The high demand on the electric grid was threatening to cause rotating power outages all over the province! We were asked to please turn off all non-essential electric devises, lights and appliances. Unplug block heater cords to cars, minimize space heaters, delay charging any EV. ....
Well Albertan's responded by turning off lights and appliances, demand on electricity dropped enough so we did not suffer electric outages. After all, when it's 40 below zero, we need electricity even for the Natural Gas furnaces to distribute heat throughout the house. So yes, avoiding an outage was a priority.
While people's furnace "motor" would run more under colder weather, I guess I don't understand how running a fan motor puts a big demand on the electric grid. It must be to the point of failing under normal conditions.
And I don't understand this lighting thing everyone makes about. Turning lights off isn't going to help much other than create this sense of doom for everyone.
Let's say you have 5 rooms, 100Watt light in each one, you leave on 24 hours a day. That is 12kw. Cost at 11 cents = $1.32.
But you don't have 100 Watt bulbs in 5 rooms left on 24 hours a day. So it's not even 12 kw.
Air conditioning is where the big draw on electricity is. Changing your thermostat 1 degree will overwhelm any savings of lightbulbs.
And heating with electricity is an even much worse draw. But if you used heat pumps, those would be similar to air conditioning.
I think you know why they are doing this. If you are in a rural area, not allowed to burn wood, no propane, only electricity, then you have a higher likelihood of times of no heat. That would encourage you to move to the city. By getting everyone to cluster to the city, by making everyone dependent upon electricity, allows them to control you more. A flip of the button, and the whole nation is shut down. What a wonderful empowering thing! Imagine if you were in that position. One push of the button and the world is on or off.
Physics says that every time you convert energy, you lose some. You don't even break even. So using gas to run a turbine to generate electricity loses quite a bit. Then you use the electricity to produce heat. So wasteful. It is said that once you have the electricity, converting to heat is fairly efficient, but I haven't seen the numbers. The global warmists say, but we use green power for electricity. Totally a separate issue. Calculate how much is wasted on making those solar collectors. A whole additional topic. Hydro power might not be too bad. But why when they promote solar, do they not give the cost breakdown. They keep a lot hidden. I think intentionally.
I have seen some numbers for solar panels and it comes up with quite a bit more cost for electricity. Only reason someone would go with solar is if they live way off from electrical connection and it's all they have available.
Again, this isn't about energy efficiency. Nor is it about cooling the whole outdoors. This is totally about power, control, tyranny. Keep people in fear of dying from the cold, and you can control them better. Get them thinking, government will take care of you.... as long as you do what they say.