Consumers in Moscow and the Moscow region set a new energy consumption record for the summer months when they cranked up their air conditioners on June 6 in an attempt to find respite from the baking heat, energy officials said, Vedomosti reported Tuesday.
The temperature reached 32 degrees Celsius that day, 7.6 C higher than the average temperature for that time of year. As a result, consumers in Moscow and the Moscow region guzzled 12,560 megawatts to top the previous record, set on June 27, 2013, by 76 megawatts, according to the national grid's Moscow branch.
The organization's press service said the heat wave was the main reason for the increase in consumption. Moscow and its surrounding region have a high proportion of domestic consumers compared to industrial ones, which translates into bigger swings in energy usage in response to temperature shifts, it added.
The record for energy consumption in Moscow and the Moscow region, taking all seasons into account, was set on Dec. 24, 2012, when 18,052 megawatts were used.
See also:
