Customers of two of Arizona’s biggest utility companies used more power Thursday than any other day so far this year and the businesses expected to set another record Friday.
Combined usage for Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service topped out at about 13.3 billion watts during peak times Thursday. APS verified it set a record Friday with nearly 7 billion watts used during peak times as the National Weather Service recorded a record-high 117 degrees in the Valley. SRP said it expected record-setting usage to happen on Friday, but final figures won't be available until Monday.
Despite weekend high temperatures forecasted above 110 degrees, power usage could actually drop on Saturday and Sunday, said SRP spokesperson Patty Garcia-Likens.
“What happens on the weekends is everyone is home. The businesses aren’t using that energy as much as they would during the week,” she said. “And we may not hit another peak over the weekend.”
APS’s highest usage day of all-time was July 21, 2006, when customer power needs crested at about 7.2 billion watts. SRP’s all-time usage high was about 6.7 billion watts on July 24, 2014.
Customers can help reduce power demands by keeping vents and doors inside their home open, Garcia-Likens said. For more tips on saving energy, visit savewithsrp.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been modified to reflect the name of the company is Arizona Public Service.
Updated 8/14/2015 at 5:43 p.m.
