RALEIGH -- The sizzling days of summer are upon us.

"I'm ready to handle the heat wave," said Raleigh resident Breya Lewis.

With temperatures expected to climb above 100 degrees across the state this weekend, people like Lewis say they are ready to tackle the hot weather by cranking up their AC.

"I can't stand the heat," said Lewis. "Not like that. I have to have it on all the time."

As more people take to their AC to keep cool, utility companies say they are prepared for the possible surge in usage.

“We have excellent forecasting tools to predict what that demand is going to be on a day like this” said Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson for Progress Energy. “That helps us to plan ahead so we can adequately meet the need of our customers.”

“We have power plants all across our system that stand ready to meet our customers needs for electricity as we get into this heat wave over the weekend,” added Jason Walls, a spokesperson for Duke Energy.

However, as your AC usage goes up, so does your power bill.

Progress and Duke Energy say there are easy ways to help keep the cost down. They suggest keeping the thermostat set between 76 and 78 degrees, use ceiling fans to offset the strain of your air conditioning unit, and to keep your air filters clean.

Lewis says she is already on board with those ideas. She has a plan of action in place.

"I plan to use a little AC and a little bit of fan [power]," she said.

Lewis is taking a proactive approach to the summer heat and finding ways to keep her cool this season.

Progress Energy says if the heat index is equal to or above 105 degrees they will suspend "non paid disconnects" until the forecasted temperatures for that day come down.