WINNIPEG -- The province was hit with frigid conditions on Thursday and that meant Manitobans were turning up their heat.
Manitoba Hydro sent out a tweet saying electricity demand throughout the province was the highest it had been so far this winter on Thursday, when wind chill values dipped to between -40C and -50C and an extreme cold warning blanketed most of the province.
At 8 a.m. on Thursday, Manitoba Hydro said it topped out, using 4,686 megawatts.
Bruce Owen, media relations officer with Manitoba Hydro, said you would usually see a dip in usage during the overnight hours before the morning, but on Thursday that didn't happen.
"We see overnight, you know, when people are in bed and businesses are closed down, that demand drops," said Owen. "With yesterday it was sort of steady almost, we didn't see that drop overnight."
Owen added Manitoba Hydro's system was built knowing January and February are the coldest months of the year, so the company is ready to supply that extra electricity for Manitobans.
In its tweet Friday, Hydro said during the peak load, 99 per cent was supplied by hydroelectric stations.
Now of course, Hydro isn't the only place where a spike can be seen during the colder days. These increases can also be noticed on energy bills.
Owen has some tips for people if they don't want to see a higher bill.
"At nighttime, turn the thermostat down, if you are not at home during the day, if you're at work or at school turn the thermostat down, plug in your car only when you need it, set it on a timer," said Owen.
The electricity spike on Thursday wasn't the highest Manitoba Hydro has seen. The all-time record was set last year on Jan. 30, when the province topped out at 4,911 megawatts.
