leeanna.maharaj@guardian.co.tt
The T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC) recorded its highest-ever consumer electricity demand on Monday following the recent hot weather conditions.
According to T&TEC’s data, the average peak demand for the last five years is 1,340 megawatts (MW), and while the company recorded of 1,400.2 MW last Thursday, T&TEC’s general manager, Kurvais Francois, told Guardian Media that it increased to 1,410 MW on Monday.
As a result, he advised customers to conserve electricity wherever possible as an increase in electricity demand means an increase in natural gas usage.
“If we fail to conserve electricity, the customer’s bill certainly will go up, so that is the most direct impact on the customer is that he would see an increased bill and he is consuming additional kilowatt-hours … The other consequence is the impact on natural gas and the country’s natural gas is a depleting resource, and the more energy we use, in terms of electricity, is the higher the natural gas usage,” he said.
In a release, T&TEC noted that the company has 2,037 MW in their capacity, however, Francois said although they understand the weather conditions are unbearable for some, they are still advising customers to save wherever they can.
“Once they can conserve, we advise customers to do so, but we understand the situation … The Met Office is saying that it’s not a heat wave, it’s heat spells, we’re getting high temperatures due to a number of factors, including climate change. But basically … if you need to use AC, fans, whatever, then certainly, customers should go ahead and use that, we are not telling customers not to. We keep saying that if it is safe to do so, we’d like people to conserve, but that is essentially what the message is,” he added.
In the release, T&TEC advised the public to practise electricity conservation through:
• Raising the temperature on AC units by a few degrees to minimise the load and use fans to maintain comfort (every degree of cooling increases energy use by six to eight per cent).
• Shielding the sun by closing window coverings like blinds and curtains to shield the sun’s rays so that the AC unit does not work harder to keep the home cool.
• Reducing water heating by lowering the temperature on tank water heaters or turning it off for one or two days; most outdoor water storage tanks will be sufficiently heated by the sun. Avoid using hot water for laundry and doing dishes.
• Unplugging appliances when not in use to prevent energy wastage. Turning off the ceiling fan and/or lights before leaving rooms to help lower energy usage. Common energy wasters include gaming consoles (eg Xbox, PS5), stereo systems, personal computers and desktop printers, and TVs. If these must remain plugged in, ensure they are in energy-saving mode.
• Using efficient lighting by switching to energy-efficient LEDs, which consume significantly less electricity and generate less heat.
Some took to social media to express their displeasure with T&TEC’s statement.
Niri Ramnath said: “This is a mad mad place yes ... no water and now decrease electricity? What is really working?”
Kathleen Betaudier said: “While we may somewhat understand the reason, hey, we are paying customers. We don’t owe on payments. This heat is CRAZY! Allyuh playing mad ah wah?”
Amanda Rambally said: “So we must just dead with heatstroke cause WASA Trinidad and Tobago surely not giving us water.”
Instagram user, Titania, said, “In other words, dear public, please suffer in this uncomfortable heat while we aim to charge you more for your decreased usage.”
Ronald Mahabir said, “There’s a higher electricity demand because more people are using air conditioning, not for luxury but to survive the heat.”
