PHOENIX — The record heat on Wednesday led to Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project records being broken.
APS officials say customers set a new all-time demand record of more than 8,500 megawatts between 5 and 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, SRP officials say between 3 and 4 p.m., their customers set the highest ever system demand at over 8,300 megawatts. That broke the previous record of just over 8,200 megawatts set on August 4 of last year.
The high temperature on Wednesday reached 118º at Sky Harbor, marking the hottest day of the year so far.
Multiple factors are at play when it comes to Arizona's growth in energy needs, APS officials say including warming temperatures, population growth and a booming economy.
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“Arizona is growing fast, and APS is building out the energy grid to keep pace,” said Brian Cole, APS Vice President of Resource Management. “Our team monitors customer needs by the minute, plans decades ahead and covers everything in between. From 24/7 nuclear to flexible natural gas, coal, solar, wind, battery storage and our partnerships with customers – we’re delivering reliable service with balanced resources at the lowest cost possible.”
Peak demand has more than tripled since the 1970s, according to APS data.
The peak energy demand in 1979 was reported to be just under 2,600 megawatts of electricity. Wednesday's demand was more than 8,500 megawatts, more than triple the 1979 peak number.
APS officials say that in 1979, the utility served about 387,000 homes and businesses. Today, that number is about 1.4 million. The graphic below is provided by APS.
APS is offering the following tips to help you save on your energy bill during these hottest months of the year.
- APS customers have rate plan options. Find out which plan can save you the most money by looking at the Monthly Plan Comparison on your bill, logging in to your account or going to aps.com/compare. Budget Billing can also help take out the swings of summer and winter billing by averaging the cost of your energy use so you pay a more predictable amount every month. You can also find ways to save with SRP by clicking here.
- For those on Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays and Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays with Demand Charge plans, pre-cool your home. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower than normal before 4 p.m. and then a few degrees higher during the period of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Think 1, 2, 3 and turn up your thermostat a few degrees. For every one degree you raise your thermostat, you can save 2-3% on energy cooling costs. When on vacation, turn it up more.
- Earn bill credits. Join APS Cool Rewards (residential) or APS Peak Solutions (business) – programs that reward customers for conserving energy during times when usage is highest.
- Close curtains and blinds during the day to block out the sun and heat, especially if your windows are older and less energy efficient.
- Use fans to feel up to five degrees cooler. Set ceiling fans to run counterclockwise and remember fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.
