SaskEnergy sets new daily natural gas usage record
Extreme cold weather across Saskatchewan this past week resulted in record-breaking natural gas demand in the province. The peak demand was on January 12 with a natural gas consumption rate of 1.70 petajoules per day (PJ/d). This surpasses the previous record of 1.65 PJ/d reported two years ago on January 6, 2022.
“Natural gas is essential for Saskatchewan residents as we heat our homes and businesses during the coldest days of winter,” said Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskEnergy. “As a result of our government’s decision to remove the carbon tax from home heating, Saskatchewan families saved over $1M per day during the coldest weekend of this season.”
More than a few sets of booster cables were brought out of storage during the mid-January cold spell. Friends and neighbours lending a hand by giving someone’s vehicle a boost occurred frequently during the frigid temperatures on the prairies. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
This past week’s exceptional demand extends beyond the peak day – with January 13 and 14 also exceeding the previous record with 1.68 PJ/d and 1.66 PJ/d usage respectively. This record usage is from demand across SaskEnergy’s customer base, with main contributors being power generation and residential heating.
SaskEnergy measures daily natural gas consumption for the 24-hour period from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. A PJ is a unit of measurement equivalent to one million gigajoules (GJ) of natural gas. An average Saskatchewan home consumes about 100 GJ of natural gas each year.
“At SaskEnergy we anticipate higher usage of natural gas in the colder periods of the year,” says Mark Guillet, President and CEO of SaskEnergy. “With a 99.998 per cent reliability, our system is designed with inventory and capacity to safely provide natural gas to our customers 24 hours a day.”
SaskEnergy is reminding customers that when the weather gets cold, to keep in mind the following top winter safety tips:
Make sure that your exterior vents are free of frost, ice and snow. Blocked vents can cause equipment to malfunction or lead to a buildup of carbon monoxide—an odourless, colourless, tasteless, invisible gas formed by the incomplete combustion of fuels.
Keep your natural gas meter free of snow and ice, including the meter’s regulator and shut-off valve. Keeping snow and ice off and away from your natural gas equipment will help ensure it continues to operate when you need it most.
Have your furnace inspected every year. Regular maintenance can help ensure furnaces are working properly and give you peace of mind, knowing your family will be safe and warm throughout the winter.