Transparency and education are crucial for us all to thrive, especially as we navigate the higher energy usage that comes with winter. One of the most important concepts for our members to understand is how managing your demand benefits both you individually and the co-op as a whole.
First, let’s talk about what demand means. While you are familiar with your energy consumption over time (measured in kilowatt-hours), your demand reflects the highest amount of energy you use at one time (measured in KVA).
Why does this matter?
Pioneer Electric must build our system to deliver reliable power at all times, even during peaks when everyone’s heating systems, ovens and water heaters are running at full tilt.
Our highest demand for electricity usually happens on a cold winter morning. Our all-time system peak was on Christmas Eve in 2022, and I’m sure you remember how cold that morning was.
We must have enough resources to meet our highest demand peak ever — even if it’s only for a few hours a year. Every time we set a new peak, we raise the bar for our system requirements. Eventually, this means we must build or purchase additional resources. That comes at a cost.
That’s where you come in. When our members manage their demand, it helps reduce peak usage periods that increase our cost of generating and delivering power.
Managing your demand benefits you by:
Lowering your individual costs: By reducing your demand, you can lower your power bill.
Your monthly demand cost is based on the time when you had the most electrical appliances running at one time. Being mindful of when you use energy-intensive devices is a simple and effective way to save money. For example, spread out the use of high-energy appliances rather than running them all at once.
Reducing expenses for the cooperative: Because we are a member-owned cooperative, lowering costs for the cooperative means lowering costs for all our members.
High peak demand results in increased costs due to the need to build more generation and distribution resources.
Our goal is to maintain affordable energy rates for all members. By collectively lowering our peaks, we reduce these costs and help keep our rates more stable for everyone.
Membership matters
Thank you for being an active participant in our cooperative. Together, we can power through winter and ensure that our electric system remains reliable and affordable.