High temperatures that have blanketed parts of British Columbia this week are expected to cool gradually in the coming days.
Environment Canada said heat warnings are expected to remain in place through Thursday for B.C.’s central and north coasts, as well as for the Fraser Canyon and South Thompson, where temperatures were forecast to reach up to 39 degrees Celsius.
The department ended a heat warning for the South Okanagan, including Penticton.
B.C. Hydro said it saw the highest electricity demand of this week’s heat wave on Monday, when demand during the hour customers use the most electricity peaked at 8461 megawatts.
That was the same day the village of Lytton set a new record high temperature for Canada this year, with a scorching 41.3 degrees.
Dozens of other communities across B.C. also broke decades-old temperature records.
But B.C. Hydro said this latest heat wave didn’t break a record for electricity demand set earlier this month.
It said peak hourly electricity demand rose to 8,600 megawatts on Aug. 12, breaking the previous record of 8,500 set in June 2021 during the heat dome.
“With temperatures soaring, we’re expecting an uptick in electricity use as customers try to stay comfortable,” said BC Hydro spokesperson Susie Rieder in a Friday statement. “Our system is built to handle these spikes in demand, and we’re encouraging customers to take simple steps to conserve energy and stay safe during the heat.”
The utility said closing curtains and blinds during the day can block out up to 65 per cent of the heat. It recommends keeping windows and doors closed if the temperature is cooler inside than outside.
B.C. Hydro said running a fan nine hours a day over the summer costs just $7.
It said window air conditioning units are twice as energy efficient as portable units, and ENERGY STAR-certified units use about 30 to 40 per cent less power than standard units.
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