What Is Cold Load Pickup?
After a power outage, many electrical devices in homes and businesses restart at the same time. This sudden increase in demand is known as cold load pickup.
During an outage, equipment such as water heaters, heating systems, refrigerators, freezers and other appliances stop running. When electricity is restored, many of these devices begin operating at once to catch up. For a brief period, they can draw more power than they normally would.
Why does it happen?
Think about what happens after your home has been without power for an hour or more. The water heater needs to reheat the tank. The refrigerator and freezer need to cool back down. If it’s winter, the heating system works to bring the house back to the desired temperature.
When thousands of homes experience this at the same time, the demand on the electric system rises quickly.
Why is it important?
Cold load pickup is a normal part of restoring service after an outage. Wasco Electric’s crews and system operators account for this temporary increase in demand when bringing power back online.
In most cases, the surge lasts only a short time before electrical use returns to normal as appliances cycle on and off.
Can members help?
If you experience an outage, you can help reduce the immediate demand by waiting a few minutes before turning on large appliances or nonessential equipment after power is restored. This simple step can ease the initial load on the system while your home returns to normal operation.
Why it matters
Cold load pickup is a short-term rise in electricity use that happens when power comes back after an outage. It is a normal part of restoring service, and utility crews plan for it to help bring power back safely.