If you are a member who is taking advantage of our energy and money-saving Time of Use (TOU) rate plan, remember that the summer period begins April 1. If you have water heater timers, pool pump timers or programmable thermostats, make sure to change the settings to reflect the summer peak hours: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
TOU and Covid-19
We have recently received questions from members about keeping our winter peak hours of 6 a.m. – 8 a.m. in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. We understand your concerns about having more people at home during peak times when conservation is important and want to make sure our TOU members understand why we are moving forward with spring/summer peak hours.
Those on our TOU rate are able to realize savings because when less energy is used during peak times, we decrease the need, and costs, for energy production. When less energy is generated, money is saved and we are able to pass those savings along to our members. However, if peak hours aren’t observed, that means more energy must be produced, we spend more and there are no savings to pass through to you.
TOU Tips
We still believe TOU is a great option for members, as it gives you the ability to manage your use and save. We encourage our TOU members to do the same as they would during spring break week or summer break and use these tips for success.
- Make sure your timers reflect the new peak hours, whether it’s your thermostat, water heater timer or pool pump or any other item in your home that you have on an automatic timer.
- In milder spring weather, use ceiling fans instead of your AC if possible. Remember, though, that fans cool you, not the room, so turn them off when you leave the room.
- If you do turn on the AC, we recommend a 78 degree cooling setting. Remember that every degree means savings since your heating and cooling costs make up almost half of your electric bill.
- Get outside during peak hours and enjoy the sunshine. Remember to use safe social distancing practices.
- Grill outside if the weather is nice or use items like crock pots and instant pots if you need to cook during peak hours.
- Don’t do laundry during peak times.
- If you have an electric vehicle, don’t charge it during peak times.