Don't Lose Your Cool

As the weather in Texas prepares to transition from winter to summer, with possibly very little reprieve on energy usage in between them, United’s Energy Solutions Team is gearing up for the summer heat.

Rising temperatures can take a toll on electric bills and on the Texas electric grid. Due to the continuous load growth in Texas  each year, ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) experiences record-breaking electrical demand on the grid.

However, United and its members can help to lessen the stress on the grid while also lowering energy costs for the upcoming year.

Each year a portion of United’s power costs are calculated based on the co-op’s energy demand during the ERCOT peaks in June, July, August and September. In essence, if United can predict and shed load during the peak ERCOT usage period for each summer month, then such energy usage management can lead to significant savings for the following year (12 months).

“It is extremely challenging to correctly predict when the ERCOT peaks will occur during the four summer months,” said Blake Beavers, United’s senior vice president of corporate strategy & member services. “We are trying to identify the highest 15-minute usage interval for the entire month before it transpires. When the heat sets in, and we have a long stretch of days exceeding 100 degrees, a new peak could be set each day.”

United successfully predicted and shed load during the four summer peaks in 2023. Below are the dates and times of the 2023 summer peaks along with the high temperatures each day.   

United does welcome and solicit help from the membership to shed load during the ERCOT peaks, Beavers said. The more United members collectively participate in the programs, the more they ultimately assist in lowering the cooperative’s and members’ overall energy costs.  Here’s how members can help save energy dollars.

Beat the Peak

Beat the Peak is a voluntary program that alerts United members by text or email to reduce load during possible peak-demand periods. Alerts also are announced on United’s Facebook page and Twitter accounts.

Members can sign up for this program through United’s website at www. ucs.net/beat-peak-sign, and enrolled members receive alerts that give the expected peak time frame for that day. During peak periods, members are advised to turn off unnecessary lights and delay using major appliances, such as clothes dryers, ovens, stovetops and dishwashers, until the alert time has passed. Members also are encouraged to raise the thermostat a few degrees—the optimum being 78 degrees.

By performing these actions, overall usage drops. Members do not receive direct monetary compensation for participating in Beat the Peak. As a nonprofit entity, United passes energy savings on to its entire membership through lower electricity rates.

Bring Your Own Thermostat Program    

Bring Your Own Thermostat Program (BYOT) is another program developed for United’s residential members to reduce usage during peak periods.

United residential members with a qualifying Nest or Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostat can opt into United’s BYOT through United’s website. There is an enrollment link for each manufacturer. For more details on qualifying thermostats and models or enrollment, please visit www/ucs.net/thermostat-program. Members should also note some models will not be compatible and, thus, ineligible for enrollment in the program.

What to Expect

During a projected peak event, a participating member’s thermostat will automatically tune temperatures to reduce energy usage and lower grid costs.

Nest thermostats will pre-cool the home an hour ahead of time and then tweak the temperature up a few degrees from the normal set point when the event starts, reducing the runtime during the peak times. United typically utilizes participating Nest thermostats for approximately an hour and 45 minutes to two hours.  

Honeywell thermostats do not possess pre-cooling capabilities, so United schedules shorter events for Honeywell thermostats. United utilizes Honeywell thermostats for approximately an hour. Like Nest thermostats, Honeywell thermostats will raise the temperature a few degrees from the set point when the event begins, minimizing energy use during the duration of the scheduled event.

If needed, members can override the scheduled event and adjust the temperature—they retain complete control of their thermostat. Listed below are the program rules:

• There will be no more than 20 three-hour events each summer.

• Events can occur anytime between 3-6:30 p.m. on weekdays or weekends.

• There will only be one event called per day, and there will never be more than four events per week.

• The program period spans four months of summer starting June 1 and ending Sept. 30.

• Incentives

United offers incentives to members who enroll their thermostats in United’s Bring Your Own Thermostat Program. This year United is offering a $50 rebate for new purchases of Nest and Honeywell Smart Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats. A rebate application must be filled out and sent to United, along with a proof of purchase. To qualify, the member must send in the rebate application within 60 days of purchasing the thermostat.

In addition, after enrolling the thermostat in United’s BYOT, the member will receive a $15 bill credit for each of the four months they are enrolled (June, July, August and September). If the member has multiple thermostats enrolled, they will receive $15 for each thermostat enrolled. The bill credit will be applied the following month. For example, if they are enrolled for June, the member will receive the bill credit in July.

United welcomes the opportunity to help members find ways to waste less energy. For additional information on United’s Beat the Peak and Bring Your Own Thermostat Program, or to learn about any of our other energy savings programs, contact a United office today.