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Small General Service (SGS)

Demand Time-of-Use

Can your small business avoid using a lot of power during time periods when people typically use energy the most? If so, our Small General Service Demand Time-of-Use pricing plan might be right for you.

How does SGS Demand Time-of-Use work?

This plan combines lower usage-based rates for most of the day with higher usage rates during on-peak hours. It also includes a monthly "demand" charge based on your business' highest hourly usage during on-peak hours. So, if you can spread out your use of large electric appliances and equipment during lower-cost, off-peak hours, this plan gives you the power to reduce your monthly bill.

Under this plan, you could maximize your savings by avoiding the simultaneous use of your business' air conditioning, lighting, computers, copiers, printers and other equipment during higher-cost, on-peak hours: 2-8 p.m. during the summer (May-October) and 5-9 a.m. and 5-9 p.m. during the winter (November-April).

With SGS Demand Time-of-Use, timing is everything. The more you can level out and shift energy use away from peak hours, the better off you’ll be. Your savings will vary based on your business' usage patterns.

What are the potential advantages of this plan?

By adding a demand rate to the traditional time-of-use pricing structure, our SGS Demand Time-of-Use plan offers more savings opportunities for businesses that make smart choices about when and how they use energy.

UES’ service costs are driven by the need to satisfy customers’ highest demand, even if it only occurs once each month. When that maximum usage level goes down, so does the cost of providing all of our customers with safe, reliable service.

Our SGS Demand Time-of-Use plan is designed to reward customers who do their part to reduce the peak demand on the electric grid during peak usage periods. Reducing the peak energy demand promotes more efficient use of our energy resources and can help limit future rate increases.

What are the potential disadvantages of this plan?

If your business uses a lot of power during on-peak hours, your energy costs could increase under our SGS Demand Time-of-Use plan. That’s particularly true if your on-peak hourly usage reaches a high level even once per billing cycle. The higher Demand Charge that results from such usage reflects the cost of resources and facilities UES must build and maintain to satisfy even occasional needs during peak usage periods.

Also, be aware that customers who leave this plan cannot return to SGS Demand Time-of-Use for at least 12 months.

How can I shift my electric usage to off-peak time periods?

  • Operate air conditioning, lighting, computers, copiers, printers and other large appliances and equipment during off-peak hours.
  • Adjust your business' thermostat to reduce heating and cooling during on-peak hours or when you are not at your business.
  • Install timers on electric water heaters and recirculation pumps so they operate mainly during off-peak hours.
  • Turn off all but essential lights during on-peak hours.
  • Perform electricity-consuming tasks during the off-peak hours.

TIME-OF-USE HOURS

SUMMER: May-October

  midnight - 2 p.m. 2 - 8 p.m. 8 p.m. - midnight
MONDAY-FRIDAY OFF-PEAK ON-PEAK OFF-PEAK
 
WEEKENDS & MAJOR HOLIDAYS OFF-PEAK

Major holidays include Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4), and Labor Day. If Independence Day falls on Saturday, the weekend schedule applies on the preceding Friday, July 3. If Independence Day falls on Sunday, the weekend schedule applies on the following Monday, July 5. All weekends are off-peak.

WINTER: November-April

  midnight - 5 a.m. 5 - 9 a.m. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 5 - 9 p.m. 9 p.m. - midnight
MONDAY-FRIDAY OFF-PEAK ON-PEAK OFF-PEAK ON-PEAK  
 
WEEKENDS & MAJOR HOLIDAYS OFF-PEAK

Major holidays include Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. If Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on Saturdays, the weekend schedule applies on the preceding Fridays, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. If Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on Sundays, the weekend schedule applies on the following Mondays, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. All weekends are off-peak.


¹ Includes Energy and Base Power charges but excludes the Purchased Power and Fuel Adjustment Clause charge, which changes monthly.

² The maximum one-hour measured demand during the on-peak hours of a billing period. In the summer (May-October), the on-peak period is 2-8 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding Memorial Day, Independence Day and Memorial Day). In the winter (November-April), on-peak periods are 5-9 a.m. and 5-9 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All weekends are off-peak.

Sign Up

To choose this plan, call us at
1-877-837-4968.

At a Glance

Basic Service Charge:
$20 per month

Energy Charge, per kWh1:
Summer (May-Oct)
On-peak - 12.28 cents/kWh
Off-peak - 5.86 cents/kWh

Winter (Nov-Apr)
On-peak - 12.18 cents/kWh
Off-peak - 5.30 cents/kWh

Demand Charge, per kw2:
Up to 7 kW - $8.25
More than 7kW - $11.00

On-peak hours:
Summer: M-F 2-8 p.m.
Winter: M-F 5-9 a.m. and 5-9 p.m.
Excludes all major holidays

Plan Includes:

  • A Basic Service Charge that covers some fixed-service costs such as metering, service lines, customer service and billing functions and some distribution system expenses.
  • A usage-based Energy Charge for on-peak and off-peak hours.
  • A Demand Charge that reflects the cost of satisfying peak energy needs.
  • A requirement that customers who leave this plan cannot return to SGS Demand Time-of-Use for at least 12 months.

Other Options

We offer multiple pricing plans for Small General Service customers:

► SGS Basic

► SGS Time-of-Use (TOU)

► SGS Peak Demand