Green Energy - Home Programs
Time of Use
Time is on your side
With the TOU program, you receive a reduced electric rate for shifting your energy use from peak periods of the day to off-peak times. TEP benefits as well, due to a more balanced and efficient use of our generating resources.
How it works
TEP replaces your conventional meter, free of charge, with a meter that tracks the times of day you use electricity, then calculates the kilowatt-hour rates for those periods.
One of the requirements with the TOU program is that TEP must have access to the meter at all times. Meter readers must be able to stand directly in front of the meter to read it without interference from locked gates, foliage or other impediments.
Holidays Excluded from TOU Schedule If a holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday is designated off-peak; if a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is designated off-peak. |
TOU schedule
Peak and shoulder periods only occur during certain hours, Monday through Friday, excluding selected holidays. (See box.)
The definition of peak, shoulder and off-peak varies by season. Under TOU Price Schedule No. , the summer hours apply to electricity usage from May through October, and winter hours apply from November through April.
During summer weekdays, the peak period is from 1 to 6 p.m. and the shoulder period is from 6 to 8 p.m.
During winter weekdays, there are two peak periods: a morning peak period from 7 to 11 a.m., and an evening peak period from 6 to 9 p.m. There is not a winter shoulder period.
Pricing
While the service charge is more for the Time-of-use program, the difference may be recovered by using electricity during off-peak hours. The table below compares prices based on schedules set in March of 1996.
| Standard Residential Price Schedule | ||
| Summer May - October |
Winter November - April |
|
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Service Charge | $4.90 | $4.90 |
| All kWh per month | 9.0921¢/kWh | 7.8970¢/kWh |
| Time-of-use Price Schedule | ||
| Summer May - October |
Winter November - April |
|
| Monthly Service Charge | $6.78 | $6.78 |
| On-peak kWh | 18.4¢/kWh | 12.6¢/kWh |
| Shoulder kWh | 11.6¢/kWh | N/A |
| Off-peak kWh | 5.8¢/kWh | 4.4¢/kWh |
How do I shift my usage to off-peak?
Shifting usage is simple: Do tasks that consume electricity during off-peak periods rather than during peak or shoulder periods. For instance:
- Set timers on pools or spa filters to run during off-peak hours.
- Operate washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and non-essential appliances during off-peak hours.
- Adjust your air conditioning thermostat to a higher setting and heater to a lower setting during peak and shoulder hours or when you are not at home.
- Install a timer on water heaters so that they operate mainly during off-peak hours.
- Turn off lights during peak and shoulder hours.
- Enjoy recreational baking and electricity-consuming hobbies during weekends and holidays, which are off-peak hours.
You can use TEP.com's Account Manager's easy to use online form to sign up for Time-of-Use. Click here.