Saskatchewan faced an extraordinary surge in natural gas demand during the recent cold spell, shattering previous records.

On Jan. 12, the province hit a peak consumption rate of 1.70 petajoules per day, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.

Minister Responsible for SaskEnergy, Dustin Duncan, said that the removal of the carbon tax from home heating resulted in substantial daily savings exceeding $1 million for Saskatchewan families.

The heightened demand extended beyond the peak day, with January 13 and 14 also witnessing record-breaking usage at 1.68 PJ/d and 1.66 PJ/d, respectively.

SaskEnergy, maintaining a 99.998 percent reliability, reassured customers of its capacity to provide safe and continuous natural gas supply.

The company encouraged customers to follow winter safety tips, including keeping exterior vents clear and having furnaces inspected regularly.