By David Kligman
Fall is only a few weeks away, but the forecast for hot weather this week prompted PG&E to ask customers enrolled in time-varying pricing programs to conserve electricity during peak afternoon demand times.
PG&E offers time-varying electricity pricing programs—Peak Day Pricing for commercial customers and SmartRate for residential customers—as a way to save on electric bills by conserving or shifting electric use to off-peak times. These programs are enabled by SmartMeters, which allow PG&E to bill time-varying rates.
By taking easy simple steps to conserve or shift use, these customers play a key role in helping PG&E and the state ensure a reliable power supply during periods of hot weather when heavy demand is placed on power plants and other generation resources.
“We offer these programs so our customers can benefit from time-varying pricing by being rewarded with lower bills for conserving when we need power the most,” said Christine Cordner, a PG&E spokeswoman. “Small changes can make a difference.”
These are just some of the ways businesses can reduce electric use during Peak Day Pricing Event Days:
- Turn off all lighting not necessary for safety or productivity. Use natural lighting where possible.
- Turn off office equipment, computers, printers and other equipment not in use.
- Consider using a central copier for the day.
- Turn off coffee makers when not in use. Disconnect phone chargers.
- Set thermostats to 78 degrees.
And here are some energy-saving tips for residential SmartRate customers:
- Perform household chores requiring power-hungry appliances (washers, dryers, pool pumps and vacuums) before 2 p.m. or after 7 p.m.
- Use less air conditioning by pre-cooling your home in the morning and using fans to circulate the cool air in the afternoon.
- Draw your shades to keep the sun’s rays out.
- Unplug electronics and small kitchen and bathroom appliances if they’re not being used.
- Enjoy an afternoon out at the park or your local library.
What triggers a Peak Day Pricing Event
For business customers, Peak Day Pricing Event Days are called when an average temperature threshold is reached in five cities—San Jose, Concord, Red Bluff, Sacramento and Fresno. High temperatures are generally enough to trigger a Peak Day Pricing Event, but California electric grid emergencies and market-price conditions may also lead to an event.
The Peak Day Pricing program charges more for electricity use during peak hours from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. or 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. for certain rate schedules. During all other times, businesses are charged normal rates. From May through October, businesses receive credits that lower their electricity bill.
PG&E’s residential electric customers can enroll in a similar program called SmartRate, which can lower electric bills if a customer can conserve or shift their electricity use away from peak periods. For SmartRate customers, the peak period runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on what’s called SmartDays, with a discounted rate for all other times running from May to October for this summer pricing program.
PG&E calls nine to 15 Peak Day Pricing Event Days and 15 SmartDays each year. Wednesday was the eighth Peak Day Pricing Event Day in 2011. There have been 13 SmartDays, including Wednesday and Thursday.