(Files by Brendan Pawliw-MyPGNow)
The peak hourly demand for electricity soared to over 10,050 megawatts on Monday according to BC Hydro.
That’s the highest ever for the month, smashing the old mark of 9,794 megawatts set in 2017.
When deciding to ramp up the thermostat in your home, the cost of your next hydro bill soars with it.
To understand how costly this can be for customers, Northern Spokesperson Bob Gammer broke down the numbers with My PG Now during an interview.
“For every degree above 20 degrees celsius, you are increasing your heating costs by about five percent and overall, heating costs can rise up 140% in the winter months, it’s just the fact that you’re using more heat which is forcing your bill up.”
Since the cold snap began on February 3rd, electricity use has risen 13%.
The new February record fell short of the all-time record of 10,194 megawatts set in January of 2017.