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Nova Scotia Power is asking customers to conserve energy this weekend as temperatures fall into minus double digits, with wind chill values in the -20s.
The utility said in a news release Saturday that frigid temperatures mean customers will use more energy for heating, which will place significant pressure on the power system.
On Saturday at 1:30 p.m. AT, the utility’s Grid Status Index site was reporting that it had reached its warning phase, meaning “the power system is forecast to approach maximum capacity,” according to the website.
Nova Scotia Power is encouraging customers to conserve energy during peak hours of the day, between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., by turning off high consumption appliances and turning down the thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature.
High consumption appliances can include dishwashers, ovens and washers and dryers, according to the utility. It’s also asking customers who use an electric water heater to limit the use of hot water as much as possible.
The notice comes as Newfoundland and Labrador’s N.L. Hydro warned customers to prepare for rotating outages as a result of a shut down at the island’s largest generating plant.
N.L. Hydro usually exports power, but Rob Collett, the company’s vice-president of engineering and system operator, said in a press conference on Saturday that it has arranged to import energy from Nova Scotia Power to help meet demand.
Nova Scotia Power spokesperson Jackie Foster told CBC News in a statement that because Newfoundland has declared an emergency, it will provide them with support during the extreme cold.
But, Foster said, that support can change “depending on whether we need the energy to meet the needs here in Nova Scotia.”
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