Now that there were into June, it's fair to say that summer has arrived. For Power Smart Pricing customers that means that hourly price patterns will nudge some hours above the flat residential rate that most Ameren customers are paying. Each year we like to develop a guide that can help program participants get the most out of Power Smart Pricing by shifting their usage away from the highest hourly prices.
Top Summer Tips:
- Reduce electricity usage between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. (especially on hot summer days).
- Limit air conditioning usage during higher priced hours and try pre-cooling to take advantage of lower priced hours.
Today's temperature happens to be a little cool so the highest hourly price is only 2.8 cents per kWh from 3pm to 4pm. However, hot summer weekdays often feature the highest prices of the year. The 2012 Summer Energy Guide is now available to download at
http://www.powersmartpricing.org/tools/summer-tips/summer-readiness-201/. You can also find the best summer energy tips for Power Smart Pricing customers at
http://www.powersmartpricing.org/tools/summer-tips/.
It really can be simple. Avoid the usage of your biggest electrical appliances, like your air conditioning, during weekday afternoons and you'll take advantage of lower prices and save money all year round.
2 comments:
Well this is all well & good but when it is 100-104 deg+ you can't just turn off your air conditioner it will take forever for it to recover when you do turn it back on & essentially you are taking a step backwards plus you are hotter and more uncomfortable in your home. It looks good on paper and in theory only.
This is true. On some truly warm days it can be difficult to use the precooling strategy, but it still helps to raise your thermostat a few more degrees. Fortunately most summer days aren't over 100 degrees and precooling can be very effective. To help reduce the amount your AC has to work today be sure to close your blinds to prevent direct sunlight from warming your indoor spaces.
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