Heat wave prompts record electricity use
KAMLOOPS — Toasty temperatures in July have led to record-breaking electricity use in British Columbia.
BC Hydro says power consumption Monday night, when peak hourly demand – the hour that customers use the most electricity – reached over 7,800 megawatts.
“And this is due to an increase in electricity use due to customers turning on their fans or air conditioners and refrigeration units working a lot harder to stay cool,” says spokesperson Mora Scott.
She adds Monday’s demand record represents a 4 per cent increase over the peak hourly demand last Monday, when temperatures were already quite high and 18 per cent over the same day last year.