With cold weather in the forecast, Nelson Hydro would like to remind all customers to minimize electricity usage during the peak consumption hours of 5-7 pm.
Why? Reducing our electrical consumption during peak hours will ultimately save all customers money by reducing the peak demand charges from FortisBC, our wholesale power supplier.
Consider postponing high electricity usage tasks/activities from 5 - 7 pm to later in the evening or overnight. For example:
- dishwashing,
- laundry,
- bathing/showering, and
- electric vehicle charging.
What is a peak demand charge? A peak demand charge is calculated through the wholesale power purchase agreement that Nelson Hydro has with FortisBC to purchase the additional power required to supplement our generation. Peak demand charges occur when a new high or maximum demand for energy has been hit by Nelson Hydro customers. This typically occurs from 5-7 pm and 7-9 am during cold winter months. When the maximum or peak is set, the power agreement automatically calculates electricity charges at the new peak level for another 11 months. So, the less our customers use, the less money we pay to FortisBC, and the less we have to pass along those fees back to our customers.
Thank-you for your consideration in this matter.