Thousands of Mississippi residents were without power overnight as temperatures dropped into the single digits.

As of 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, more than 32,000 customers in the state were without power. According to the website poweroutages.us which tracks power outages across the country.

Eclectricity providers to the southeast of Jackson were the hardest hit, including Southern Pine Electric in Simpson and other counties along U.S. 49. which reported more than 15,000 customers without power Tuesday morning.

Entergy Mississippi is asking customers to conserve electricity due to extreme weather conditions or we may start to experience widespread outages.

Because of the extreme conditions impacting the area, Entergy is asking the public to voluntarily reduce their electricity usage, due to the demand for electricity potentially exceeding the available generation.

The company’s reliability coordinator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, has made this request to Entergy and other utilities in its footprint, including other utilities in the Metro area. If the power supply cannot meet the demand, then periodic power outages would be needed to prevent an extensive power outage that could last an extended period.

Here are some of the ways customers can reduce electricity usage:

• Lower the central thermostat to 68 degrees and adjust window units accordingly.
• Use energy-efficient ceiling fans and portable fans to circulate the warm air to help with your comfort.
• Open blinds, drapes and curtains to let in warmth from the sun.
• Delay laundry, washing dishes, bathing and other non-essential uses of electricity until this appeal for conservation has ended.
• Wash clothes with cold water, cook foods at the lowest possible setting and refrain from opening the oven door while baking.
• Don’t allow warmed air to escape from the home.

Entergy crews are placing additional power generation into service and adding additional personnel to crews to closely monitor Entergy facilities.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this request may cause,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “The extreme temperatures over consecutive days are driving up electricity usage. This is an unusual situation driven by extreme weather conditions that much of the country is experiencing. We are working to respond and bring the electric system back to a normal operational state as soon as possible.”

Fisackerly added that the request does not apply to elderly customers or those with special health concerns.