With a heat wave bringing dangerously high temperatures to our area, many of us are spending more time indoors running our appliances and adjusting our thermostats to cooler settings. Unfortunately, doing so drives up energy use.

But what if you knew a few simple steps that could help you and CAEC stabilize energy use, even as temperatures reach triple digits?

It all begins with “peaks.”

When many people use electricity at the same time, the demand for power rises, sometimes leading to the highest — or “peak” — demand of the day, week, month or year. During summer, peak times are usually from 3 to 7 p.m. when more homes and businesses are using energy for cooling.

You may be wondering why peaks matter and how they affect the price you pay for electricity. Peaks cause a financial increase in your cooperative’s largest expense — the cost of generating power. This increase impacts CAEC’s distribution charge, which affects your cost.

PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, CAEC’s wholesale power supplier, generates our power. PowerSouth is currently seeing historic numbers in summer peak demand and forecasting higher peaks to come.

You can help keep costs stable.

It’s not just about how much electricity you use but when you use it. During peak hours, simply delay chores that require electricity. If possible, shift your use of large appliances (which can also reduce the amount of heat generated in your home during the hottest part of the day) and hot water use to off-peak times, which can help reduce the cost of wholesale power.

You can take other actions, too. Adjusting your thermostat, even a few degrees, can make a big difference in overall energy demand. Use ceiling and portable fans to circulate air, when possible, because they require less energy than your air conditioner. You can also turn off unneeded lights and switch off electronics you aren’t using. Not only will these tips help reduce overall demand, they can also help reduce your electric bill this summer.

We’re always here for you.

Call us at (800) 545-5735 for more summer energy savings tips.