he Electric Reliability Council of Texas – representing 75% of the utilities in the Loan Star State – issued a press release yesterday, asking all Texans to conserve energy. They have a real-time chart on their website of the total capacity versus demand ~ the peak demand is getting up there pretty close to the total capacity.
If you look at that chart (below), you can see that it peaks around 5 PM. Utilities consider the workday ours 2-7 PM to be “peak usage” hours. The electricity rate schedule for businesses incentivizes commercial accounts to use less energy during peak demand hours ~ typically charging them 50% less during off-peak hours. O. M.G.
Roughly ten percent of utilities nationwide offer the same discounted rates for residential customers. My house has a “smart meter.” I can read my real-time electricity use online. How come I don’t get to pay 50% less outside of peak hours? (I explain all the ways you can take advantage of “off-peak” rates in 1001 Energy Tips, including for the air conditioning.)
If you read the ERCOT press release, they ask residential customers not to use major appliances (clothes washer, dryer, dishwasher) during peak hours. If they offered “peak demand” rate schedules to homeowners people would do that already. Instead, they have to panic people, schedule rolling brownouts, and generally discombobulate the lives of all Texans on a super-hot summer afternoon – Doh! – so they can keep ripping folks off the rest of the time.
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Excerpted from Going Green, available as an eBook at this list of eBook retailers online.