Kelowna

With the on going heat wave and a number of power outages over the weekend, Okanagan residents could be forgiven for wondering if the heat is causing problems for the power supply.

However, both BC Hydro and FortisBC say they are not concerned over the demand for power from sweltering Okanagan home owners and businesses.

"People are starting to think that, but a lot of the outages we had were actually wildlife related," says FortisBC spokesperson Neal Pobran.

"The one we had (in Kelowna) over the weekend was wildlife related."

In fact, valley residents create more of a demand on the power grid during the winter.

"I know we have a larger energy use in summer, but we actually use more in winter," says Pobran. "For example, our peak use last summer was 519 mega-watts, in winter it was 669. In winter of 2010 we used 707."

BC Hydro is also weathering the heat wave without any undue stress on the system.

"There aren't any issues related to consumption and the heat," says Thompson-Okanagan/Columbia Community Relations Manager Dag Sharman.  "In the winter time we use considerably more power. The days are shorter too, so you tend to have the lights on earlier."

Sharman says it's always wise to remember power saving tips when using electricity during peak periods, but added that BC Hydro is having no problems meeting its power demands.