SaskEnergy says record set for natural gas use on Jan. 12 during extreme cold snap

By Medicine Hat News on January 25, 2024.

SaskEnergy says a new record for natural gas use was set earlier this month when a cold snap sent temperatures down to -40C.

The provincial Crown natural gas supplier reports that 1.7 million gigajoules of the fuel was consumed over 24 hours on Jan. 12 as extreme cold warnings blanketed the province.

That is 50,000 gigajoules more than the previous record set on Jan. 6, 2022, with the main contributors to record demand being power generation and residential heating.

The typical home uses about 100 gigajoules per year for heating needs. One gigajoule equals roughly 1,000 cubic feet.