Time of Use in California

Electricity is more expensive when more of us are using it. This is called peak time and it exists between 4 PM and 9 PM.

When we come home from work or school, we turn on the heat or AC, make a snack or dinner, and Netflix and chill. This all takes a lot of energy and when we are all doing it at the same time, we make our energy systems work extra hard and pay for it, too.

It is important to be aware of electricity Time of Use to minimize your demand during the priciest part of the day. When you use energy before 4 PM and after 9 PM, you use cleaner energy, energy from the sun during the day and wind at night.

We can proactively manage our energy use throughout the day to keep the peak charges to a minimum

Have dinner cook while you’re at work. Use your slow cooker during the day so that once you get home, you A) don’t use energy to cook during peak times and B) get to come home to a ready-made meal and a deliciously smelling home.

Charge up at night. Recharge your phones and laptops while you sleep. You’ll wake up to a fully charged device using cleaner energy.
Do chores in your sleep. Load the dishwasher after dinner, but don’t run it until you go to bed. Wash your clothes after 9 PM and throw them in the dryer before tucking in. You’ll wake up to clean dishes and dry clothes without having to sit around waiting for everything to be done.
Game/Read and Chill. Instead of watching your favorite show every night, carve out the time between dinner and 9 PM to get lost in a good book or have a family and friends game night. Just make sure the lights you’re using are efficient!

How are you reducing your energy use when you get home each day?

In our quest to make efficient, reliable energy accessible for all Californians, we believe that information is king. And knowledge is, in fact, power.