Many homeowners have tried to lower their electricity bills by switching to Time-Of-Use rates. These utility rates will cost more or less, depending on the time of day the electricity is being used. This rate plan can drastically change your electricity costs depending on your daily schedule. Your bill will automatically be changed to a TOU (or Time-Of-Use) rate plan when you use solar power. We have created some tips to keep your electricity usage down during peak hours and keep your costs low. They will help you reduce costs without reducing the comforts you are used to.
Top 5 Tips To Reduce Time-Of-Use Electricity:
Take Advantage Of Off-Peak Hours
Use Smart Home Products
Charge Up At Night
Remove Energy Hogs
Invest In Solar Power
Tip 1: Off-Peak Hours
You can save a lot by shifting heavy appliance usage to off-peak hours. Time-Of-Use rate plans will have different rates depending on the time of each day. If you usually wash your clothes or dishes right when you get home from work, you are paying more than you should. Read More: Utility Rates Are On The Rise! Guide to Time-of-Use Rate Plans A Guide To Understanding Solar Quotes 30% Solar Tax Credit Is Back! - Inflation Reduction Act
What Are Peak Hours?
It may be easier to think of peak hours as “surge pricing”, which means they will charge more during times of heavy demand. Peak hours usually start right after everyone gets home from work and end when most people go to bed. [caption id="attachment_8462" align="aligncenter" width="820"]
Data from Southern California Edison May 20th, 2022[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8463" align="aligncenter" width="821"]
Data from Southern California Edison May 20th, 2022[/caption] You will see a big difference by simply doing your laundry on weekdays or turning the dishwasher on just before you go to bed.
Tip 2: Use Smart Home Products
You can use smart home products, like smart thermostats and power strips, putting whole sections of your home on a set schedule. Using a smart thermostat, you can program your home to be cooled or heated only during certain hours or up to a certain temperature. With smart power strips, you can put TVs and phone chargers on certain hours as well, so they don’t leech energy during the day (which they will do if you leave them plugged in and on standby mode). Speaking of chargers…
Tip 3: Charge Up Your EV During The Night
Many electric vehicle owners tend to just plug in their car as soon as they pull into the garage. Doing this will have your vehicle charging up at peak pricing! Instead, make sure your car, and any other device you need to charge, is being charged after peak hours (after 9 PM). It’s easy to put all your chargers on power strips and keep them switched off until late at night.
Have more questions? Give us a call and speak with one of our solar experts.
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Tip 4: Remove Energy Hogs
Older appliances tend to use the most energy. If you have an old AC or water heater, it could be costing you hundreds of dollars every year. Upgrading your old appliances with new low-energy technology will literally pay for themselves within a few years.
Not So Happy Holiday Bills
Having nice decorations during the holidays can create special memories that last a lifetime. But those memories can create huge bills too. You can avoid these huge bills with simple timers that automatically turn on your decorations when you can enjoy them, and switch them off when you’re asleep reducing your energy usage.
Tip 5: Invest In Solar Energy And Battery Storage Systems
Residential solar has come a long way in the past few years. It is the cheapest way to generate electricity in the world. The costs of solar panels for homes have gone down significantly, and it has started a huge transition for many homeowners. Combined with battery banks for energy storage, it becomes a perfect energy system for your home.
In California, we live in the perfect environment for solar technologies across the entire United States. There is no better way to go solar than with the experts at Option One Solar. We can help you reach your smart goals with home solar panels and solar batteries that will also be cheaper than your current electricity bills.
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