SaskPower customers set a new summer demand record for electricity of 3,597 megawatts (MW) on August 31, at 5:14 p.m. as a late heatwave settled into the region.

The new mark is 46 MW higher than the previous record of 3,551 MW, which was set earlier this summer on July 13. With temperatures well above 30 Celsius expected to continue throughout Saskatchewan into next week, it is possible another new summer record could be set.

“Extreme heat drives up electricity consumption, and higher peaks are a sign of the growing demand for power in Saskatchewan,” said Kory Hayko, SaskPower Vice-President of Transmission and Industrial Services. “Demand will continue to grow in the coming years, and SaskPower is making significant investments in the grid to ensure that need is met with reliable and sustainable power.”

Cooling homes represents a significant portion of a customer’s power bill during the hot summer months. SaskPower offers a number of helpful tips to help conserve electricity:

• Consider investing in a programmable or smart thermostat to ensure your home is being cooled only when needed (for every degree that air conditioning is lowered for an eight-hour period, customers could save up to two per cent on power costs)
• Close blinds and window coverings during the daytime to keep the heat out, and ensure all doors and windows are closed tightly
• Delay activities that produce heat and moisture, such as dishwashing or laundry, until later in the day or into the evening when temperatures are cooler
• For more energy saving tips, visit saskpower.com/efficiency.

Saskatchewan tends to experience its highest peak demands in the winter – the all-time demand record of 3,910 MW was set this past winter on December 30, 2021.

At a glance...

• Saskatchewan set a new summer peak electricity demand record of 3,597 megawatts at 5:14 p.m. on August 31
• Energy saving tips can be found at saskpower.com/efficiency