How hot is it in Tampa Bay? TECO customers set record for electricity use

Part of electric fan on a table

Feeling a little warm lately? You’re not alone.

Tampa Electric Co. customers set a record this week for summer electricity use. At 4:49 p.m. Tuesday, they reached 4,428 megawatts of electricity, surpassing the previous hourly record of 4,373 megawatts set on July 5, 2016, the utility said in a news release Friday.

Temperatures reached 98 degrees Tuesday in the Tampa Bay area, tying a record set in 1950.

“Rest assured, Tampa Electric has enough electricity to meet demand during this week’s unusually hot weather,” Nancy Tower, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric, said in a prepared statement. “It is good to remember that this type of weather makes air conditioners work extra hard to keep you and your home or business cool.”