(Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

New electricity use record set in Alberta Monday

Jan 4, 2022 | 2:40 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – More electricity was being used across the province earlier this week than at any other point in history.

The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) tweeted Tuesday that, on Monday, January 3, Albertans used 11,939 MW (megawatts) of electricity.

That is about 210 MW more than the previous record of 11,729.

This comes as much of the province has been under an extreme cold warning for several days recently with wind chills near minus 40 at times.

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Despite the surge in power use, AESO says “the grid is in good shape.”

They are, however, encouraging Albertans to do what they can to lower the amount of electricity they consume.

Just a few tips for doing this include:

• Turn off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances
• Minimize the use of air conditioning/space heaters
• Delay the use of major power-consuming appliances such as washers, dryers, and dishwashers until after the peak hours of 4 – 7 p.m.
• Use cold water for washing clothes – most of the energy used goes to heating the water. Only running full loads helps too
• Cook with your microwave, crockpot, or toaster oven instead of the stove
• Limit the use of kitchen or bathroom ventilation fans
• Use motion-detector lights in storage areas, garages, and outdoors when possible
• Work on a laptop instead of a desktop computer – laptops are more energy-efficient than desktop units