Reduce your natural gas use

Photo: Contributed

Everyone in the Vernon area, including local businesses are asked to reduce natural gas consumption to help alleviate the current shortfall caused by the Enbridge pipeline rupture outside Prince George in October.

After the rupture FortisBC called for all customers to reduce their natural gas use. British Columbians responded, and demand dropped by about 20 per cent.

Now, with the weather getting colder, the demand for natural gas is increasing once again and the need for conservation is even greater.

“With temperatures dropping, more furnaces across the province are firing up more frequently," said Roger Dall’Antonia, president and CEO of FortisBC. "While we’ve made strides in improving the gas supply, given the current Enbridge delivery capacity, we simply don’t have access to enough natural gas to accommodate typical winter natural gas demand at this time.”
 
The pipeline is currently only operating at a substantially reduced operating pressure which translates to about 55 per cent normal capacity for the month of November.

At this level, FortisBC would have difficulties meeting demand if temperatures dipped below seasonal norms for several days in a row.

This would require FortisBC to access natural gas from storage far earlier in the season than normal. Stored gas is typically needed for the coldest days of winter in December and January.

“We’ve been fortunate so far to have been experiencing milder weather throughout the province. This has moderated the demand for natural gas,” said Dall’Antonia. “Mid-November is historically a time when we see temperatures take a downturn and gas demand increase."

"With the current restricted capacity of Enbridge’s transmission system, we’re concerned about our ability to meet demand through the winter if we don’t reduce our collective draw on the system.”

Small steps such as turning down the thermostat to below 20 degrees, reducing hot water use through shorter showers and using cold water for laundry can help save natural gas.

While these may seem like small savings, collectively they add up making a positive impact on the gas supply shortfall.

“At current pipeline capacity, our gas supply may be vulnerable. Any sort of extended period of colder weather could lead to loss of service for major industrial or commercial customers, or even large residential complexes,” said Dall’Antonia. “We need consistent and meaningful conservation across the province as every molecule conserved is gas that can be used to keep homes warm and businesses operating.”

For more information on how to conserve natural gas, go online.​