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What to do during a peak demand event
Rate Flex D encourages you to reduce your electricity use during peak demand events or shift it to another time of day. With this rate, adopting better consumption habits can pay off handsomely!
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Turning down the heat
Potential savings: very high $$$$$
This is the one thing that will impact your savings the most.
Heating can account for up to 80% of your electricity use on cold days. When you turn down the thermostat, your heating system turns off. And the lower you go, the more you save.
Better yet, replace your thermostats with smart models: this will let you control your heating settings from an Internet-connected device, even when you’re not at home!
Things you can do
Don’t be too hasty! If you turn down the heat before the event, or on the previous day, your heating system will just start up again before or during the event. This means you’ll save little to no money. Even if the thermostat is set to a lower temperature, the system is still operating!
Understanding how lowering the temperature setting affects electricity use
If you reset the thermostats to their usual temperature setting as soon as the peak demand event ends, you’ll be able to lower the temperature again if a second event occurs later in the day. That way, you’ll maximize your savings while maintaining a certain level of comfort when you arrive home.
If you lower just one or only a few thermostats, the other heaters are liable to compensate for the drop in heat, which may cancel out your efforts to use less electricity.
Wait for the event to begin. This will save you from having to lower the set temperature by a few extra degrees to prevent your heaters from running during the event.
On the other hand, if there’s no peak demand event, just carry on as usual. Lowering the temperature by a few degrees at certain times is a good energy efficiency practice.
Warning: If your heating system has trouble maintaining a normal room temperature (20°C to 21°C) in cold weather, this tip is not recommended for you. Keep in mind that the amount of time it takes to get back to the regular temperature after turning down the thermostat depends on how powerful your heating system is.
Put off using hot water until after the peak.
Potential savings: average $$$$$
Water heating is a home’s second biggest use of electricity. Whenever possible, shift your consumption to after a peak demand event to maximize your savings.
Things you can do
The water heater is a tank that fills with cold water as the hot water is used up. If you take a shower or a bath the day before a peak demand event or after the event, you will postpone the energy consumption required to heat the water in the tank. During the event, the water heater will run off and on just to maintain the temperature setting.
A water heater can take up to two hours to heat a full tank. If you take a shower or a bath after 8 p.m., the energy required to heat the water will be consumed after the event.
These tasks should be carried out with cold water to limit hot water consumption during peak demand events. If you limit your consumption, the water heater will only need to maintain the heat during the event.
Small changes that make a difference
Every step, whether big or small, you take to use less electricity during a peak demand event will lower your electricity bill.
Appliances and other devices
Potential savings: low $$$$$
Reduce or postpone the use of nonessential appliances like the clothes dryer.
Turn off or temporarily unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment and electronics (cooking appliances, outdoor lighting, computers, etc.).
Electric vehicle
Potential savings: average $$$$$
Avoid charging your EV during peak events.
Some vehicles can be programmed to charge at a specific time, just as some charging stations can be programmed to charge during a specific period. In the winter, whenever possible, consider using these features to charge your vehicle outside of peak demand events.
Air exchanger
Potential savings: low $$$$$
Be sure your air exchanger isn’t in exchange mode during peak demand events.
Stopping the air exchange for a short time usually has little effect on indoor air quality.
Spa
Potential savings: average $$$$$
If you use your hot tub in winter, turn down the water temperature setting during peak demand events. See the manufacturer’s instructions to find out how low you can set it.
Greater comfort
Use a fuel-burning auxiliary heating system.
You can use your fuel-burning (oil, propane, natural gas or wood pellets) auxiliary heating system during peak demand events to stay comfortable while using less electricity.
Preheat your home ahead of a peak demand event.
About two hours before a peak demand event, turn up all your thermostats by 1°C to 3°C. Then, when the event starts, set the temperature a few degrees lower than usual. This will maximize your savings while keeping you at a reasonable level of comfort.
FAQs
Although they aren’t necessary, smart thermostats make it easier to control heating during peak demand events.
Some models have an early start feature allowing you to specify the time at which you would like your space to have reached the desired temperature as opposed to the time at which the temperature must begin to rise. As a result, your heating system will have shut off before the peak demand event starts.
Your heating system stops. The lower you set the temperature, the longer the heating will stay off and the more you’ll save.
Lowering the temperature setting can decrease your comfort slightly. If so, you can preheat your home a few hours before the event. Your savings will be lower, but the temperature will be more comfortable.
Understanding how lowering the temperature setting affects electricity use
Yes, but you may sacrifice a certain amount of comfort outside of peak demand events, when electricity is billed at a lower rate.
If you are a Rate Flex D customer, you can program your thermostats to lower the temperature in different rooms (a garage or an empty room, for example) during these periods. This can make things simpler during peak demand events, since you won’t have to manually adjust the set temperatures of your thermostats.
Some thermostat models allow you to program different schedules or periods, such as for peak demand events in the morning, evening, or both. If your thermostats do not support this type of function or if you are unfamiliar with it, then you’ll have to adjust your thermostats manually at the start and end of each event.
The water heater is a tank that fills with cold water as the hot water is used up. As a result, your water heater elements have to work harder to heat the water. Since your water heater uses more energy to heat water in the tank than it does to maintain the temperature, you should delay your hot water consumption after the event in order to maximize your savings.
It is recommended that you keep the temperature of your water heater at 60°C (140°F) to reduce the risk of contracting legionellosis, a disease caused by bacteria that can be present in water heaters. For more information, visit the page on Legionellosis on Québec.ca.
Peak demand event
A time period during which Hydro‑Québec has determined that electricity demand will be very high. There may be 25 to 33 events per winter, at most, for a maximum of 100 hours in all.