Electricity use surges in Istanbul amid July heat wave

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is experiencing unprecedented electricity consumption due to the recent heat wave grappling the country, with records broken six times in July.

The city’s residents are resorting to air conditioning as the most effective way to combat the intense heat, leading to soaring electricity bills.

The impact of the hot and humid July weather on electricity use is evident in the latest data from Istanbul’s electricity provider Boğaziçi Electricity. On July 18, consumption peaked at 103,000 megawatt-hours reflecting a 30 percent increase compared to the spring period.

Cooling a room for 12 hours daily adds an extra burden on the month bill, ranging from 800 to 1,200 Turkish Liras ($36), experts say.

Experts are advocating for alternative methods to reduce electricity use and associated costs.

Altuğ Karataş, a board member of the Energy Efficiency Association, emphasized the cost implications.

“Considering that you cool a 25-30 square meter room for 12 hours without interruption, the bill can be hefty. If you were trying to do this with a standing fan, we can think that the bill of 800 liras can be reduced to 32-40 liras.”

He also suggests using the dehumidification mode of the air conditioners and setting the temperature to 5 or 6 degrees Celsius lower than the outside temperature to cool down more effectively and efficiently.

“The dehumidification mode on the control of our air conditioners provides 30 percent to 50 percent more economical use than the cooling power of a normal air conditioner,” Karataş said.