Time-of-Use Price Plan energy savings tips
It's easy to save money with SRP's Time-of-Use Price Plan, formerly known as the Two-Period Price
Plan. How much you save depends on how you use your electricity. The following tips, listed in order
of savings potential, will help you maximize your savings.
During the summer, air conditioning is the greatest energy consumer in your home, representing as
much as 40 percent of your total household energy consumption. To reduce cooling costs:
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Install a programmable thermostat. It will help lower your cooling costs, while at the same time
allowing you to return to a cool home. To maximize your savings, precool your home during the
lower-cost off-peak hours.
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Start precooling your home by 8 a.m., setting the air conditioning thermostat to 78 degrees or below.
By 1 p.m., raise your thermostat to 80 degrees or higher. Simple changes like this can save you as
much as $70 a year.
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Changing air conditioner filters monthly will help you save too. Clean filters allow for adequate air flow
and proper cooling. You should have your air conditioner serviced every year.
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Avoid closing air vents in unused rooms. Instead, adjust vents to reduce the amount of cool air delivered.
Closing off vents and rooms creates a pressure imbalance and reduces the effectiveness of your cooling
system.
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If your home has an air conditioner as well as an evaporative cooler, don't operate both at the same time.
The evaporative cooler increases humidity as it cools your home, while the air conditioner works to remove
humidity. So, if you run both during the day, the air conditioner must use extra electricity to keep you
comfortable.
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If you have a piggyback unit (a combination air conditioner and evaporative cooler), remember to close
the damper door between the units when you turn your air conditioner on for the season.
In the winter, heating represents 10 to 15 percent of your total energy expense. To reduce heating costs:
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Let the sun help heat your home for free. Open window treatments during the day to let the sun in;
close them at night for insulation.
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Change the heating system filters at least once a month during the winter months. Use "pleated" filters.
They filter the air more effectively.
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Lower your thermostat to 68 degrees. You can install a programmable thermostat to reduce your heating
costs and maintain a comfortable temperature when you're home.
Windows and doors can account for as much as 40 percent of a home's heat gain during the summer.
Glass allows heat and cold to enter your home. Air also can pass through joints and cracks around
windows and door frames if they are not tightly sealed. To reduce cooling and heating costs:
- Caulk around windows and add weather stripping around doors to seal off cracks.
- Cover sunlit windows in the summer with shade screens, reflective film or awnings.
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Plant deciduous shade trees on the south and west sides of your home. They can help
lower your electric consumption during on-peak hours and save you money on electric costs.
Deciduous trees will shade your home during the summer months, but lose their leaves in the
winter to let the sun shine through. For a list of low-water-use plants, shrubs and trees, call (602) 236-8888.
Run your pool pump during off-peak hours. Eight to twelve hours a day of filtering is recommended
during the summer, and six to eight hours daily during the winter. Installation of a timer on your pool
pump will allow the convenience of having the pump turn off automatically during higher-cost, on-peak hours.
To reduce the cost of heating water for your home:
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Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees, or 140 degrees if you use an automatic
dishwasher. (Refer to your owner's manual for the exact setting.)
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Install a timer on your water heater to keep it from coming on during higher-cost, on-peak hours.
(Note: The average hot water usage per person per day is 20 gallons.)
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If you have an older water heater, wrap an insulation blanket around it and insulate exposed hot
water pipes as well. (Be sure to check your manufacturer's recommendations.) Insulation blankets
and pipe wrap or sleeves can be purchased at your local hardware store for less than $20.
Did you know that 15 minutes of presoaking and five minutes of agitation will get your clothes
cleaner than 15 minutes of energy-using agitation? Use your washer and dryer during lower cost,
off-peak hours, and don't overload or underload either machine. If you can't avoid on-peak hours,
wash in warm or cold water and use a clothesline. And remember, all weekend is off-peak.
Use your microwave oven in place of your electric range top and standard oven during higher-cost,
on-peak hours. The microwave is a low user of electricity and doesn't add heat to your kitchen.
Outdoor cooking is a good summertime alternative -- it's fun and uses no electricity. Remember,
Saturdays and Sundays are off-peak all year long.
Some tips to reduce your energy usage include:
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Wash dishes during lower-cost, off-peak hours. And when possible, air-dry dishes instead of
using your machine's drying cycle.
- Run the dishwasher during off-peak hours.
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Avoid using appliances such as clothes washers, dryers and dishwashers during the hottest times
of the day when the heat and moisture they emit increases the burden on your air conditioner.
During the summer, avoid using a freezer outside your home or in your garage. High temperatures
make your freezer use much more energy, which adds to your electricity bills.
Use ceiling or portable fans to circulate the air in your home instead of lowering the air conditioner
thermostat. Even a slowly revolving fan can make you more comfortable, at a very low energy cost.
Keeping the air moving is the key to greater comfort in hot weather. And dress cool. Loose-fitting clothes,
open collars and open-weave material help your body heat escape.
Get in the habit of using your vacuum, iron, kitchen appliances and so on during off-peak hours.
Individually, these items don't use much electricity. But all together, when used strictly during lower-cost,
off-peak hours, they can result in considerable savings.
When possible, do household repairs and remodeling projects during weekends when the hours are
off-peak. Using electric tools such as drills, saws and gardening equipment during these off-peak
hours helps reduce your energy costs, especially if you plan to use them for long periods of time.
Use fluorescent lighting instead of incandescent lighting in the most frequented areas of your home.
Fluorescent is four times more energy-efficient and it's cooler. Plus, the tubes last seven to 20 times
longer than incandescent bulbs.
As with the appliances already mentioned, use common sense. When you don't need them, turn them off.
If you have an "instant-on" TV, part of that TV is actually on all the time. To reduce its electric usage,
plug it into a socket that is controlled by a light switch and use the switch to turn your set on and off.