Unusually high temperatures have seen T&TEC recording its highest ever consumer electricity demand, as more people switch on their AC units to try to cool down.

In a statement today, the Commission says it recorded a demand of 1400 megawatts last Thursday.

General Manager of T&TEC, Curvis Francois, acknowledged that the high temperatures would have likely caused increased usage of air conditioning units, which typically account for the highest percentage of electricity consumption in households. Coupled with the traditional increased usage during the July/August holidays, “the impact on demand is not unexpected”, he said.

T&TEC says it has more than enough installed capacity- 2037MW- to meet the surge in demand, it cautions that practicing conservation, once safe to do so, can help reduce the impact on the availability of natural gas.