Heat wave sparks record-breaking electricity demand

VANCOUVER — BC Hydro says the current heat wave we are under is leading to record electricity demand.

“Preliminary analysis found consumption reached 8,106 megawatts (Sunday), which was more than 100 megawatts higher than the new summer record that was set on Saturday. Monday’s peak hourly demand is expected to be even higher. It may exceed 8,300 megawatts,” says a BC Hydro news release.

BC Hydro says the record heat has lead to some localized outages on its system but adds customers can be assured that crews are on standby and working as hard as they can to restore power quickly.

BC Hydro says there are things customers can do to help stay cool during the current heat wave, including: