MEC's Load Management Programs

Published on Friday, October 25, 2024 in Load Management

Demand for electricity goes up as people return home from work or school. More people using electricity means more strain on the electric grid.

If this strain gets too high, which typically occurs between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., load management programs help us reduce demand. If you participate, you get a reduction on your electric bill when eligible. Here's how each program works.

Interruptible Water Heating

During peak demand periods, we remotely shut off your water heater. The hot water previously produced and stored in your tank will remain hot beyond the end of the control period. We usually control this about three to four times per month.

If you use 400 kWh or more in a month, you will receive a $4 credit on your account for that month.

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Interruptible Heating and Cooling

During peak demand periods, we remotely shut off your HVAC system. A backup heating system will take over until the control period is over.

Control periods are limited to a maximum of 400 hours per year and eight hours per day.

You get a reduced kWh charge ($0.109697 per kWh as of October 2024, vs. $0.127097 per kWh for standard customers) for all electricity consumed on the meter. You also do not pay a distribution charge for electric heat or qualified air conditioning for the entire time you are enrolled in the program (not just during control periods).

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Whole-Home Generator

During peak demand periods, we transfer your electric usage from the grid to your whole-house generator.

Control periods are limited to a maximum of 400 hours per year and eight hours per day.

You get a reduced kWh charge ($0.066 per kWh as of October 2024, vs. $0.0785 per kWh for standard customers) for all electricity consumed on the meter.

Please note that before you consider joining our Whole-Home Generator program, you should consider the cost of a generator if you do not already have one. In 2024, these are typically $4,000 or more, plus installation fees, according to the Forbes article “How Much Does a Generator Cost?”

You should also take into account the cost of fuel to operate the generator.

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Interruptible Irrigation

During peak demand periods, we remotely shut off your irrigation system.

You receive a reduced kW demand charge ($6.05 per kW as of October 2024, vs. $10.65 per kW for standard customers) for all electricity consumed on the irrigation account.

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Time of Use Program

Instead of MEC manually controlling load, you proactively shift your electric usage away from peak demand periods.

You pay a reduced kWh charge ($0.035269 per kWh as of October 2024, vs. $0.0785 per kWh for standard customers) for all electricity used during off-peak periods. The trade-off is that during periods of peak demand, you pay more—about $0.18/kWh.

The idea is that by being proactive, you can make the system work in your favor and get most of your energy for less than what’s standard.

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