How exactly do utility bills work? (Demand, peak, etc) (Phoenix: appliances, houses)

[jessrscott]

I'm relocating to the Phoenix area (Goodyear) this summer and have been stalking these boards relentlessly. In reading around, I've seen a lot of people mention things about their utility bills varying based on demand time usage, peak usage, etc. What exactly does this mean? I had a friend who used to live in Phoenix tell me to always do your laundry and run your dishwasher after sundown because it will help keep your utility bills lower, but what are some other things to consider? I am one of those people who LOVES to take a bath (I would every night if I could find the time, but try to at least a couple of times a week)... is that going to make my utility bill out of control in the summer?

I have family who lives in El Paso, so I'm familiar with the idea of scheduled water usage (you get a note at the beginning of the month telling you the time window in which you are allowed heavy water usage such as watering your yard, doing laundry, running the dishwasher, etc), but from what I've read I'm getting the idea that this isn't quite the same thing...

[ji603]

water isn't billed that way out here - if it comes through the meter, you get billed water delivery + sewer. If you use a WHOLE lot, it might trigger the next tier pricing, but most households don't reach that threshold. If you want to fill a pool, some people get quotes from water delivery companies, because the (sewer) half of the city's bill for thousands of gallons (when no water actually went down the sewer) bumps the bill.


Electric is the biggie. You can pay a set price per KW (say $.11), which varies depending on the time of year. Utilities charge based on winter, normal, peak, summer peak - just based on which part of the year and their demand across the grid.


If you can, you can sign up for a time of use plan. This means that instead of my example of .11 a KWhr, you'd pay $.04/kwhr for any usage before 7 am and after 5 pm. * but you might pay $.20/kwhr for usage during the day. Since the biggest draw is a central AC compressor, if you can shift all of your usage to after 5, you might save money on this. If you can't, and you need to run AC or clothes dryer during the day, you'll be using electricity at double the cost.

[ReadyFreddy]

Do you know yet if you'll be using SRP or APS for electric? If so, go to their web sites or call them and read up on the options. You don't have to sign up for a 'time of use' plan. If you use a lot of electricity (you have a pool or a larger house, usually), the time of use plan will usually save you money. The electric co. can tell you which plan is best for you.

Under SRP, the summer high rate hours are 1-8PM, M-F. Electricity costs like 4x as much then as off peak hours. So you want to run your pool pump, etc. in off peak hours, and set your A/C higher during on peak. (Higher temp that is). Winter high rates are from 5-9PM and 5-9AM M-F.

I don't think most people worry about the costs of baths. The biggies here are A/C and lawn water.

We don't have any scheduled water usage, as far as I know. And running your appliances after dark won't affect your bill at all, unless you're on a time of use plan and you wait til the low rate hours. Running the d/w and oven after the house cools might make your A/C run a little less, I guess. But the houses here don't cool down much at night in summer. It's hot around the clock.

[LBTRS]

Taking a bath will have no affect on your utility bill if you have a gas water heater which I think most do in Goodyear. Water and gas are not on time of use, only electricity.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by ReadyFreddy

Under SRP, the summer high rate hours are 1-8PM, M-F. Electricity costs like 4x as much then as off peak hours. So you want to run your pool pump, etc. in off peak hours, and set your A/C higher during on peak. (Higher temp that is). Winter high rates are from 5-9PM and 5-9AM M-F.

Goodyear is APS and the peak times for me are 12pm to 7pm Monday through Friday.

[jessrscott]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Goodyear is APS and the peak times for me are 12pm to 7pm Monday through Friday.

So basically, using utilities during these hours will cost more than using them during non-peak hours?

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by jessrscott

So basically, using utilities during these hours will cost more than using them during non-peak hours?

Correct. It could be as much as 4 times more than non-peak hours, depending upon the season and the plan you're on.

You don't have to choose one of those plans. It tends to work best for people out of the home most weekdays (ie at work), but who are home nights & weekends, when the rate is much cheaper.

[bgray9]

Originally Posted by ReadyFreddy

Do you know yet if you'll be using SRP or APS for electric? If so, go to their web sites or call them and read up on the options. You don't have to sign up for a 'time of use' plan. If you use a lot of electricity (you have a pool or a larger house, usually), the time of use plan will usually save you money. The electric co. can tell you which plan is best for you.

Under SRP, the summer high rate hours are 1-8PM, M-F. Electricity costs like 4x as much then as off peak hours. So you want to run your pool pump, etc. in off peak hours, and set your A/C higher during on peak. (Higher temp that is). Winter high rates are from 5-9PM and 5-9AM M-F.

I don't think most people worry about the costs of baths. The biggies here are A/C and lawn water.

We don't have any scheduled water usage, as far as I know. And running your appliances after dark won't affect your bill at all, unless you're on a time of use plan and you wait til the low rate hours. Running the d/w and oven after the house cools might make your A/C run a little less, I guess. But the houses here don't cool down much at night in summer. It's hot around the clock.

SRP has a second time-of-use residential rate, the EZ-3, which is what we're on. The on-peak hours are 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. all year.

Time of use rates are more popular in Arizona than anywhere else in the country, as if someone can avoid using much electricity during the on-peak hours (which vary depending on the rate you end up on), you can reduce your monthly bill compared to what you'd pay on the regular residential rate. But, if you end up using a lot of electricity on-peak, your bill could end up being higher than under the regular residential rate.

If you do a time-of-use rate, a programmable thermostatic is very helpful to manage when your A/C runs or not, which is by far your biggest cost of electricity in the summer in Arizona.

I've been on time-of-use rates for quite a few years and like it, but it's not for everyone.

[jessrscott]

So if I am going to be working primarily out of a home office, I probably would not want to do one of the peak/non-peak plans, correct?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by jessrscott

So if I am going to be working primarily out of a home office, I probably would not want to do one of the peak/non-peak plans, correct?

Probably not. Something else you might want to consider is the managed payment plan available from either one, you pay the same every month, which avoids the sticker shock of summer bills-- you build up extra $$ in your account in the winter and milder months that makes up the difference in the summer bills.