What are Time of Use electric rates?

KUB's advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) techonology provides KUB and its customers with a better understanding of individual energy use patterns. One benefit of this data is the ability to offer customers Time of Use (TOU) rates, a rate structure commonly used nationwide.

The energy we use does not cost the same to generate at all times of the day. When demand is high, the cost of energy is higher. This is because more costly and often, less efficient sources are used to generate enough electricity to meet demand. Time of Use electric rates reflect this difference. On-peak is when the rates are the highest, and off-peak when they are the lowest. Eighty-three percent of time is categorized as off-peak.

Why does KUB offer Time of Use rates?

KUB offers Time of Use rates as a way to provide customers with more options and control over their utility costs and as a way reduce strain on the electric grid during times of high demand.

How do Time of Use rates lower environmental impact?

Time of Use rates incentivize electric customers to use energy during times of lower demand. When enough community members shift their energy usage away from periods of overall high demand, it means that less carbon-emitting sources have to be used.

How do I know if I would benefit from Time of Use rates? 

If you are a residential, GSA1, or GSA2 electric customer with an online account, use the button below to get a monthly cost estimation for your usage. 

Time of Use Estimator

If you do not have an online account, use the button below to request a monthly cost estimation for your usage.

Request Time of Use Estimate

What are the rates/times?

Time of Use Rates

KUB's off-peak rate is approximately one-third of the on-peak rate.

On-Peak Times

  • Summer (April-Oct.): 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday
  • Winter (Nov.-March): 5 a.m.-11 a.m. Monday-Friday

Off-Peak Times

  • All hours not listed as on-peak above Monday-Friday
  • Weekends
  • New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, & Christmas Day

How do Time of Use rates compare to my current electric rate? 

Current Time of Use rates for residential customers can be found here. Current Time of Use rates for commercial customers can be found here.

How can someone save on their bill under these rates?

For people who naturally use more energy at off-peak times, they will not have to change any behaviors in order to save. For others, they will need to make deliberate choices to shift their electric-consuming activities to the off-peak time frame.

For example, to run your average clothes dryer that uses 3,000 watts for one hour costs approximately $0.60 during on-peak time or $0.20 during off-peak time. This means if you dried one load of laundry for one hour each week, you would save $20.80 per year. (Also reflected in the chart below.)

On-peak

Off-peak

$0.60/week

$0.20/week

$2.40/month

$.80/month

$28.80/year

$9.60/year

If you do multiple loads of laundry each week, this could add up to significant savings. (Check out this laundry usage calculator for efficiency). It's important to remember that this is only taking into consideration the laundry portion of energy use. Since the largest portion of a customer’s energy consumption is heating and cooling their home, modifying behavior here will have the biggest impact.

The key with TOU rates is in when you chose to do tasks that consume significant portions of energy. An easy change could be to save all laundry, or other energy-consuming chores, for the weekends, which are always off-peak pricing. Another change could be adjusting the thermostat based on the season so you consume less energy (up in the summer and down in the winter). Customers may choose to pre-heat or cool their home during the off-peak time frame, and dial their thermostat back during on-peak.

How does someone know their daily usage?

One way to see this is to log in to your KUB account via the website or the mobile app and view your usage information. You can see usage broken down in hourly increments and will see peaks in the bar graphs when usage is the highest. Think back to your activities at that time and consider if there are things you can do at an off-peak time.

If you are not sure how to access your usage information, call KUB at 865-524-2911 to talk with a Customer Service Representative who can assist you.

Who would benefit from TOU rates?

Customers who already have behavior patterns where they are using most of their energy during off-peak time frames could benefit from Time of Use rates. Use KUB's Time of Use estimator tool to see if you could save with the Time of Use rate without changing your current energy use behavior.

For example, residential customers who could benefit from Time of Use rates may include: 

  • Customers with at-home electric vehicle charging stations with a timer to charge only during off-peak hours
  • Customers with smart thermostat devices in their home. These can be programmed to increase or decrease the thermostat setting coinciding with the on and off-peak time frames.
  • Customers with solar arrays that can provide energy during daytime on-peak hours and/or can store energy for nighttime on-peak hours.

Customers may also benefit from Time of Use rates when they make adjustments to when they use energy to take advantage of the lower energy rate during off-peak hours.

Tips to save under Time of Use rates for commercial customers: 

  • Familiarize staff members with on-peak and off-peak hours.
  • Encourage printing in off-peak hours. Turn off printers and copiers when not in use, especially during on-peak hours.
  • Encourage employees to turn off computers and monitors when they are not in use.
  • Allow elevators to shut down slowly, meaning they idle long enough so the power consumption is equal to or just less than power consumed in starting the motor/generator. 
  • Pre-cool work areas during off-peak hours and if possible, utilize smart thermostat programming to schedule primary use during off-peak hours.

Tips to save under Time of Use rates for residential customers: 

  • HVAC systems account for the approximately 75% of monthly energy use. Adjust heating and cooling to be used primarily during off-peak hours, and utilize smart thermostat scheduling when possible.
  • Use other high-energy consuming appliances like dish washers, clothing washers, and clothing dryers during off-peak hours.
  • If you have an electric vehicle, charge it during off-peak hours. 
  • If you have a solar array, allow it to provide energy during on-peak hours and/or store energy for on-peak hours.

How do I sign up for Time of Use Rates?

If you think you could benefit from participating KUB’s Time of Use Pilot Program, call 865-588-4177 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to speak to a Customer Service Representative.

If I sign up, can I decide to return to my previous rates structure?

Yes. If you enroll in KUB’s Time of Use Pilot Program, you may unroll one time per year. You will not be able to re-enroll in the program for 12 months after your unenrollment date.

Are there any other ways I can save energy and/or money on my bill? 

Yes, there are various changes you can make in your home that could save energy and money. Click here for a list of tips.