Temperatures have fallen to the lowest so far this winter. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Gas Consumption

Natural gas usage records could fall during cold snap

Jan 10, 2020 | 4:06 PM

The temperatures have plunged to their lowest so far this winter.

The province’s natural gas utility said they would not be shocked if new records are hit in gas consumption over this cold snap.

“It’s never a surprise anymore during the winter when we do hit a 24-hour record,” Casey Macleod, supervisor of government and media relations for SaskEnergy, said.

Macleod added it is difficult to forecast specific numbers for how much gas is expected to be used. She said over the past four to five winters gas usage records have been broken or have been near record levels.

“Last winter our record was set at 1.5 petajoules in a 24-hour period and was from 9 a.m. on Feb. 7 to 9 a.m. on Feb. 8,” she said.

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According to Macleod the breaking of these records can be attributed to more people coming on board and using natural gas. Macleod said the amount of gas used by the average homeowner to heat their home has been stable over the last number of years.

“There’s more homeowners using it and then there’s also more industry and commercial businesses that are online using natural gas off our system,” she said.

The crown-owned utility makes sure to prepare over the year so they are able to operate in cold conditions like this. Macleod explained part of the preparation is done by the corporation’s gas purchasing group.

“There job is basically to manage the gas that we do have, make sure that we’re purchasing the right amount of gas,” she said.

In terms of the company’s infrastructure, Macleod said they are always checking up on systems like line heaters, which run through above ground lines to make sure they are prepared to function in cold conditions when they are needed and customers are drawing more gas.

“We have a very regimented inspection schedule,” she said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn