Managing Peak Use & Lowering Delivery Charges
In addition to lowering your commodity costs, shifting your demand patterns can also help to lower the delivery
component of your monthly electricity bill. Explained in the simplest terms, the more power you use simultaneously,
the more you pay for the delivery line item on your monthly bill.
As Figure 1 demonstrates, a household that staggers its use of power throughout the day places a relatively
lower demand on Ontario’s electricity system - in this example only 2.95 kilowatts at its peak.
However, if that same household chooses to use the majority of its appliances simultaneously, its peak use
will spike (in this example to more than 5.45 kilowatts), and its delivery charge will spike accordingly.
Generally electric clothes dryers, ovens, ranges and water heaters use significant amounts of electricity in
an hour. Consistently managing the use of these major appliances at the same time will reduce your peak
hourly use and lower your delivery charge, and thus your monthly bill.
Appliance Chart