As temperatures rise in the summer, our desire to keep the house comfortable may come at a higher cost on electricity bills. Looking for ways to improve energy efficiency at home can help you and PPEC reduce demand, saving energy, and money.
During the summer, peak load demands occur at the times of day when most people use the most electricity, like in the middle of a hot afternoon, when everyone is running air conditioners, and around dinnertime, when families are cooking, taking showers, washing dishes, and doing laundry.
Off-peak hours usually are early in the morning, after dark, and on weekends.
The less electricity you and your neighbors use during peak times, the less overall demand there is. That lowers the strain on the power grid. Lower demand means we can lock in lower rates and pass those savings on to our members, so everyone saves.
We share peak alerts on our social media channels and the main page of our website. We ask members to help out by reducing use during those times (reducing the demand) when everyone is using more electricity. A peak alert is not a shortage of electricity. It is a way to manage the expense of purchasing higher-cost electricity. By lowering usage during times of peak demand, members reap the benefit in the form of a lower cost for power.
You can do your part by scheduling tasks during off-peak hours and keeping electricity usage to a minimum. During the summer months, peak alerts are likely to occur Monday through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. on days that are extremely hot and humid. Peak alerts can also occur in the winter, depending on temperatures and demand.
RADIO-CONTROLLED SWITCHES
Electric cooperatives across the state, including PPEC, save money by allowing our co-op-owned generation supplier, Buckeye Power, to control portions of their electricity use at certain times through the use of load management devices called radio-controlled switches (RCS). We do this because electricity costs the most when it’s in very high demand. When the peak goes up, so does the cost. By reducing the demand for electricity created by electric water heaters and central air-conditioning systems of our members, the cooperative works to reduce the costs of power for our members.
Get a $25 initial account credit plus a $5 account credit per month during peak months (June–August) by having an RCS device installed on your HVAC system or water heater. Visit ppec.coop/rebate-programs to learn more and sign up.
Get a $25 initial account credit plus a $5 account credit per month during peak months (June–August) by having an RCS device installed on your HVAC system or water heater. Visit ppec.coop/rebate-programs to learn more and sign up.
