Extreme cold sparks record natural gas use across the province

The extreme cold this week sparkedrecord demand for natural gas in Saskatchewan.

SaskEnergy says the frigid conditions resulted in record-breaking use first on Dec. 28, at 1.62 petajoules (PJ), and again on Dec. 29 at 1.64 PJ.

The previous record of 1.57 PJ was set last February.

To put the numbers into perspective, a PJ is equivalent to one million gigajoules (GJ) of natural gas.The average Saskatchewan home uses 100 GJ a year.

Safety tips for natural gas use

SaskEnergy offered these reminders to people during extreme cold conditions:

• Keep your exterior appliance vents free of frost, ice and snow.
• If snow or ice blocks your home's exterior appliance vents, it can cause equipment to malfunction. Worse, it can cause a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide an odourless, colourless, tasteless, invisible gas formed by the incomplete combustion of fuels.
• Keep your natural gas meter free of snow and ice, including the meter's regulator and shut-off valve.
• Keeping snow and ice off and away from your natural gas equipment will help ensure it continues to operate when you need it most.
• Have your furnace inspected every year.