Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

BC Hydro breaks record for electricity use

Sunday night electricity consumption predicted to break another record
Kid in front of a fan
Kid sitting in front of a fan.

BC Hydro broke its highest record for electricity use across the province on Saturday night.

With temperatures continuing to soar across the province, the B.C.’s electric utility provider said customers used 7,972 megawatts of electricity last night, breaking its record from last year.

BC Hydro’s previous record was on August 18, 2020 with customers consuming 7,897 megawatts.

According to a BC Hydro media statement, it is expecting the demand to continue to climb and peak on Monday.

The utility provider is predicting the electricity usage in the province to reach up to 8,300 megawatts, “shattering last night’s record.”

“BC Hydro typically sees the highest peak hourly demand on weekdays when customers follow a more ‘routine’ schedule, which makes Saturday’s new record even more unique,” read the statement.

BC Hydro is assuring customers that its system can meet the additional demand as steps have been taken to protect customer and employee safety including cancelling planned outages across B.C.

Customers are encouraged to look for ways to keep cool and save money during the heat wave including closing the drapes and blinds, shutting doors and windows and using a fan.