A new summer power use record was set in Saskatchewan on Monday.
SaskPower said the registered peak power demand was 3,360 megawatts (MW) at 3:01 p.m. CT as temperatures soared across the province to near record breaking levels.
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The previous record of 3,331 MW was set on July 10, 2015.
While Monday’s record did not break the all-time peak power record, it came close.
“The winter peak record is still higher at 3,747 MW, but year-over-year we’re seeing the summer peak close the gap,” Kory Hayko, SaskPower’s vice-president of transmission and industrial services, said in a release.
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“This can be attributed to the increasing year-round demand from each individual household and business.”
Cooling and heating make up roughly one-quarter of household power bills and officials said there are steps people can take to reduce their bill.
One way is to turn down or program air conditioning so it is not on when no one is at home.
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Officials said changing the temperature by just one degree during an eight-hour period can save up to two per cent on power costs.
They also recommend having air conditioners inspected and serviced to ensure the units are operating at maximum efficiency.
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