The Yukon Energy Corporation is being forced to burn more diesel this winter, but it probably has little to do with people’s electrical gizmos.
This week, Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson told CBC Radio One the increased usage could be due to people owning more “gadgets.”
Yukon Energy’s forecasts suggest the Crown corporation didn’t anticipate an increase in average use per customer this year.
In Yukon Energy’s general rate application, which is slated to begin hearings in May, the power corporation doesn’t predict an increase in per-customer energy use for residential users.
The only growth on the residential side is in the amount of power sold to customers, which is predicted to grow to 11,183 megawatts an hour from 11,155 megawatts an hour in 2008.
“This reflects ongoing modest growth in the number of customers, and basically consistent use per customer over the period,” it says.
The Yukon Electrical Company Ltd., which buys power from Yukon Energy and sells it to approximately 15,000 customers, also predicted little growth in the average use per customer in its general rate application, which was completed at the end of last year.
“Energy sales to residential customers are expected to rise 1.3 per cent in 2008 and 1.1 per cent in 2009,” says the application.
But the increase is due to more houses being built rather than more electronics in each home.
“The growth is driven by customer additions as residential usage per customer is forecast to increase minimally,” it says.
The unexpected increase in power usage over December could also be due to more electrical heat being used during unusual cold snap, Patterson told the CBC.
Contact James Munson at
jamesm@yukon-news.com