The transmission line upgrades FortisBC completed in the South Okanagan are ensuring the system can meet customer’s electricity needs during this heat wave. (FortisBC photo)

With the recent spell of hot weather, local residents have been burning up electricity, setting new summer peak load records, as they crank up the air conditioning.

FortisBC reports that on Wednesday, Aug. 1, the electricity utility hit a new summer peak load of 630 megawatts (MW). That’s higher than the previous summer peak load of 626 MW, set on July 17, said Nicole Bogdanovic, corporate communications advisor with FortisBC.

While that could mean customers will be paying higher-than-expected bills next month, there’s also some good news on electricity prices – last week FortisBC announced that electricity rates in 2018 will be kept at 2017 levels.

Each year, FortisBC must submit an application to the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval that determines the rates for the following year.

The 2017 rates were frozen in 2018 on an interim basis while the regulator considered the application, but with recent BCUC approval, these rates have been made permanent for 2018.

Improvement projects such as transmission line upgrades and substation improvements in the Okanagan have helped the system to meet the record-setting electricity needs of customers during the recent heat wave, FortisBC said.

Prior to this year, the summer record was 601 MW set on Aug. 5, 2014. The summer peak in 2017 was 593 MW on July 6, 2017.

But the highest-ever peak load came in the wintertime when electric heaters were much busier than air conditioners.

That peak was 746 MW in December 2008.

The maximum temperature on Aug. 1, the date the record was set, was 36.3 degrees Celsius in Osoyoos, according to Environment Canada. That’s not the hottest temperature this year.

On Aug. 9, after Bogdanovic provided the information to the Osoyoos Times, temperatures in Osoyoos reached 38.5 degrees – the highest temperature recorded by Environment Canada here this year. It’s not yet known if the Aug. 1 record has been surpassed.

On July 16 and July 31, the official temperature in Osoyoos reached 38.3 degrees.

Temperatures are expected to stay in the high 20s and low 30s for the remainder of this week.

Bogdanovic said FortisBC now provides a free online tool to help people monitor their energy use at fortisbc.com/electricityusage.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times