Fans, air conditioners, and other cooling units are going to get a lot more use in this hot weather. (Rob Mahon/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Power Bills Up

SaskPower offers tips as power usage climbs

Jul 15, 2022 | 12:00 PM

As the heat has gone up, you’ve probably had to work a little harder to keep the temperature in your home down. You certainly wouldn’t be alone.

SaskPower noted an increase in power usage as the temperature rose almost everywhere in the province this past week. That’s something some customers will feel very keenly when they check their bill.

“We actually set a new peak consumption record just the other day on July 13,” said SaskPower spokesperson, Joel Cherry. “Extreme temperatures, whether it’s hot or it’s cold, do drive up power consumption. In the evening, two days ago, we reached a new record.”

That record, 3,551 megawatts, beat the old record that was set last year by just four megawatts. The previous record also came in the middle of a widespread heatwave, proving Cherry’s point about the rise in consumption during extreme weather.

“That takes into account things like consumption by our industrial customers, which makes up a large portion of the load we have to supply,” Cherry said. “But the reason power tends to peak in the evenings, in this case it was at 5:22 p.m., is because a lot of people are getting home from work, they’re turning the air conditioner on or up and they’re cooking dinner.”

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When thousands of people do this at roughly the same time, that’s when the demand on the grid starts to rise. For individual power users, they might feel the effects of this down the line when it comes time to pay their bill.

“A huge thing is air conditioning,” said Cherry. “You can make sure your air conditioner is operating efficiently. Even one degree, keeping your place one degree warmer than it would otherwise be is going to have a measurable impact on your bill at the end of the day.”

Another thing Cherry recommended to keep your bill under control was a smart thermostat to help control when you use your air conditioner. After all, they are one of the biggest causes of increased power usage in the summer.

“There are also more old-fashioned ways of keeping your house cool: keeping your blinds and window coverings closed,” said Cherry. “If you have that hot, bright summer sun shining into your home, it’s going to cause temperatures inside to rise.”

Cherry added it’s a good idea to run appliances like dishwashers or driers in the morning or evening, as they create a lot of heat. He also said running them at those times can be good for the grid as well.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP