If you haven’t heard about Arizona Public Service’s (APSs) time-variant pricing plans, you might be paying more than you need to for electricity. This type of pricing is often called time-of-use (TOU) and APS offers numerous plans to help you save money on your energy costs. They refer to their plans as “choices” and each choice has day and time restrictions on electrical use.
The plans offer below market kilowatt (kW) pricing during certain hours of the day and much higher rates when demand peaks. APS charges peak hour rates between 3 PM and 8 PM throughout the year during the week. They charge off-peak rates for weekends and holidays. The hottest times of day in Yuma start at 3 PM. By 8 PM, temperatures are cooling off and demand for air conditioning falls.
Power companies have found that their customers are able to shift their usage from peak hours, which lowers their bills. It also helps power companies because they don’t need to search for additional resources for electricity when demand is at its highest.
Best candidates for TOU pricing are homeowners who:
- Have energy efficient homes. Thermal windows and adequate insulation in the attics slow gain heat, keeping homes comfortable longer.
- Aren’t home during peak hours.
- Have programmable thermostats or want one. They can program the thermostat to turn the temperature up from 3 PM to 8 PM. Once it’s past the peak hours, it will automatically turn the temperature down.
Staying Cool During Peak Hours
Consider thermally loading your home before 3 PM during the week. Turn the thermostat down far enough before 3 PM so that your home stays reasonably comfortable until 8 PM. It may take some experimentation to learn how cool to drop the temperature.
- Use ceiling fans during peak hours.
- Close the window coverings for west-facing windows.
- Use the microwave during the peak hour period.
If you’d like to learn more about saving energy costs with time-variant pricing or cutting cooling costs through maintenance, contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We provide HVAC services for Yuma-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.
