Power Saver Rewards

Load Management uses a small control switch which cycles power to an appliance or motor. This switch is connected to your appliance. You voluntarily give YEC the permission of interrupting power for short periods of time in exchange for a monetary bill credit.

Everybody wins when electricity is used more efficiently. The member saves immediately with bill credits and helps control the future cost of power. York Electric saves kilowatt demand charges in its wholesale power bill payments. By reducing the electricity used during the top peak hours, York Electric can significantly reduce its electric bill which helps control future power costs to members.

The switch has an LED light display window on the front. A blinking green light shows the switch is powered up and the red light indicates the switch is operational indicating the appliance that is participating in Power Saver Rewards program is being controlled. The switch cannot be over ridden or bypassed from your home. If the switch needs to be deactivated for maintenance/service work please call us at 803-684-4248.

Residential members served by YEC in our test area. Rental properties require property owner’s signed consent to participate. YEC will control A/C, heat pumps, water heaters and /or pool pumps. York Electric will not control window unit air conditioners.

A signal will be sent from the office on the day of operation to each switch. From the office console York Electric has two-way communications capabilities to send and receive information from the switch. What this means is once we send the command to cycle off a switch we will be able to see that the switch has received the command and has cycled off the appliance. At the end of our load management operation, we send a second command to the switches to release the appliance from load management, thus allowing the appliance to operate as usual. We will be able to determine if there is a problem with a switch from the office based on information sent back to the office from the switch, which allows us to give better quality of system service to our members.

Water heaters and pool pumps will be turned off for the entire time load management operates. Air conditioner compressors will cycle off for a short period of time during each half hour during the operation of load management; however the fan will continue to run. The cycling of power to the A/C compressor will allow the unit to operate normally for a portion of each half hour allowing the home to maintain a comfortable temperature during load management.

No. The member rarely notices the switch has operated. The water heater and pool pump is cycled off for the whole peak period. The tank’s reserve of hot water should supply plenty of hot water during the time the water heater is cycled off. The air conditioner compressor will be operating some during the activated period and the circulating fan continues to operate during the entire period. The temperature in the home should not rise more than a couple of degrees (if any). The slight rise in temperature should not generate any discomfort. It will not be necessary to adjust your thermostat during the operational hours of our load management program. The switch will not affect the thermostat’s settings of your appliances.

Our load management program will not reduce the direct cost of your monthly power bill. It does however, reduce the amount of kilowatts purchased during peak demand hours of usage, thus helping York Electric keep our rates down. You will also save money from the power bill credits you will be awarded.

It costs nothing to participate; the switch is installed free of charge and satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not satisfied with the switch, the switch will be deactivated at no cost to you. Most members never notice the switch’s operation.

No. Once the switch is installed at your home you will automatically continue in the program each year unless the program is discontinued or you request to have the switch deactivated.

You’ll save money through bill credits for participating. First, you will receive a one-time incentive bill credit of $20 for signing up, meeting our installation technician and having a Power Saver Rewards switch installed at your home. Once the switch is installed you’ll receive $5 per summer month incentive for the time period during June, July, August and September. For even more savings, you can add additional air conditioning units ($3 per unit per month for June-September), pool pumps ($2 per month for June-September) and electric water heaters ($2 per month from January-December).

There is no installation cost, no maintenance cost and no cost for deactivating the switch. By enrolling in YEC’s Power Saver Rewards program, you help reduce the need for future power generation. When you participate in load management, you also help us keep costs down by reducing the amount of electricity we have to purchase during our peak demand hours, which is a time when electricity is usually the most expensive.

York Electric personnel or a Cooperative selected contractor will install management switches throughout our entire service area. York Electric guarantees 100% satisfaction to our members.

The installation should not take longer than an hour. For the installation of a water heater switch an appointment is necessary. Generally Installation on the A/C unit or pool pump does not require an appointment unless there is a locked fence or animals in the yard. If you are having more than one switch installed, the entire installation will take longer than an hour.

Call York Electric’s Member Services Department at 803-684-4248 for assistance.

You will need to make the service technician aware that you are participating in the Power Saver Rewards load management program so that he does not inadvertently disconnect the switch. Ask the technician to call York Electric’s Member Services Department at (803) 684-4248 for assistance. We will need to answer any question(s) he may have and possibly deactivate the switch during the work or replacement on the appliance.

We recommend that you set your thermostat to a higher temperature in the summer and a lower temperature in the winter since no one will be home for the extended period of time. This is not as a result of participating in the Power Saver Reward program, but actively participating in the conservation of electricity.

Please let the new owner know about the switch and that you are participating in York Electric’s Power Saver Reward program. We will be glad to answer any question(s) the new owner may have about our program.

Call (803) 684-4248 or (803) 548-4244 to speak with a member service representative. You may also visit www.yorkelectric.net to learn more about this new technology.