Saskatchewan has set a new summer peak power use record for the third time this summer.
The latest record was set on Monday, August 28, eclipsing previous power use highs set back in July.
Saskatchewan electrical users consumed 3,470 megawatts of power at 4:26 p.m. on Monday, breaking the previous high marks of 3,419 megawatts of power back on July 27 and 3,360 megawatts on July 10. The additional 110 megawatts in power use represents the power use of nearly 110,000 homes.
The winter peak electrical record is higher at 3,747 megawatts, but the summer usage rate continues to increase as a result of increasing household and business demand.
“Saskatchewan is still growing and we’re seeing it in these new summer peaks,” stated SaskPower Vice President of Transmission and Industrial Services Kory Hayko. “More people and businesses are requesting new service and each household is using more power every year as they adopt new technology. We’re also seeing the summer peak climb higher towards our winter peak, and that’s why SaskPower needs to update the grid and keep growing along with the province.”
Cooling and heating represents approximately a quarter of residential power bills. To reduce consumption and power bills during heat waves, SaskPower’s customers can turn down (or program) the air conditioning when no one is home. Changing the temperature by even a few degrees can make a big difference. For every degree that air conditioning is lowered for an eight-hour period, customers can save up to two per cent on their power costs. Customers may also consider having their air conditioning unit inspected.
