Power demand is increasing this week across New Brunswick amid the hot weather, but NB Power says it is prepared.
Spokesperson Dominique Couture said they anticipate demand could approach 1,600 megawatts over the coming days.
“For comparison, summer peaks in recent years have surpassed 1700 MW, but even at those levels, they remain well below winter peaks, which can be as high as 3400 MW,” Couture said in an email.
Couture said the utility has seen overall demand grow in recent summers, it said, largely due to more people using air conditioning.
She added they prepare for summer peaks by coordinating maintenance outages across its generation fleet and leveraging inconnections “when needed and when it makes economic sense.”
The utility offered several tips on how to keep your home cool during hot weather, which include:
- Setting ceiling fans to run counter-clockwise
- Closing blinds during the sunniest times of day
- Using large appliances at night
- Closing off unused rooms
- Operating a dehumidifier
- Ensuring the insulation in your attic and walls is up-to-date
- Weather-stripping to prevent cool air from escaping
- Installing smart thermostats
- Using your heat pump for air conditioning
- Grilling outside and preparing no-cook meals more often
