Finding out off peak electric hours for an area?

ping

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How do you find out such information? Because I am trying no to run certain things during the on peak hours. Like I am trying to get all the clothes washed before 8:30am or so even if I can't get all of the on the line at that point. Keeping the tv off during those on hours, maybe just turn a radio on or something. Yesterday I kept the AC off all day yesterday until 7:30pm and then just turned it on for 1 hour just to cool the house a bit. Also I have been trying to get into the habit of keeping the hot water heater off until 30 mins before bath time and turn if off 30 mins after bath time and dishes are done.

Anyways so when can I find out the off peak hours?
 

gailc

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Does your electric company have a website for information?? i would check their 1st.

My electric company has a program specially for off/on peak use that you have to inform them that you want to participate. They have three choices I think 5am-5 pm: 6-6 or 7 am to 7 pm. We were on the program briefly several years ago but it didn't make a big difference as we really don't have a high electric bill to start with.

Its will be some adjusting usuage esp the big energy users like the washer/dryer, water heater (is yours wrapping in a insulating blanket, refrigerator, and the A/C.
 
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ping

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Well I called the electric company just a bit ago and you wanna know how much help they were? None none at all. I asked them what the on peak and off peak hours were. They had to transfer me to someone else. With her I had to explain exactly what I was asking about and she told they had no idea really when the on and off peak hours were the weather determines that. She said I guess generally the on hours would be 3-8pm during the summer. But then again these are the same people who told me yesterday I would not save much money by not using my dryer.

Is there any other way to figure this out?
 

gailc

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I looked up my electric company site and the program is called Time-Of-Use. They also have some good times for on/off peak consumption. The website is www.we-energies.co. Click on residential, then Time of use, then each orange high-lighted phrase to get some info/tips. Hopefully your power company has a website that gives similar info.

let me know!!
 

goldenkitty45

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Easy - just call your local electric or utilities number - the number should be on your bill for questions
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Easy - just call your local electric or utilities number - the number should be on your bill for questions
She said she did and they didn't know anything about it.

They sound like they don't know much of anything because drying your clothes outside on the line is definitely going to be much more energy efficient than using a dryer. Dryers use a fair bit of energy.

I've been also told that those lovely energy saving stickers you see on appliances really don't mean much. Those appliances don't use all that much less energy than the others is what I was told by a sales person. I don't know if that is true but with the "false" advertising we get inundated with, who knows. There was a great discussion on CBC radio the other evening as I was coming home about companies that produce "new green products". Apparently if the new products have even a slight "greener" improvement over the old products they can call them green.
Yes, folks, I do believe we are hood-winked into believing a lot of stuff that isn't necessarily so.
 

jcat

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

She said she did and they didn't know anything about it.

They sound like they don't know much of anything because drying your clothes outside on the line is definitely going to be much more energy efficient than using a dryer. Dryers use a fair bit of energy.
If it means you have to iron a lot more, though, you'll have to figure the costs of that in, and perhaps sort the laundry so that you're not constantly heating up the iron for just two or three articles of clothing.

Another thing you can do is not leave anything in "stand-by mode". If your TV, DVD player, printer, etc., don't have actual off switches, pull the plugs when you're not using them.
 
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