Conservation is not just about using less.  When it comes to home electricity use, conservation is also a matter of timing. 

     Here’s what I mean: 

     Utilities must be able to meet consumers’ demand for electricity whenever they need it.  But consumer demand is greater at some times of the day than at others.  In the winter, peak demand is typically from 6-9 am and from 4-7 pm.  These are the times when people are taking showers, preparing breakfast and completing chores, and then cooking dinner and doing evening chores.   Summer peak demand is from 3-7 pm.  This is when the day is hottest, and air conditioning is running. 

     Utilities build power plants to meet peak demand, even though most of every day, power plants are not generating electricity to capacity.  If consumers’ peak demand were lower, then the perceived need to construct new power plants would be reduced.  And we must stop building new coal plants if we are to have a chance to stop global warming before it is too late.  One relatively simple way to lower peak demand is to spread our demand for electricity more evenly throughout the day, before and after the hours of peak demand.

     Fortunately, many utilities are encouraging their residential customers to shift some of their electricity use to non-peak hours.  For example, running the washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher before or after peak demand time will spread out demand.  And appliances like these, that generate heat, require significantly more electricity to operate than equipment that does not generate heat.

     Taking showers and, where possible, preparing meals during non-peak hours will also help spread out demand.

     And, of course, avoiding waste at all times of the day will help reduce overall demand.  Turn off all lights that are not needed, and unplug small appliances, like the cell phone charger, when they are not in use.  Using the switch on a power strip to turn appliances on and off is also a good idea, since a small amount of current continues to run whenever appliances are plugged in, even when not in use.

     If your utility seeks your help by asking if you are interested in being contacted when the system is experiencing overload, say yes.  Some utilities notify interested customers of an overload situation, so that people can make a point of shifting some of their electricity use to off-peak hours.  It all adds up!–April Moore   

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm and is filed under Act now to save our beloved Earth!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.