Time of Use Program

Are you proactive about managing your energy use? If you’re plugged into your electric bill, our Time of Use rate lets you save all year long!

How Does it Work?

Normally, our customers pay a fixed rate for electricity – whether they use it at noon or at midnight, they pay the same price per kilowatt-hour.

Our time of use rate gives customers the choice to pay a lower price per kilowatt-hour depending on when they use power.

During off-peak times, you pay less than half the standard use rate – around $0.03/kWh, compared to just under $0.08/kWh on a standard service plan. The tradeoff is that during periods of peak demand (between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays), you’ll be charged more – about $0.18/kWh.

The idea is that by making a conscious effort to shift the times during which you use electricity, you can avoid higher rates and get most of your energy for less than what’s standard. By being proactive, you can make the system work in your favor.

Stay Engaged and Save

It’s not a guarantee that you’ll save money if you switch to a time-of-use rate. If you make the switch, but don’t change your energy use habits, you could wind up paying more than if you had never switched at all.

For this reason, we recommend time-of-use rates only if you’re prepared to plan your energy use schedule ahead of time and prepare as needed. 

How Can I Prepare?

Your first job when considering a time-of-use rate is to take stock of the electricity you use throughout an average day. Then you can decide which devices are essential, and which ones you can wait until later to use.

Appliances like your refrigerator will need to run throughout the day, and therefore during peak times. However, you can do many things at night or while you sleep like charging phones and laptops, running your dishwasher, and doing laundry.

Additionally, there are a few simple changes anyone can make to reduce their total energy use:

• In summer, cook outside. The heat generated by an oven heats up your home, making your cooling system work harder.
• Turn your thermostat up a few degrees in summer, or down in winter. Instead of making it work so hard, use other temperature control methods like fans to keep cool and windows to trap heat.
• Get rid of any air leaks. Check around your home, especially near your windows and doors, for gaps where air can escape. If the air inside your home can get out, you’ll use more energy trying to maintain a consistent temperature.
• Make sure your heating and cooling systems are running efficiently. Schedule regular maintenance for your equipment, make sure there are no warm appliances near your thermostat, and vacuum your intake vents to remove dust buildup.

How Do I Switch?

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