Smart Water Heater Usage
Electric water heaters can be one of the largest electrical loads in a house. To reduce your monthly electric bill, consider running the dishwasher, washing clothes and taking your daily shower before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m.
Time of Use
Schedule Your Charging
To lower your monthly electric bill, consider programming your electric vehicle (EV) charger to operate during off-peak or super off-peak hours, rather than during peak hours from 4-7 p.m. CT. Rates are significantly lower during these times. Most EVs and chargers allow you to schedule charging through an app or the vehicle's interface. Since Level 2 EV chargers can use 10 kWh or more per hour, aligning your charging times with these lower rate periods can help you save on energy costs while ensuring your vehicle is fully charged when needed.
Run During Off-Peak
Run or schedule your electric washing machine or clothes dryer outside the peak hours of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT. Wash full loads of laundry whenever possible and switch your temperature setting from hot to warm to cut energy use in half for a single load. Using the cold cycle can reduce energy use even more. About 90% of the energy consumed for washing clothes is used to heat the water.
Use the Delay Feature
Start or program your dishwasher to run and finish before 4 p.m. or start after 7:00 p.m. If possible, choose an air-dry cycle that uses unheated air to dry your dishes. Operating costs on-peak could be $0.67 per hour compared to $0.07 or lower.