Summer is high bill season for many TEP customers, making it a good time to review your pricing plan options to make sure you’re on the right one for your energy usage habits.
Tucson Electric Power offers four different residential pricing plans – Basic, Time-of-Use (TOU), Peak Demand and Demand TOU – as well as special plans for customers with electric vehicles (EVs). All except for the Basic plan offer lower rates outside of on-peak hours when the demand for power is the highest.
Summer on-peak hours are from 3-7 p.m. May through September. In October through April, winter on-peak hours are in effect from 6-9 a.m. and 6-9 p.m. Customers on the TOU, Peak Demand and Demand TOU plans who avoid energy usage during these on-peak times may be able to reduce their monthly bills.
TEP also offers three pricing plans for owners of battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that encourage them to charge their EVs when energy demand is the lowest. Under these plans, customers pay lower rates during off peak hours and even less during the super off-peak hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.
“Being aware how you and your family use energy throughout the day and possibly changing when energy is used in the home may be necessary if you choose a Peak Demand or TOU plan,” said Denise Richerson, Director of Customer Services and Programs. Customers on these plans should try to operate the dishwasher, launder clothes and heat and cool their homes during off-peak hours.
Be aware that customers who switch to TOU plans without reducing their use of large appliances and air conditioning during on-peak hours could see their monthly bills increase. That’s why we offer easy tips to help you save energy during those periods.
One advantage of our Basic pricing plan is simplicity: you pay the same rate for power around the clock (though, as with our other residential pricing plans, rates increase at higher levels of monthly energy use). If you don’t want to avoid energy use during on-peak hours, this might be the best plan for you.
If you’re not sure which plan is best for your family based on your energy usage, try our TEP Pricing Planner. This easy-to-use online tool analyzes your past 12 months of energy use to determine which plan would have produced the lowest bills. While it can’t guarantee future savings, it’s a good way to see which plan might work best for you.
