It’s been more than a month since the Enbridge natural gas pipeline near Prince George ruptured, leaving British Columbians and businesses scrambling to find enough heat.
That pipeline has since been fixed, but it’s still at only about 55 per cent capacity and company representatives have said that the pipeline will be back up to 80 per cent by the end of November.
Corporate Communications Manager with Fortis BC Sean Beardow said there are a few small things people can do to help conserve and if enough people do that, it can make a big difference.
“Reducing your loads through home heating and through hot water heating, those are the two most simple ways people can make a significant difference,” said Beardow. “If we have enough people doing it, it really can make a significant difference.”
Beardow said, “Turning the thermostat down a few degrees, taking a couple minutes shorter in the shower, making sure you do your laundry on cold, it does sound like really small steps, but when you look at the impact these things can have collectively, it can be a gamechanger for us.”
While the Enbridge pipeline is only operating at about 55 per cent, it’s expected to be up to 80 per cent capacity by the end of November.
Beardow said the shortfall in the natural gas supply is being addressed in a number of ways.
“We’re maximizing the input of our Southern Crossing Pipeline, which is actually a pipeline that we have that runs from Alberta,” said Beardow. “We’re making sure that we’re getting as much gas as we can out of that pipeline. We’re working with a lot of the industrial customers and optimizing the gas use, making sure their using as little as possible.”
Beardow said, “We’re also buying gas on the open market to supplement our supply that we can access in times when we’re seeing a demand increase.”
The Enbridge pipeline ruptured in mid-October.
