The unfortunate need we all have living in Maricopa County is we have a need for electricity. We have two sources APS and SRP. While there are two sources, homeowners cannot use one over the other. Each service has a distinct market or geographical area they service.
According to ABC 15 News in Phoenix, the SRP Board of Directors approved a rate increase on top of an already approved increase that hasn't even started. Starting in November of 2023, residents of Maricopa County will see an increase of approximately 8% above what they are currently paying.
The increase is to cover the cost of fuel and energy needed in the Valley of the Sun.
We're seeing a significant increase in homeowners reaching out to solar companies to get quotes for panels to be added to their homes. The thought is that solar will offset and save homeowners money.
The truth is Solar Electric is not the cost savings many have thought. There are a plethora of restrictions attached to the solar panels and recently SRP reduced the buyback rate for extra electricity.
Did you know that residents with Solar are charged no matter if they need electricity or not?
Yes, SRP charges homeowners monthly just because they have solar panels. This is to offset the loss of revenue from the home not pulling electricity off the grid.
Recently, SRP lowered its buyback usage. So homeowners who are producing more energy than they need cannot get the same return from SRP. The current excess energy generated by homeowners is only being paid $0.0281 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
What can homeowners in Phoenix do to offset the additional 8% cost starting in November 2023?
The answer is simple1-hour, add a Demand Manager Computer to your electric box.
A Demand Manager is a computer system that manages the electrical uses in the home. A homeowner pays utility rates per 1/2 or 1-hour period. The rate for the entire time is based on the highest usage spike during that time.
As an example, you are running your pool cleaner and the air conditioner turns on, boom you just had a spike in energy use. That spike is used for that whole period. The average for the day is based on the spikes throughout the day.
The Demand Manager controls the spikes. It won't let two services turn on at the same time. This eliminates the spike in energy use. But what does that mean for my temperature inside the home? You can lower your thermostat to 70 or 72 degrees and run at that temp all day. The Demand Manager allows the A/C to turn on but won't let multiple services run at the same time.
The homeowner still needs to run a special time-of-use plan with SRP or APS. They do their laundry washing and drying after peak hours the same as before, but your home is much much much cooler throughout the day.
What can you expect the payments to be when using the Demand Manager?
How about a 30-40 percent discount on your current bills?
Yep, the computer controls the usage and you don't need to worry. So if you save 30% in the summer, you will save 30% in the winter. You will save year-round!
Homeowners can take back control of their cost and don't worry about that 8% hike coming up, the Demand Manager will already save you money.
Find out more about the Demand Manager and Contact Us to get a call.