Did you find "Time-of-use" metering helpful?

October 25, 2010 1:38 PM

Looking for anecdotal data: when you switched to a time-of-use electrical meter for your residence, what happened to your bills in the first year, and what changes did you make that seemed to have the largest impact?

Long story shortened: getting an EV in December, and my pre-EV electrical usage has been hitting LADWP "tier 2" rates, so I'm debating whether I should put my entire house on time-of-use metering, or just the EV.

If you've put your entire residence on time-of-use, what was the impact on your electrical bills short and long term, and what changes did you make to successfully minimize your peak usage (beyond the obvious "don't do your laundry or dishes during peak time)?

posted by davejay to Work & Money (1 answer total)

I'm very particular about energy use, would calculate the electricity use through the house, total and time of day for each applicance, and then compare this with the plans.

My household has gone from a high of 7.7 kw/day two years ago, to a current average of 2.3 kw/day for the last several months.

The electrical vehicle (EV) time of use (TOU) plan looks like it's designed to reduce the rate based on the time of day and your overall EV use, so I would probably go with that, and at the same time look to reduce the overall electricity use.
posted by johnlvs2run at 9:04 AM on November 26, 2010