What is the first thing you do when you get home? Turn on the lights or TV? Cook dinner? Adjust your thermostat a few degrees?
Many of us get home around the same time each day and do things that increase how much power we are using during that same time. That creates a spike in customer demand , or what we call a peak in the power industry. As power increases, Santee Cooper must increase the power we’re providing to cover everyone’s evening activities, and because we send out our lowest-cost power first, the power we add to meet increased demand usually costs more.
The good news is if you can spread out your power use by postponing some of those activities to non-peak times, we add less of that higher-cost power, which can save our customers money. And Santee Cooper is considering a new rate structure that, if adopted, could give you even more incentives for timing your energy use for non-peak periods. You’ll hear more on that, and we’ll be seeking your input, in the coming months.
Right now, however, our SmartRewards program offers bill credits to customers who sign up to have a switch installed on their water heater, HVAC or both. During peaks, Santee Cooper can cycle that equipment on and off to reduce the peak and save us all money.
You can do similar things on your own. Peaks typically happen in the morning, when most people are getting ready for work and school, and in the evening when you are getting home. You still may want to cook dinner when you get home, and we get that. However, think about waiting until later in the evening to use your dishwasher or clothes washer and dryer. Turn on the TV after dinner when the peak has subsided.
Consider showering in the evening, so your water heater isn’t working during the morning peak. If you’re home during the day, you may be able to postpone some of your morning activity until 9 a.m. or later, when many people have left their homes for the day.
Don’t forget to unplug any appliances you don’t use regularly. With a surge protector, you can turn off a lot of appliances at once, like a computer and a monitor that draw a lot of power when on and not being used. And it’s OK to take a page out of your mom’s playbook and make sure the children (and the rest of the family) are turning off lights when they leave a room.
Small changes in your habits can help bring down those peaks and save money for everyone, because when Santee Cooper doesn’t have to generate more electricity, those savings are passed on to our customers. Happy saving!