Austintown neighborhood seeing less power during the summer

Higher electric bills in the hot summer months are pretty common, but one Austintown neighborhood is seeing a different problem. For the past two months, those living near Woodmere Drive in Austintown are seeing lower power in their homes on extremely hot days.

“We have had what I would consider a brown out situation where our lights are extremely dimmed, and our microwaves are running at half power at best. And it's not just me, it's the entire neighborhood. It's our neighbors,” said Jesse Alexander of Austintown. 

Alexander says about five or six other people he's spoken to in the neighborhood are having the same problem.

“Lights running at half power, microwaves running at half power, flickering, anxiety over if something is going wrong in the house,” said Alexander.

Those in the neighborhood said they’ve been seeing less power for months. While the situation is manageable for Alexander and his neighbors, he says it's been inconvenient. 

“I would like to have what I pay for power wise. If I'm paying a company to fill power, a power need, then I would like my power fulfilled,” said Alexander.

After hearing about the issue, 21 News reached out to FirstEnergy to see why the neighborhood is seeing less power.

A spokesperson for FirstEnergy told 21 News they have not received any calls about the issue, and are adjusting the voltage in the area to stop this from happening.

FirstEnergy also sent 21 News this statement:

“Periods of high heat can put stress on the electric system, causing lower voltages that dim lights or make fans run more slowly. We are actively investing in our system in Austintown to ensure reliable power in all types of weather. In the meantime, if customers have electricity but notice some devices, appliances or areas of their homes aren’t fully powered, we encourage them to reach out to us.”

Alexander told 21 News while they have been dealing with this problem on hot days in the summer, he did not notice less power in his home Friday.