“I moved here from Wisconsin, where I participated in a Time-of-Use rate option with my electric provider, and was glad to see that my new electric co-op offered one too. I knew, with a little planning, it could make a difference in my electric bill. I had an Ecobee smart thermostat in Wisconsin that really helped me maximize savings on the rate plan, so I bought one as soon as I signed up for Time-of-Use with BEMC.

“In the summer, the key for me is to program the thermostat to raise the temperature by a few degrees, during the week, from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. It’s just me and my dogs, so there’s really little inconvenience. And if I’m away from the house other times, I’ll raise it when I leave, then lower it before I get back. For example, when I go out of town in the summer, I’ll set my thermostat to 80, then when I’m a few hours away from home, I’ll use my phone to turn it down to 74. When I walk in the door it’s comfortable.

“To make the rate plan work I also do my laundry, and a lot of my cooking, and running the dishwasher, after 10 p.m. The rate after 10 p.m. is so much lower than the regular rate that it just makes sense. With Time-of-Use, I’m saving money, doing the right thing for the environment, and helping us all lower wholesale power costs. It takes a little thinking ahead at first, but then it just becomes habit.” —Earl Smith