BC Hydro ready for customers to break summer record for power usage amid heat wave

BC Hydro expects customers to break a summer record for power usage as temperatures are expected to hit the mid-30s later this week.

B.C. residents are sure to rely on their air conditioners as energy usage beats a peak it hit three years ago.

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“The highest hourly summer peak demand was recorded in August 2014 when consumption reached 7,468 megawatts,” said BC Hydro spokesperson Mora Scott.

“And we’re expecting to see demand reach between 7,500 and 7,800 this week which mean we would break that record.”

And BC Hydro can handle the demand, she added.

“BC Hydro has enough capacity to serve the additional electricity load,” Scott said.

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Customers concerned about an increase in their hydro bill can take a number of actions to avoid using too much electricity.

“We recommend shading windows,” Scott said. “That can block up to 65 per cent of the heat from entering your homes.

“We also suggest a ceiling fan, they’re the most energy effective option for cooling, they use about 1/10th the power of an air conditioner.”

Scott also recommended that customers hang their laundry outside, as “it keeps the heat outside their home,” she said.

READ MORE: B.C. braces for record-setting heat wave