Playing Peak Hours to Your Advantage: How to Save Mountains
on AC and Heating
Your AC and heat are two of the biggest expenses on your electric bill. While you can unplug some appliances and try to do without, it's hard to turn down — or turn off — your HVAC system.
There are a few ways you can save money while still running
your HVAC system — just by playing the peak hours of energy use to your
advantage.
What Are Peak Hours?
Peak hours are the hours that your electric company gets the
most demand. It's typically the time of day when businesses and homes are
simultaneously running AC, heat, computers, electronics, and appliances. This
puts a big strain on the electric supply. To help continue providing
uninterrupted service during these hours, many electric companies charge you
extra. Depending upon where you live, the company you use, and whether it's
your home or your business that's being billed, you may pay a higher rate per
kilowatt, or you may get a "demand charge," which can be anything
from a few pennies to $20 per extra kilowatt.
How Can You Use Peak Hours to Your Advantage?
While peak hour energy use translates to a higher rate, off-peak
energy usage costs less — in fact, some electric companies even offer rebates
and monetary incentives for you to use the bulk of your electricity during off-peak
times rather than during peak hours.
For other appliances this may mean waiting to run them
during off-peak times. For your HVAC unit, it means using it smartly and in
different ways during peak hours.
Find Out Your Peak Hours
The first step in using electricity intelligently is to call
your electric company and find out the following:
·
When are the peak and off-peak hours in your
area?
·
What is the rate difference between the two?
·
Do they offer rebates or other incentives if you
lower your peak usage below a certain point?
·
Will you be charged extra if your load goes
above a certain point during peak hours?
Once you have this information, you'll have a better sense of
how you can lower your energy bills.
Lower Your HVAC Use
The most obvious way to save on energy costs is to eliminate
as much energy use as possible during peak hours. Running the washing machine
and dryer or dishwasher during off-peak hours, for example, is one way to lower
your energy bill.
Of course it isn't always possible to run your AC and
heating systems only during off-peak hours. Therefore, you need to change the
way you use them during those hours. A few ways of doing this include:
·
Making incremental changes in the temperature set
by your thermostat. Most people feel comfortable at temperatures below 70
degrees in winter and above 75 in summer; raise or lower the temperature 1
degree at a time during peak hours until you've managed to lower your energy
usage during this time.
·
Installing a power manager. Some electric
companies offer power managers that can be placed on your AC or HVAC unit.
Power managers automatically detect peak or off-peak hours and will shut your
system off for 1/2 hour every hour to lower your energy use during these times.
Many companies that offer this system also offer credits to home and business
owners that use them, which can lower your monthly bills even more.
·
Acting like a power manager. Even if your
electric company doesn't offer power managers, you can operate your system as
if they do. Shut off your AC or heat for 1/2 an hour at a time during peak
hours to lower your drain on the system. 1/2 an hour isn't usually enough to
cause temperatures to change too dramatically, which can make the unit work harder
to compensate once it's turned back on.
Make It Work for You
Getting acquainted with peak and off-peak hours can make a
big difference in your energy bill. Call your electric company today to find
out what you could be saving and start pocketing the difference.
Stefanie Miles is a writer for Precision Air & Heating, a
leading ac repair company in Phoenix, Arizona. She enjoys home improvement and
typically does a project or two a week at her home.
