Extreme cold weather across Saskatchewan this past week resulted in record-breaking natural gas demand in the province. SaskEnergy says the peak demand was last Friday 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.

The Government has done some tabulations and Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskEnergy, says taking the carbon tax off home heating saved Saskatchewan families over a million dollars a day during the coldest weekend so far this winter.

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 has a few safety tips to share as well such as making sure 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. Keep your natural gas meter free of snow and ice, including the meter’s regulator and shut-off valve and have your furnace inspected every year.