Reliable natural gas service a year-round effort at SaskEnergy

Brrrrr it’s cold in here! Luckily, there’s a quick fix! With the simple press of a button on your thermostat you’ll soon be nice and toasty. 

That was the case for many of SaskEnergy’s customers in February, as they used 36 per cent more gas than they did for the same month in 2024. While we didn’t set a new “peak day” record this winter, February’s daily average for natural gas delivered in the province was the second highest on record.

While turning up your thermostat might feel like hitting the easy button, it takes year-round planning and maintenance from teams across SaskEnergy to make sure that residential, commercial and industrial customers across the province have the gas they need when they need it. Even on the coldest days of the year.

“When we plan for winter usage, we prepare for the worst conditions a Saskatchewan winter can offer,” says Andrew Urquhart, an Engineering Specialist with our System Design and Planning team. “Our natural gas transmission system is designed around a 1-in-20 winter, so that it can accommodate the increased consumption even during extended periods of extreme cold.”

You know what they say about best laid plans… so efforts from departments throughout the company focus on putting that plan into action. Throughout the year, our employees in design, enhance, inspect, maintain and operate our system to support safe and reliable natural gas delivery in all weather conditions.

As a company that is responsible for purchasing, supplying and delivering gas, SaskEnergy must ensure that not only is our gas system ready for winter, but that the gas supply is as well.

“At SaskEnergy we use a hedging strategy when purchasing our gas, which means we do the bulk of our gas purchasing on the future market. This helps us provide customers with long-term price stability and protect them from natural gas market increases in the winter months,” explains Jason Hungle of SaskEnergy’s Gas Supply and Marketing group.

Jason and his team make sure that the gas supply is in place to meet the needs of SaskEnergy’s more than 400,000 customers, even in the most extreme cold weather. 

This year-round effort involves extensive forecasting, market analysis and strategic planning from the team to ensure the gas purchase plan is effective and achieves the best possible value for customers.

In addition to good planning, proactive maintenance and a secure gas supply, it’s critical that teams across the company work together to make sure our natural gas system operates efficiently year-round.  

“We closely monitor the gas flow and pressure on our system 24/7, and this becomes especially critical during periods of extreme cold. During the cold stretch in February, the system operated well and any issues that arose were addressed quickly,” says Jill Schmeltzer, SaskEnergy’s Director of System Control. “Communication is also key. Our team works closely with other groups and field staff to ensure our operating plan each day is accurate.”

It really does take a village, or in this case a Crown corporation, to keep the homes of Saskatchewan warm, businesses operating and industrial facilities up and running. This company-wide team effort continues to be of utmost importance.  While homes are running more efficiently, our customer base continues to grow and industry in the province is expanding, driving the need for more natural gas than ever before.

So, the next time you reach for your thermostat on a cold winter day, remember that there are entire departments at SaskEnergy working together year-round to ensure that you have the natural gas you need, when you need it!