Program Overview:

The Direct Load Control program is a peak event program, designed to help you automatically lower your electricity bill and conserve energy. During the summer months, on the hottest days when many air conditioning units are running at the same time, demand for electricity peaks the system load.

As a participant in the DLC program you can help control the load. Your registered thermostat will receive a signal to enter an energy savings event or "peak event." During these events the target temperature on your thermostat will be raised no more than four degrees or your air conditioner compressor may be cycled on and off in varying increments. Your unit’s fan will continue to circulate cool air in your home, keeping you comfortable during the event. How much the temperature increases depends on several factors, including the outdoor temperature, your home’s insulation, your air conditioner’s efficiency, and the length of the event. Your air conditioner settings will return to normal when the peak event ends.

This type of event is called a non-emergency event and can be called up to 16 times, only on weekdays between the hours of 2pm – 7pm from June through October.

Customers who participate in these non-emergency events will earn event bill credits of $2.50 per event, up to $40 per year.

If needed, you can opt out of any non-emergency peak event through your thermostat itself, smartphone, tablet or computer. Opting out of a peak event will forfeit your event bill credit for that day. In the event of a system emergency, when the demand for electricity is too high, PSO may also call upon customers to participate in an emergency load-management event to prevent power brownouts or blackouts. These emergency load-management events do not count toward the total number of non-emergency/peak events as defined earlier and are not eligible for bill credits.

Program Overview:

The TOD program is a two-tier rate plan that rewards participants for using electricity wisely each year from June – October. Participants will pay a lower rate for electricity used during off-peak hours (7 p.m. - 2 p.m. weekdays and all day on weekends) and higher rates during on-peak hours (2 p.m. - 7 p.m. weekdays).

By enrolling in the TOD program, you can save money simply by shifting your electricity usage to times of day when the rates are lower, such as doing laundry after 7 p.m. or running the dishwasher in the morning.
It’s so easy! The savings are in your hands!

Program Overview:

Combine the benefits of both the Time of Day and Direct Load Control programs, and enjoy lower rates during off-peak times and bill credits during peak events (June – Oct).

Program Overview:

The VPP program is a three-tier rate plan in which participants will pay a lower rate for electricity used during off-peak hours (when demand for electricity is less) and higher rates for electricity used during on-peak hours (when demand for electricity is high).

Participants can save on their electric bills by shifting their energy usage from on-peak hours during the summer months, to low- or medium-cost hours (low-cost hours: 11 p.m.-10 a.m., medium-cost hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 7 p.m.-11 p.m., high-cost hours: 2 p.m.-7 p.m. M-F).

• Weekends and holidays are billed on low-cost hour prices.
• During the peak season (June – October) when demand for electricity is high, PSO can call up to 16 critical peak events when their price for electricity will be 65 cents per kwH during the peak hours of 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Customers are notified via email by 4pm the previous evening prior to a critical peak event. This will give customers the opportunity to make any necessary adjustments to decrease their electric usage during the 2pm – 7pm timeframe.
• This optional rate plan also has a one-year “hold harmless” clause, which means that if a customer pays more than what they would have paid on the standard residential rate, PSO will reimburse the customer the difference after one year. In order to participate in a Power Hours program, you must be a PSO customer and have an AMI meter. It is not required to have a Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostat to participate in the VPP program.