtesy Flickr user Space Ritual