The heat wave has people in Lethbridge turning to air conditioners to try and beat the high temperatures.
Charlton & Hill Home Services manager Dan Friesen said Monday that the air conditioner market is off to a hot start.
Sales picked up earlier than usual this year after some warmer days in early June, and Friesen says that trend has continued.
“This hot weather, this early in the season, has really created a lot of demand,” Friesen said.
“Our service technicians are going to repair systems. We’re installing systems, multiple systems a day.
“We can barely keep up with demand.”
More AC units and fans means more electricity used.
City of Lethbridge electric utility general manager Jason Drenth said the city is preparing for a power increase.
“We see a lot of added demand with the air conditioners,” Drenth said.
“On a normal sunny day, we might see 120 to 130 megawatts, where our all-time peak is 183 megawatts, which was set just a couple of weeks ago.”
Drenth said the city is not currently expecting any service interruptions but reminded residents to take steps to conserve power.
“Closing the blinds and curtains helps keep the sunlight out and keep the air cooler,” Drenth said.
“Fans are always great. They use a lot less energy than an air conditioner so you can use them in combination.”
Friesen added keeping your AC unit running during the day will reduce spikes in power usage.
“That’s the biggest demand on the grid: everyone gets home from work, everyone turns on those air conditioners at the same time,” Friesen said.
“If you’ve let your house maintain temperature all day, you’re going to be less of an impact on the grid in those peak hours after work.”
Friesen suggested letting your house warm up a couple of degrees during the day if no one is home.
“Definitely better for your air conditioner as well,” Friesen said.
The city encourages residents to avoid using the oven for cooking and limit appliance use during peak hours in the early evening.
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