To save money on the Time-of-Use Rate Pilot, adjust your daily energy habits. By making small changes to your weekly routine and planning ahead for winter weekday peak hours, you can achieve significant yearly savings.
“Time-of-Use helped me save money on my annual power bill by making small changes to my weekday routine,” says a current Time-of-Use customer. “I enjoy spending my winter Sundays doing laundry and meal prepping, which in the end helped me during my busy weekday hustle.”
How does the Time-of-Use Pilot work?
Beginning November 1, 2024, weekdays are divided into peak and off-peak hours. During the two daily peaks when demand for electricity on the grid is high, the price per kilowatt is higher to reflect that demand—meaning you will pay more for usage during that time. Customers can take advantage of lower rates offered during the off-peak hours (which include weekends and holidays) by shifting the time they would typically use high energy use appliances, like washing and drying machines and dishwashers.
Once April comes, you have carefree energy use where the price for electricity is less than the current Standard Residential Service Rate and remains flat until the end of October—meaning it does not change based on the time of day. This is where customers see the benefits for their energy shifting in the winter months.
How can I shift my energy use to save?
Making changes to your regular energy use may seem daunting at first, but many customers find it easy once they find a way to best adapt it into their daily routines. Here are some suggested tips to help you reduce or shift your energy use from current Time-of-Use customers:
- Do your laundry on weekends: Plan to do your laundry, particularly drying clothes, on weekends or during off-peak hours (12–5 PM and 9 PM–7 AM). You can add to your savings by using an indoor drying rack to avoid running your dryer as often.
- Run your dishwasher at night: You may be surprised at how much energy your dishwasher uses, even some of the newer models. Try to delay or schedule your dishwasher to run at night, ideally after 9 PM.
- Schedule your thermostats: Program your electric smart thermostats to lower its temperature during peak hours, especially when you're not home.
- Meal prep ready-to-go dinners: Meal prepping on the weekend could help you avoid using high energy use appliances during peak hours and may save you a bit of time during busy weekdays. If your meals are already cooked, simply warm up meals in appliances that use less energy, like your microwave or toaster oven.
- Charge your electric vehicle at night: Get ready for your morning commute by setting your EV charger to charge over night or during off peak hours.
- Let your computer take a nap: When you aren’t using your computer try to make it a habit of putting it on sleep mode when you can, especially during peak hours.
- Unplug stand-by energy: Most electronics still use power when plugged in, even when they're off. This sometimes referred to as phantom energy. Unplug appliances and electronics you are not using or utilize smart power bars for greater control.
- Turn down the lights: In addition to upgrading LED blubs so your lighting energy is used more efficiency, be sure to turn off lights in rooms not being used.
“Using MyEnergy Insights helped me figure out how much electricity I was consuming during peak hours," a current Time-of-Use Rate Pilot customer explains. “I looked at my Energy Details by month and drilled down to days where usage was high during on-peak hours. From there I thought about what was going on that day and how I could make better choices as to what I used when. This allowed me to be the most cost-efficient during the winter months.”