Electricity Demand Update

Electricity Demand Update

The national electricity conservation effort reached its highest level yet over the weekend, with total savings reaching 8.5% yesterday (Sunday 25 May).

Total demand for the 24 hours ended midnight Sunday was 86.8 GWh, compared with 94.3 GWh in 2002. Total savings increased slightly from the 8.2% level achieved on Friday and Saturday.

Hydro storage levels were at 2337 GWh, 79% of average, with the riverflows still benefiting from last week’s rain, although this is not expected to continue.

A sample analysis of the savings shows that residential consumers are outperforming business consumers, with residential consumers saving about 1% more than the national average.

This puts their savings level at 9.5%, very close to the Target 10%. The business savings level is estimated at about 7.5%. Winter Power Taskforce co-ordinator Patrick Strange said it was important to remember that many businesses had improved their overall energy efficiency, making further savings this year more difficult.

“Many companies introduced conservation measures during the 2001 power shortage and have continued with these good habits,” Dr Strange said a report on the 1992 power shortage had found that residential savings had been one and a half times business savings, so the gap between the two had clearly narrowed since.

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