Are you cash-strapped and looking for ways to save money? Most of us are, and Jackson EMC offers a solution for saving bucks on your monthly power bill.

Our Time-of-Use rate lowers bills for members who limit the bulk of their electricity usage to off-peak periods. Simply by controlling when you use electricity, you save money. It’s that easy.

Reducing the amount of energy required to meet the summer peak demand helps us control the high cost of producing electricity. Time-of-Use rates pass those savings on to you. Members who use less electricity on summer afternoons and early evenings can save up to 25 percent on a year’s worth of power bills.

Gwinnett County resident Fran Stewart has been on the special rates for almost 10 years. “I love the Time-of-Use program,” she says. “I was spending a lot of money on electricity before I discovered Time-of-Use. Now I decide what I want to spend and set my thermostat accordingly, and when I compare my bill with a neighboring family the same size as mine, I come out ahead every time.”

For members who sign up for Time-of-Use rates, Jackson EMC installs a meter that logs all energy used during peak and off-peak periods. There’s no need to forego all electricity usage during the peak periods. Just steer clear of the big power guzzlers like air conditioners and electric water heaters.

“It just makes sense for people to do it,” says Stewart. “It forces me to think about my electricity usage. Anything that can get people to cut down on their energy usage makes sense for the environment, also, and makes me feel as if I’m doing something good for the world I live in."

At peak periods – from 3 to 8 p.m. on weekdays between June 1 and September 15 – cost of electricity per kilowatt hour will be 32.99 cents. This is the time period during which you agree to reduce your electric use.

During off-peak periods, the cost for power substantially drops for Time-of-Use members. During summer mornings, early afternoons and nights – and 24/7 the rest of the year – members on Time-of-Use rates pay only 5.89 cents per kilowatt hour. That’s less than the normal residential rate of 7.90- 8.32 cents per kilowatt hour.

If you’d like to save money while conserving energy, our Time-of-Use rates may be for you. To participate this summer, sign up by May 1; members who sign up after May 1 will begin Time-of-Use rates next summer. We recommend you remain on the rate for at least one year to receive the maximum benefit of Time-of-Use.

For more information, contact your Jackson EMC district office.