What Heat Warnings Mean for Your Power Use—and How to Stay Cool Safely
- What Is a Heat Warning, and Why Does It Affect the Power Grid?
- How Do Heat Waves Impact Your Electricity Bill?
- How to Stay Cool Without Overloading the Grid
- What to Do if the Power Goes Out During a Heat Wave
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Staying Cool in a Power Outage Requires Preparation and Backup Power
When heat warnings are issued in Canada, it’s more than just a sign to wear sunscreen; it’s also a warning about energy use. Extreme temperatures drive up air conditioning demand, increasing stress on the power grid and your utility bill. If too many people use high-energy cooling at once, the grid can overload, causing blackouts right when you need power most.
Whether you’re trying to stay cool or avoid high summer energy costs, understanding how heat affects power use and how to better prepare for it is key to protecting both your comfort and your home’s power supply.
What Is a Heat Warning, and Why Does It Affect the Power Grid?
A heat warning is a public weather alert issued by the Government of Canada when Environment Canada forecasts two or more consecutive days of daytime maximum temperatures that are expected to reach anywhere from 22°C to 35°C or warmer. The temperature varies depending on the province, territory, and region of Canada you’re in.
Heat warnings are critical because extreme temperatures increase demand for air conditioning, which increases our kWh usage of household electricity usage. This puts significant strain on the power grid when everyone else is doing the same, resulting in overloaded power lines, overheating transformers, and localized or widespread blackouts.
How Do Heat Waves Impact Your Electricity Bill?
Heat waves significantly impact your electricity bill due to increased use of air conditioners, fans, swamp coolers, and other cooling devices. As temperatures rise and stay high, homes and businesses run their cooling systems longer and at higher settings, consuming more watts to run your home than before. This rise in energy use increases your electricity bill, much like electric heaters can in the winter.
How to Stay Cool Without Overloading the Grid
Backup power keeps appliances running, preserves comfort, and protects health. Let’s take a look at some quick and easy solutions you can use today to help stay cool without overloading the grid.
One way to stay cool and comfortable without overloading the grid is to use a portable air conditioner like the EcoFlow WAVE 3 that runs wirelessly on a charge for up to 8 hours. Then, recharge it at night when grid demand is lower, or better yet, during the day using solar panels.
You can also utilize passive cooling strategies like closing all your curtains and blinds during the day and using thermal sun-blocking curtains. You can also utilize natural cooling at night and early in the morning before sunrise by opening your doors and windows and circulating the air with a fan.
To stay comfortable, wear lightweight, breathable clothing, and ensure you drink lots of extra water. Sweating causes a lot of water loss and can quickly leave you dehydrated, increasing the risk of heat stress and heat stroke. You should also educate yourself and your family about the signs of heat stress and heat stroke so you know when to seek medical attention.
You can also cool yourself directly using water. Try using cold cloths on your face and neck, and use a mister bottle to occasionally mist your face and exposed skin, which will cool your body as it evaporates. Misting fans are another nice option as they have misters built-in that will go off intermittently or continuously.
Another option is to rely on a backup power source like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus, which is perfectly safe for indoor use. Starting at 1024Wh and expandable up to 5kWh, it can supplement the power in your home to reduce your demand on the grid.
What to Do if the Power Goes Out During a Heat Wave
If the power goes out during a heat wave, there are a few key things you should do:
Ideally, you should have a backup power source ready, like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Generator (PV400W); with 400W of output, it’ll keep your refrigerator and average-sized AC running until the power returns.
Close all your doors, windows, and curtains to keep the heat and sunlight out of your home.
If you have limited backup power, have your family stay in one room with closed doors and run your air conditioning in that room only, rather than attempting to cool the entire home.
Stay hydrated; ensure the whole household is regularly sipping water to prevent dehydration.
Stay informed on the power outage using a battery-powered radio, if available.
Check on your neighbours, especially the elderly and more vulnerable, to see if you can offer assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does My Electricity Bill Go Up During a Heat Wave?
During a heat wave, your electricity bill increases due to the use of air conditioners to cool your home. Air conditioners consume a lot of energy to run, causing spikes in energy use and rising bills. Additional fans and other cooling devices also add to those increased bills.
How Can I Prepare My Home for Future Heat Waves?
To prepare your home for heat waves, seal air leaks, doors, and windows and ensure adequate insulation. Insulation helps trap cool air in summer just as it does heat in winter. Reflective window coverings and thermal sun-blocking curtains are also good options for reducing heat gain in your home.
Staying Cool in a Power Outage Requires Preparation and Backup Power
Heat warnings in Canada signal more than uncomfortable temperatures; they mark a time when energy demand surges and the risk of power outages increases. By using efficient, portable cooling solutions like the EcoFlow WAVE 3, adopting passive cooling techniques like sun-blocking curtains, and investing in reliable supplemental and backup power like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Generator (PV400W), you can stay cool and safe without overloading the grid. As extreme weather events become more common, now is the time to make your home more resilient, before the next heat wave hits.