With Energy Wise Rates you can lower your costs by using electricity during times when demand is lower. Rates will be lowest during off-peak hours and highest during on-peak hours:
With Energy Wise Rates you can lower your costs by using electricity during times when demand is lower. Rates will be lowest during off-peak hours and highest during on-peak hours:
Cooling your building during off-peak hours helps reduce the need for heavy air conditioning during peak hours later in the day – saving on your bill.
Automated temperature scheduling lowers cooling before peak hours and allows small increases during peak times without impacting comfort.
Ceiling fans help spaces feel cooler so you can reduce air conditioning use with minimal energy impact.
If your system allows, concentrate cooling in high‑traffic or occupied areas and reduce it in unused spaces. Regular filter changes, duct checks and system tune‑ups help equipment run efficiently and avoid unnecessary energy use.
Raising or lowering your thermostat by just 1–2 degrees at a time can deliver meaningful savings without disrupting operations.
Take advantage of natural light when possible, and use dimmers or automated controls to reduce unnecessary lighting. Timers and motion sensors are especially helpful in bathrooms, storage rooms, and less frequently used spaces.
Set computers, registers, and televisions to low‑power mode to reduce energy consumption throughout the day.
Smart strips help eliminate wasted energy from small devices, but should not be used for high‑power equipment.
We have a responsibility to provide power to all of our customers and meet their electric demands. When several systems are being used at once, demand spikes - which can be costly - leading to higher charges on your bill.
As a community-owned utility, demand is a key factor of our electricity costs.
Electricity demand (kW), represents the strength of energy used at a moment in time.
Electricity consumption, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), represents how much energy is used in total.
A demand charge is shown as a separate line item on your bill and is based on the highest amount of power a business customer uses at any given time, during a billing period.
It's calculated by peak demand multiplied by a charge per kilowatt and the number of days in the billing period.
Your demand for power increases when multiple appliances and equipment in your business run simultaneously. To save, stagger your use over multiple hours.
Demand charges are only applied to commercial and industrial accounts with 15-minute demands greater than 10kW.
Commercial rates |
Industrial rates |
| Demand is calculated using the greatest 15-minute load during each billing period. | Demand is calculated using the greatest 15-minutes load measured with rolling 5-minute intervals, plus a power factor adjustment if applicable. |
Avoid running major equipment at the same time when possible, and plan energy‑intensive tasks during lower‑demand periods.
We offer free business energy and water audits to help identify savings opportunities, usage‑shifting options, and available rebates.
Learn more
Demand-based charges and time-of-day rates are not new. We’re breaking them out into line items for more rates so you can see when you’re using the most power and energy and how to manage it.
Energy Wise Rates reflect the cost to generate electricity when demand is high. Electricity is cheaper when demand is low, and more expensive to purchase and produce when demand is high.
Additionally, the rates can incentivize customers to shift their electric usage to periods of lower demand, reducing the need to build additional electric generating facilities.
Business customer rate schedules are determined by the highest level of kilowatt (kW) demand recorded.
These schedules are tiered, with higher demand levels corresponding to different rate structures. If your peak demand exceeds the threshold for a higher kW tier, your account will be placed on the corresponding rate schedule for a minimum of 12 months—even if your demand later decreases.
This approach supports rate stability and reflects the infrastructure required to meet your peak usage. After the 12-month period, your rate may be adjusted based on your updated demand level.
Minimum demand charges are in place to recover the costs associated with maintaining infrastructure and capacity, even when your usage drops temporarily. For business customers, the method used to calculate demand charges depends on the rate schedule assigned to each account.
For example, for accounts with demand under 100 kW, the demand charge is based on the highest 15-minute demand interval during the billing period. For accounts with demand equal to or greater than 100 kW, the calculation method is more complex and includes other factors such a minimum demand calculation and power factor adjustments.
To better understand demand for accounts over 100 kW, please refer to the Utilities Rules and Regulations and Electric Tariffs or contact your account manager for details specific to your account.
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