Every time you watch TV, do a load of laundry, or turn on your A/C, it’s driving your energy bill up further and costing you more money you can’t afford to pay. However, there are ways to reduce those bills, without even necessarily reducing your actual energy usage. Just take advantage of time-variant pricing, and determine when using your appliances is cheapest.
Peak Hours
There are certain times of day when everyone tends to use more power. Particularly in the late afternoon and early evening, when the kids are getting home from school and the parents are getting home from work. More lights go on, more appliances are used, and energy consumption goes way up.
Because of this, many energy companies use time-variant pricing. You pay more for energy used during these peak hours than you would at other, less active times of day. Talk to your local utility company and find out if they charge more or less money, depending on the time. Then find out what their pricing schedule is, and what their peak hours are. Once you know, you can arrange your schedule to save money by avoiding excessive energy use during those hours.
Ways to Save Energy with Time-Variant Pricing
Turn your A/C up a few degrees during peak hours, and use a fan to make up the difference. Turn off any lights you don’t need, and look for other appliances that are still running, even though you’re not actively using them. Think twice about using the TV or computer during those times as well. Do you really need them right now, or can you read a book instead?
You can also wait until later at night, or earlier in the morning, to do your laundry, run the dishwasher, charge your phone, and other basic chores that require electricity. They still need to be done, but there’s no need to pay extra while you do them.
For more help using time-variant pricing to lower your energy bills, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. The home comfort and efficiency of Indianapolis is our top priority.
