York Electric recently started our new Beat the Peak program, a free and voluntary effort to help control energy costs for all cooperative members.
Through Beat the Peak, as a member of the co-op, you can sign up to receive alerts asking you to reduce your energy usage during critical periods when wholesale electricity prices spike. These times, known in the industry as “peak demand,” are when requirements for electricity are the highest, such as during some cold winter mornings or hot summer afternoons.
As with most commodities, when the demand for electricity rises, so do the costs. When we purchase large amounts of energy during these peak periods over the course of a year, it puts upward pressure on the electricity rates the co-op and our members pay.
The idea behind Beat the Peak is to shift energy consumption from times when demand is highest. Potentially, this effort can save YEC and our members a significant amount of money over time by keeping the wholesale power costs low and stable.
For a number of years now, we’ve been doing a pretty successful job with existing efforts to control load and avoid peak demand through our ‘Power Saver Rewards‘ program. This program uses a device to briefly cycle the flow of power to participating members’ central air conditioners/heat pumps during periods of high demand. With your participation in the new Beat the Peak program, we can have an even bigger impact on controlling demand costs.
Participating is easy!
All you have to do is visit EnergySmartSC.org, enter your contact information and select the ways you wish to be notified: email, text message or voice mail by phone. When a peak energy-use is coming, the co-op will issue a Beat the Peak alert to you. When you receive the message, conserve energy for a few hours. It’s that simple. These are a few examples of the actions you may be asked to consider:
- Adjust thermostats by 3 degrees—moving higher during summer afternoons and evenings and lower during mornings in the winter.
- Delay activities that require hot water, such as washing clothes, taking shower, or washing dishes.
- Postpone using heavy appliances, like clothes dryers and ovens.
With the Beat the Peak program, we’re not asking you to stop using individual appliances altogether, we’re asking you to just use them during times when the demand for electricity is not high. Shifting energy use to different hours of the day will help hold down everyone’s costs. If we can work together, it’s a win-win for all members and your co-op!
For more information on Beat the Peak or Power Saver Rewards, please visit us at yorkelectric.net or call us at (803) 684-4248. We’re excited about this new program and hope you will join us in the effort to Beat the Peak!
President and Chief Executive Officer
Related Topics:
EnergySmartSC.org
Beat the Peak
Peak Demand
Power Saver Rewards