(980 CJME file photo)

By CKOM News

CRANKING UP THE AC

Saskatchewan smashes record during recent heat wave

Aug 4, 2023 | 5:15 PM

After records were set recently for heat in Saskatchewan, the province now has a new one for power usage in the summer.

That’s thanks in part to air conditioner use this week, according to SaskPower spokesperson Scott McGregor.

On Monday, the all-time peak load power-use record for 3,669 megawatts was broken by 70 MW.

McGregor said the previous record was set in 2021.

Temperatures have risen all week in Saskatchewan. On Thursday, Lucky Lake has set a record with a high of 38 C, Saskatoon reached a record of 37 C, and Watrous set a new all-time high with 35 C.

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With hotter temperatures, McGregor said an increase is usually seen in power usage across the province. Extreme outdoor temperatures — whether hot or cold — affect power use as people try to regulate the temperature inside their homes.

Furnaces and air conditioners both can make up a substantial portion of household power use, especially during these weather events.

McGregor said SaskPower recommends customers reduce their power usage as a result — through investing in a programmable thermostat, adjusting the temperatures in their house to be less extreme despite the weather outside, and by only heating or cooling the home when people are in it.

There has been a trend of increasing demands for power in recent years too, McGregor shared. That could be attributed to increased electrification in society generally, more businesses and industry, and a growing population.

“It’s something that we certainly are aware of and planning for and taking the appropriate steps to ensure that we can provide the reliable power that our customers expect from us,” McGregor said.

He noted that daily, there is a peak in power usage between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. — when people tend to be arriving home from work and starting to use their televisions, stoves and air conditioners.

“Their appliances, they turn on kind of (at) the same time because everyone has more or less the same routine,” McGregor explained.

He said SaskPower is encouraging people to save money on their power bills even in the midst of a heatwave like that which Saskatchewan has been seeing. Tips on how to do that can be found on SaskPower’s website.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Will Mandzuk