SaskPower says electricity usage has increased since the start of this cold snap by about 119 Megawatts.
Spokesman Scott McGregor says to put that into perspective, that’s enough power for about 44-thousand average households in the province.
“It’s certainly not insignificant,” McGregor said. “I know that SaskEnergy has been reporting they have peaked in terms of gas consumption. We haven’t hit that; we’re sitting at 3,692 Megawatts was the peak that we’ve hit during the cold snap.”
McGregor went on to say that’s 100 Megawatts shy of matching the record set back on December 29, 2017 of 3,792 Megawatts.
With that in mind, SaskPower is releasing money-saving tips to help reduce bills during the cold winter months, especially now in this cold snap.
- The largest consumers of power in a typical home are the large appliances (oven, washing machine, clothes drier, etc). Make sure you’re doing full loads of laundry, don’t over-dry your clothes (consider hang-drying), and avoid opening the oven before your food is done. In addition, when purchasing new appliances, look for ENERGY STAR logo.
- Heating and cooling of a house – on average – constitutes about 22 per cent of a household’s power consumption. Consider installing and programming a programmable thermostat to ensure you’re heating your house at optimal times (like decreasing the overall household temperature two to three degrees at night) and make sure all drafty doors and windows are sealed tight. Even a small efficiency when heating your home can go a long way.
- Miscellaneous electronic devices usually consume about 19 per cent of a household’s electricity. We recommend unplugging electronics when they’re not in use, like game consoles and phone chargers. Turning off computers and entertainment units can also help. Also, consider investing in more efficient electronics (a laptop computer over a desktop computer, for example).
- The average household’s power bill can be reduced simply by upgrading lightbulbs to LED technology, and by making sure lights are turned off when they’re not needed. LED bulbs use 80 per cent less electricity and typically last 15 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs.
- Everyone will agree that with temperatures as low as they are, plugging in your car is a must – and it’s important to note that vehicles only need to be plugged in for about four hours to achieve its benefit. A block heater timer can save your household roughly $30 per year. More tips and information can be found on SaskPower’s website.