MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Light Gas and Water asked customers to voluntarily cut back on electricity use Thursday and Friday morning.

The request comes as Memphis and the Mid-South faces dangerous cold weather, with wind chills that could reach single digits. An Extreme Cold Warning is expected to go in effect Wednesday night, MLGW said.

To lessen the load on the electrical grid during the extreme cold, MLGW asks customers to take conservation measures between 6 and 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.

That means setting thermostats to 68 degrees, unplugging space heaters, and holding off washing and drying clothes during those hours.

Even as people cranked up the heat Wednesday, there were few outages reported across MLGW’s system. The utility company says it’s prepared for the increased demand.

The snow and ice will take a while to melt, because the dangerously cold temperatures will stick around through the week, which means the increased demand for energy will remain.