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What Do I Need To Care About On My Utility Bill? Part 4

by Zach Martin —Posted on
On vs. Off Peak Consumption/Demand and Associated Charges

Many customers know that they are billed separately for on-peak and off-peak energy consumption, but many do not know the impact these periods have on their monthly energy costs.  Depending on the host utility and distribution rate assigned, certain demand and consumption charges apply to on-peak consumption but do not apply to off-peak consumption.

Further, of the charges that do apply to both periods, on-peak consumption charges are typically greater than their off-peak counterparts.  Knowing when peak times occur, the charges associated with peak times, and your related peak energy consumption can provide significant opportunity for customers to lower their monthly charges and GHG output.

Questions to ask yourself:

  1.  Do you know when on-peak times occur?
  2.  Do you have any flexibility around your operating and/or production schedules?
  3.  Could you implement pre-heating/pre-cooling strategies to avoid running your HVAC equipment during more costly periods?
  4.  Did you know that the grid is typically producing dirtier power (higher GHG/kWh ratio) during on peak times?
Dollars Spent on Public Benefits Charges

Many customers do not know that each month they are paying into Utility Conservation Funding, typically listed on a bill as the Public Benefits Charge.  This charge can be up to 5% of total utility costs, and the money is distributed into a pool which helps subsidize EEMs (Energy Efficiency Measures) and reduce the total kWh and GHG emission produced by each participating facility and the grid as a whole.

Customers can take advantage of these Utility programs by installing utility subsidized ECMs which will allow them to become more energy efficient, saving money, GHG emissions, and ensuring that they are receiving the benefits they are paying for monthly.

If you’re one of the businesses that is not taking advantage of the fund, while your competitor is leveraging these incentives, you’re increasing their profitability, while boosting their competitiveness and sustainability.

Request a complimentary energy efficiency assessment to find out how Artis Energy’s RTIS® energy analytics platform can provide you with the visibility and insight to transform energy from a fixed cost into a distinct competitive advantage.