Turn off air conditioning, Ukrainians asked as electricity consumption rises sharply

Ukrainian state energy operator Ukrenergo on Friday urged Ukrainians to switch off air conditioners after 4pm as electricity consumption becomes too high, overstretching the capacity.

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At 4pm on Thursday, electricity consumption in Ukraine reached a new peak, 7 percent higher than on the hottest day last summer and 14 percent higher than a week before.

"This growth is equal to the production capacity of almost two nuclear power units. The reason for the significant increase in consumption is primarily the active use of air conditioners," Ukrenergo said in a statement.

While last summer such peaks were not a problem for the power system, now that Russia has been shelling the energy infrastructure, the sharp increase in load significantly complicates the system’s operation.

Ukrenergo therefore asked people not to switch on powerful appliances between 4pm and 11pm and to avoid, at other times, using several powerful appliances simultaneously.

Earlier this week, Ukraine’s state energy operation called on Ukrainians to use electricity more sparingly due to rising temperatures.