WATCH: BC Hydro is keeping an eye on its all-time consumption record saying it could be broken during the current cold snap.
BC Hydro says more British Columbians have been turning up the thermostat to keep warm during the current cold snap.
“We’ve seen an increase of about 13 per cent since the cold snap began compared to similar days last week,” said BC Hydro spokesperson Karla Louwers
The cold snap is expected to continue for at least another week and BC Hydro says we’re at risk of breaking the all-time consumption record for electricity use in BC that was set in January 2017 at 10,194 megawatts in one hour.
“We’re expecting electricity demand in between 9,600 megawatts and 10,000 megawatts,” said Louwers. “Everybody is trying to keep a little bit warmer and the things in your house are working a little bit harder. Some simple tips are making sure you have your drapes, curtains, and blinds closed. They act as that extra layer of insulation to keep the cold air out and the warm air in.”
Fortis BC says it doesn’t have immediate natural gas consumption numbers but adds it is able to meet the cold weather demand in light of the explosion on its pipeline near Prince George last October. Service was disrupted and customers were asked to conserve natural gas.
Meanwhile, roads crews have finished clearing snow after the weekend storm but the cold weather means lots of salt and brine are being used to keep the road surfaces from getting icy.
“The roads are very white right now mainly because we knew it was going to drop below -6 this week so on Sunday before it dropped down we actually hit it really hard with salt crystal in an attempt to dry the road right out and prevent it from freezing,” said Mainroad North Island Road Manager Damian Girard.
Dean Stoltz
