Give your bill a summertime check up and save
Summer’s almost here and now is a great time to see what your PECO electricity bill has to tell you about saving money.
Understanding peak demand
Depending upon your company’s energy consumption and/or usage patterns, it may be subject to a peak demand charge. Peak demand is often higher during the summer months due to air conditioning usage and other cooling requirements. Tips for reducing this charge are provided in the Summertime Cost Saving Measures section below.
To determine whether your company pays a peak demand charge, check the “Meter Information” section on the front of your bill. If one of the items listed is “Total kw Billed…” then the answer is yes. Shown as “Pk kw” under the “Reading Type” column in this same section, peak demand refers to the highest half-hour of electrical usage during the billing period.
A number of factors determine whether companies are subject to this charge. For more information see the Our Rates and Prices section of the PECO Web site.
Understanding your usage profile
All PECO commercial and industrial customers can learn much from the “Your Usage Profile” section on the back of their electricity bill, whether or not they are subject to a demand charge.
The back of your bill includes a bar graph representing your company’s electricity usage over a 13-month period. Just to the right of this graph is a chart comparing your average daily usage for the current month and for the same month a year prior.
If you see that your electricity usage spikes in the months of June, July and August, then some summertime energy saving measures may be in order. Or, if you see that your average daily usage is considerably higher than the same period a year prior, it’s worthwhile to determine if the increase is related to something under your company’s control to change or adjust (an example of something not under your control would be weather conditions).
Summertime cost saving measures
Reducing summertime peak demand – Demand is based on how much energy is required at any given moment. Anything you do to reduce the amount of electricity you require during periods of high overall demand can help reduce your demand charge.
Among the most effective solutions is to shift energy-consuming processes to other times in the day, when overall demand is lower.
Reducing overall summertime energy usage – The tips listed below can also help reduce your company’s peak demand charge, if applicable.
- Keep cooling and ventilation systems in good working order.
- Use a programmable thermostat and consider a locking cover to avoid having employees change temperature settings.
- Set the thermostat in your workspace higher.
- Seal off unused areas and reduce or eliminate cooling in these spaces.
- Keep exterior and freight doors closed as much as possible.
- Apply solar control window films to existing glass in windows and doors.
- Close window blinds to shade your rooms from direct sunlight.
- Allow workers to wear comfortable clothing during hot weather.
- For more information see the How to Understand Your Bill section of the PECO Web site. If you have questions about your bill, call 1-800-220-PECO (1-800-220-7326).