DAYTON — The Dayton Power and Light Co. expects to meet the hot weather electricity demands of its customers this weekend and into next week as temperatures climb to the lower 90s.

DP&L continually monitors power generation, weather conditions and customer usage throughout its 24-county service territory. During times of extreme heat, the staff delays routine work to maximize the capacity of the system, and they can enable back-up power sources, if needed.

DP&L asks area residents to be smart about energy use by following these tips:

• Adjust your thermostat. Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The recommended setting is 78 degrees or higher when you are home and higher when you are asleep or away.

• Set air conditioning to “auto” instead of “on” and reduce your energy costs.

• Change or clean filters once a month. Dust and dirt make your unit work harder.

• Vacuum registers and vents regularly.

• Block the sun. Close blinds and shades during the warmest times of the day to keep the heat out and the cool air in.

• Click it off. Turn off unnecessary lights and switch to energy-efficient lighting that gives off less heat in your home.

• Circulate. Turn off ceiling fans in unoccupied rooms. Fans offer an inexpensive alternative to setting the thermostat to a lower temperature because fans cool people, not rooms.

• Wait until later in the evening to use heat-producing appliances, like the oven, clothes dryer and dishwasher. Many dryers and dishwashers have timers you can set so they turn on hours later.