Christmas is a time of celebration. But when seasons change, so do our energy habits. During the summer, we use more energy to cool our homes, and in the winter, we use more energy to heat them. This can lead to a less joyful reality of higher energy bills.

I often talk about how peak demand — those few hours of the year when the weather is hottest or coldest — significantly impacts the price we pay for power. Remember last Christmas Eve when record-low temperatures blanketed the country? That one event cost Pioneer Electric and our members more than $688,000 this year in additional wholesale power costs. The more we can control peak demand, the more we can control costs. But we need your help.

That’s why we’re excited to offer our new Time-of-Use Rate to members. This rate option rewards members for shifting energy-intensive tasks away from peak hours and gives you the opportunity to save money on your electric bill. Winter peak hours, from November through April, are 6-8 a.m. Summer peak hours are 3:30-6 p.m. About 90% of hours in a year are off-peak, so you have plenty of time to take advantage of the lower off-peak rate.

This requires a change of habits to maximize savings. This rate option isn’t for everyone, but if your lifestyle allows you to shift your energy use to off-peak times, you could lower your bill. To be successful with this rate, you’ll need to reduce the running time of your heating and cooling system, reduce or reschedule hot water use, and avoid doing laundry and using large appliances during peak times.

We recommend you install a timer on your water heater and add a programmable thermostat to your HVAC system to help control usage during peak hours. We’re offering a $50 bill credit to Time-of-Use members who install either a water heater timer or a programmable thermostat (only one credit per account) to help offset that cost.

Your savings will be printed on your monthly bill, and you can track your daily usage with SmartHub. If you aren’t saving money, please call us so we can offer suggestions to help. At the end of six months, you can request a review of your account. If you find you paid more with the Time-of-Use Rate than you would have with our Regular Residential Rate, we will refund the difference as a bill credit.

We believe this option gives members the opportunity to reduce bills, and it encourages the most efficient use of our resources. By minimizing peak demand, we keep wholesale power costs as low as possible.

I pray that you enjoy a wonderful holiday season with friends and family. I hope the new year brings blessings to you all.