What is “Shaving the Peak”? Summer heat waves bring a massive surge in electricity demand, hitting a critical “peak” between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM when everyone’s cooling systems are working their hardest. “Shaving the peak” simply means working as a community to consciously shift our heaviest energy use away from this five-hour window.
How Does it Impact Our Rates All Year? The cost of electricity for the entire town is heavily influenced by how much power we consume during these peak summer hours. To ensure the grid has enough power available during the hottest days, the regional grid assesses costly “capacity charges” based entirely on the energy used during the single highest peak demand hour of the year. These capacity charges are expensive and can account for a significant portion of our electric bills, even in seasons other than summer.
In Middleborough, all power costs are recovered in our bills through the Middleborough Gas and Electric Department’s Purchase Power Adjustment (PPA) charge. During extreme peak hours, wholesale electricity can cost nearly ten times the normal price compared to a non-peak hour earlier that same day. When those peak costs skyrocket, the PPA inevitably has to be raised for all customers to cover the expense. By taking small steps to reduce the strain on the grid when demand is highest, we lower those capacity costs, keep the PPA charge down, and secure lower utility bills for the Middleborough community year-round.
How Can We Lower Our Usage? Here are simple, effective ways to stay comfortable and reduce your energy consumption:
- Shift Your Schedule: Pre-cool your home earlier in the afternoon, and then bump your thermostat up a few degrees right at 4:00 PM. Delay running high-energy appliances like dishwashers, clothes dryers, and pool pumps until after 9:00 PM.
- Block the Sun: Close your curtains or blinds on south- and west-facing windows during the day, or apply reflective window film to bounce solar heat away from your house.
- Maximize Airflow: Open windows on opposite sides of your home at night to create a cross breeze. During the day, use ceiling fans set to spin counterclockwise to create a wind-chill effect, but remember to turn them off when you leave an empty room.
- Manage Humidity: Because high humidity makes the air feel much hotter, running a dehumidifier set to 40% or 50% alongside a fan helps you feel cooler without needing to constantly run the AC.
- Cook and Clean Smarter: Give your AC a break by avoiding the oven, which traps heat in your kitchen for hours. Opt for outdoor grilling, slow cookers, or cold meals instead. Try air-drying your laundry, which on top of shaving the peak, keeps extra heat and moisture out of your home and can save you up to $150 annually.
- Weatherize Your Home: Extreme attic heat can easily bleed into your living spaces, so adding insulation is just as important in the summer as it is in the winter.
To learn more about saving money on your energy bills, please contact Weatherization Navigator Hayden Kane at 774-419-5250 or via email at navigator@sustainablemiddleborough.org
