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BC Hydro breaks second electricity demand record in a row

Up to 8,300 megawatts of electricity anticipated to be used on Monday
extreme-heat-thermometer-creditrawf8-gettyimages
Extreme high temperatures causes higher demand for electricity use in B.C. | Photo: Rawf8/Getty Images

BC Hydro set another record for electricity use across the province on Sunday night as temperatures continue to soar in the province.

According to BC Hydro, customers in the province reached 8,106 megawatts of electricity used on June 27, which was more than 100 megawatts higher than the new summer record set on Saturday, June 26.

The electric utility provider is expecting Monday’s peak-hour demand to be even higher and may exceed 8,300 megawatts.

With the ongoing heat and increased demand, there have also been several outages on BC Hydro’s system across Metro Vancouver.

“BC Hydro appreciates that any outage can be concerning, but even more so in this extreme heat. Customers can be assured that crews are on standby and working as hard as they can to restore power quickly,” said BC Hydro in a media statement.

It added that the intense heat is adding to an already “inherently dangerous job” for employees and are taking extra safety protocols during some power restoration cases, which may take longer than normal.

Customers are encouraged to look for ways to keep cool and save money during the heatwave including closing the drapes and blinds, shutting doors and windows and using a fan.

Richmond News