As the cold sinks its teeth into Saskatchewan, another power consumption record has been shattered.
SaskPower’s new peak load reached 3,710 megawatts (MW) around 5:24 p.m. Monday. That broke the previous record by 70 MW, or the equivalent power use of 70,000 homes. The old record was 3,640 MW set on Jan. 12, 2016.
In a news release, Mike Marsh, SaskPower President and CEO, said “we’ve seen new peaks set nine times since 2007, and we know this trend is going to continue. We want to make sure our customers have the safe and reliable power they depend on.”
New peak records have been set in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, twice in 2015, and now twice in 2016.
SaskPower is providing tips to keep power consumption down:
- Turn down the thermostat, especially when no one is home. Changing the temperature by even a few degrees can make a big difference. For every degree you lower your thermostat overnight for an eight-hour period, you can save up to two per cent on your heating costs.
- Plug in your car with a timer. Your car only needs to be plugged in for four hours. Use a block heater timer to save around $25 a year.
- Turn off the lights. Shorter days and longer nights mean interior lights in your home are on longer. Remember to turn out the lights when you leave a room.
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