B.C. has set a new record for peak hourly energy demand as residents crank up fans and air conditioners to cope with an ongoing heatwave.
BC Hydro's preliminary analysis done Aug. 14 found consumption reached over 8,400 megawatts Monday night, setting a new August record. Demand is expected to remain high until temperatures decrease.
“While the demand for power is higher-than-average with the hot temperatures, BC Hydro wants to assure its customers that its renewable and reliable, hydroelectric system can meet the additional demand,” said the public utility in a statement.
BC Hydro spokesman Kevin Aquino told Glacier Media that the new August record trumps the previous high set in 2022, but remains below 200 megawatts below the all-time summer record set during the heat dome in 2021. The current demand on the electricity system remains about three-quarters of winter peak loads, said the utility.
"That being said," Aquino added, "our last night’s consumption was only about two-thirds of what we see on the coldest days of the year. Last December during the cold snap, we recorded the highest ever peak hourly demand. It hit 10,900 megawatts between 5 and 6 p.m."
The public utility said that, on average, heat waves can result in an addition of over 1,000 megawatts -- the equivalent of turning on about one million portable AC units.
Hot temperatures expected to persist
Since Sunday, 26 weather stations have set records across the province. On Monday, the hottest community was Lytton, where temeperatures hit 41.5 C. In the Interior, temperatures in Kelowna climbed to 37.8 C, and on the coast, Victoria International Airport hit 37.8 C.
In Vancouver, daily highs are forecast to remain between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius for at least the next week, according to Environment Canada.
The hot spot in B.C. at noon Aug. 15 remained Lytton at 36.7 C. The community set Canada's all-time temperature record in late June 2021 a day before a wildfire burned burned through the town's centre.
By Tuesday afternoon, temperatures sat 10 degrees cooler in Prince George. They are expected to drop through Thursday before climbing again for the weekend.
Find ways to keep cool
BC Hydro encourages customers looking for ways to keep cool and save money during the heat wave to consider closing drapes and blinds, shutting doors and windows, using a fan or using a heat pump.
Further, BC Hydro is offering all residential customers $50 off the purchase of a qualifying energy-efficient room air conditioner until August 28. Eligible products include ENERGY STAR® window air conditioners that use 30 to 40 per cent less power than standard units and portable air conditioners offering best-in-class efficiency and features.
The utility said there are two easy ways to get the $50 discount:
- Instant in-store discounts – People looking to beat the heat can purchase an eligible air conditioner in-store from a participating retailer until Aug. 28 and save instantly. The discount is taken off the after-tax purchase price at checkout. Participating retailers include Costco, Best Buy and Home Depot;
- Post-purchase rebates – Purchase an eligible air conditioner from any retailer online or in-store until August 28, then apply for a rebate at bchydro.com before Sept. 26.
In partnership with the provincial government, BC Hydro is also providing 8,000 air conditioning units to British Columbians that need them the most — both low-income and medically heat vulnerable — over the next three years.
