POWER SHIFTING

Some places call them "time-of-use" rates.

‘Power-shifting’ can save hundreds on energy bills; Pilot program pushes evening, weekend use
Bruce Mohl, September 30, 2007 (Boston Globe)

WHO
The Winslow family of 5, Mike Oldak, senior director, Edison Electric Institute, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley

An example. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
Power shifiting, an electricity consumption strategy being adopted to reduce peak-hour demands on the grid and obtain lower rates for customers.

WHEN
- Winslow time-of-use rates: 13.95c/kilowatt-hour 9a – 6p weekdays, 3.4c/kilowatt-hour all other times.
- Currently New England utilities can generate 32,000 megawatts of electricity for a 6-state region. Peak demand reached 28,130 megawatts on Aug. 2, 2006.
- Overall demand in 2006 was 3% lower than 2005 but peak periods were 4.6% higher.
- Peak demand is up 20% over the last 10 years, is expected to be up 15% more over the next 10 years.

WHERE
- The Winslows reside in Norfolk, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.
- NStar is a utility serving the Boston region.

WHY
- NStar’s power shifting program is voluntary.
- The Winslows used 20,000 kilowatt-hours in the last year, 85% off-peak. Power shifting saved them $348 despite their pool timer being broken.
- Massachusetts and utility officials want to increase power shifting: Only 160 of 800,000 NStar customers currently participate. Rates have not yet been sufficiently modified.
- Attorney General Coakley and other officials are working on it. Meanwhile, awareness of the program is growing.
- Advanced meters may facilitate the program’s success.

More control over the average price comes with more awareness about time-of-use. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Daniel B. Winslow: "It's been easy to do…The off-peak time tends to be our leisure time, nights and weekends…When we were considering doing this, we were concerned about how far we would have to go to change our habits," he said. "But our experience has been not at all. It's been very easy.”
- Mike Oldak, Edison Electric: "What we're trying to do is get prices to reflect costs…At the peak of the day, costs are higher, and if you can shift use of that power to an off-peak period, we'll save money and you'll save money."
- Attorney General Coakley: "Time-of-use pricing and meters have the potential to give consumers more control over their energy use by using price signals to change usage patterns…Consumers may both save money on their bills and, if enough use is curtailed during peak demand, offer relief to our power grid at the most critical times."