The amount of electricity you purchase each month is the result of two basic components: the electric use of each appliance in your home (watts) and the length of time you use the appliances (hours). You can reduce your Time of Use bill if you can shift the majority of your electrical requirements to off-peak hours.

Customers who save the most money on Time Of Use are those who can shift On-Peak and Mid-Peak electricity use to Off-Peak hours. A handy rule (PDF) is you must use no more than 20 percent of your total energy during the On-Peak period, and use at least 50 percent of your energy during the Off-Peak period to save money versus the Basic Service rate.

The appliances that use the most electricity in a typical month are electric water heaters and heating and cooling systems (depending on season). Costs to operate these appliances can account for as much as 50 percent of your energy use.

Installing programmable thermostats on your heating and cooling systems and a water heater timer on your water heater can help control when you use this energy and therefore reduce the cost of running these appliances.

Electric vehicles
Do you own, or are you planning on buying, an electric vehicle? If adding an electric vehicle significantly changes your home electricity use, you may be able to save money by choosing our Time of Use rate plan rather than the Basic Service rate most homes are on.

Heating system
If you heat your home with electricity, your heating system can use as much as 50 percent of your total bill. Even gas and oil furnaces use electricity to operate the fans and motors. Set your programmable thermostat to preheat your home during off-peak or mid-peak periods or turn your furnace fan to “Auto” rather than “On” to save you money. Of course, a properly maintained system with clean filters and a properly insulated home will increase energy efficiency.

Air conditioning system
During the summer, central air conditioning and heat pumps are the largest energy user in your home. A programmable thermostat can be set to pre-cool your home and avoid or reduce on-peak usage hours. Again, always keep your filters clean and maintain the unit in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Electric water heater
Have a timer installed on the water heater. During winter peak hours set it to turn off at 6 a.m. and on again at 10 a.m. You will still have plenty of hot water for your shower, it just won’t reheat until 10 a.m.

For detailed information on how your water heater works, view our water heater article (PDF).

Clothes washing and drying
Do most of the laundry on Sundays, and only run the dryer during off-peak hours. Doing laundry on the weekend or after 10 p.m. during the week will cost less than during on-peak hours. Use cold water for washing. A clothesline is a solar dryer that can help you save even more money. Consider adding a timer to turn on a pre-loaded washer or dryer during the off-peak periods. Make sure you only use the washer and dryer with full loads.

Preparing foods
Try preparing extra meals on the weekends, re-heating them as needed. Use a slow cooker, crock pot or even your outdoor barbecue grill (in the summer) as money-saving alternatives to your range top and standard oven during on-peak periods.

Lighting
Wait until 10 p.m. to turn on outdoor lights. Use a timer to make this job easier.

Dishwasher
Run your dishwasher after 10 p.m. Many dishwashers now have timers to enable this.

Estimated average monthly appliance energy use
The tables below may help you understand where electricity is used in an average home. These usages are calculated on a 30-day period. Costs for heating and air conditioning can account for as much as 50 percent of your energy use during peak seasons, based on the size of your home, climate, construction, efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment, insulation of your home and family living habits.

*For the coldest months of the year