Pressure on grid heats up as summer temperatures soar

Businesses on both sides of the Atlantic are being urged to curb their energy consumption as soaring temperatures put increased pressure on the electricity grid.

The UK's Met Office today issued its first heat wave health warning of the summer, forecasting a 70 per cent probability of heat wave conditions above 30ºC this weekend in parts of England and Wales.

Experts warned the high temperatures would lead to increased electricity use by many businesses, leading to higher energy bills and additional pressure on the grid, although power cuts are not expected.

"Demand for electricity generally reduces as the temperature increases, until a certain point – about 22ºC – when it starts to increase again with more demand from air conditioning and refrigeration units," a spokesman from National Grid told BusinessGreen.com.

He added that the grid is prepared for extra demand and said the firm was not expecting blackouts.

However, the situation is more severe on the east coast of the US, where temperatures have exceeded 39ºC for much of this week. New York City hit record levels of electricity demand for three consecutive days, while a number of areas in New York state and Connecticut suffered power cuts.

Wholesale electricity in New York City also rose to $185.94 (£123.16) per MWh, compared with an average price of about $100.85 per MWh, as demand for energy soared.

Energy companies in the US are now urging business to switch off non-essential lighting, lifts, escalators and even ornamental fountains in an attempt to reduce pressure on the region's strained electricity grid.

Meanwhile, UK energy companies are similarly urging firms to take steps to curb energy use as temperatures rise.

"With the prevalence of air conditioning units in offices and other workplaces, energy consumption during the summer months can be a major issue for some businesses," said a spokeswoman for energy giant E.ON, adding that businesses waste more than £5m a year leaving on office appliances during the summer holidays.

"Make sure you turn off all IT equipment when it's not in use," she advised. "Even on standby, equipment can produce a lot of heat."

Npower similarly advised firms to investigate how to curb energy use during the summer months, warning that poorly optimised air conditioning units could add considerably to firms' energy bills.

"Air conditioning can be a blessing during summer months, but it doesn't need to run 24/7. Nor should it run too cold. Both approaches will increase energy costs considerably," a spokeswoman for the company told BusinessGreen.com. "Firms should also check that thermostats are set correctly. For every 1ºC below 24ºC, you could be adding eight per cent to your air conditioning bill."

The heat wave is also likely to further fuel calls for businesses and government to invest in infrastructure capable of coping with the higher summer temperatures that climate scientists predict will become increasingly common over the next few decades.

"This is why we need to adapt to the climate of tomorrow now," said a spokeswoman for the London Mayor's Office, which recently produced a report outlining how the city needs to adapt to climate change. "Not only does it help us deal with extreme weather today, but it gives us time to implement the measures that we will need to adapt to the hotter weather of the future, such as adapting our buildings and planting more street trees to cool the city."