It takes me 21 minutes to drive the 16 miles from my house to the MEC office. I can’t help but time myself; maybe its my engineering brain. One of my favorite things about living in rural Michigan is the fact that my work commute is straightforward. Aside from looking out for deer or catching the occasional train, I don’t have to worry about delays or obstacles. I can relax, listen to the radio and drink a cup of coffee. I cannot imagine sitting in traffic for an hour or more on the way to and from work every day. Frankly, I will never understand why anyone does that. I have no tolerance for traffic, especially rush hour. I imagine most of us rural folks feel the same.
Did you know that the electric grid has its own kind of rush hour, and it’s one we all participate in? I am referring to peak demand that typically occurs in the late afternoon and evening, when people and industries use a lot of electricity at the same time. Extreme temperatures make these rush hours even more impactful, driving up costs and straining the grid.
As a result, we have developed several voluntary load management programs that reward participating customers with bill credits or slightly lower rates while helping us reduce our load on the grid when demand is very high. One of my first projects, when I started at MEC in 1995, was to develop the irrigation control program.
I’m excited to announce that in January, we will launch another load management option available to customers in Michigan and Indiana. The PeakTime Perks program will give residential customers with Nest or Sensi thermostats an easy way to participate in a load management program without needing to add special equipment or a generator to your home.
During a PeakTime event, MEC will automatically adjust participating customers’ thermostats by a few degrees for a few hours. This adjustment will help reduce demand on the grid while keeping your home comfortable. You don’t have to do anything; the thermostat handles everything. If you don’t want to participate during a particular PeakTime event, simply adjust your thermostat back to where you’d like it. PeakTime events do not happen every day but are dependent on grid conditions.
As for the bill rewards, you will receive a $50 bill credit for enrolling in PeakTime Perks, plus an annual $50 bill credit if you participate in 60% of PeakTime events for the entire event duration.
We’ll share all the details and the enrollment form on teammidwest.com/peaktime-perks in January.
Don’t have a Sensi or Nest? Michigan customers can visit teammidwest.com/energy-savings to purchase a qualifying thermostat and get a $50 rebate. Once installed, you can enroll in PeakTime Perks.
You all know how passionate I am about everyone helping to reduce congestion on the grid and avoid a more serious condition such as rolling blackouts; so, I hope you’ll consider participating in one of our load management programs. After all, this electric usage rush hour might not be as noticeable as one that involves traffic causing my commute to be extended even by one minute; however, the impact could be far greater.
