SECO switching to time of day billing

[Toymeister]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12 OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12 OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

[tophcfa]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

Thanks for the information. I will have to look into getting a better thermostat so I can adjust the HVAC settings to have the system run way less during the peak hours.

[Mleeja]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

Thanks for this info. However, please check the times.

[Stu from NYC]

Well we are going to pay a lot more

[smurphy]

What is the source of this info?

I would think SECO would have to announce this in advance of implementation, perhaps in the SECO newsletter.

They do have an incentive program which you can sign up for if you charge your EV during Super Off Peak hours. (In the newsletter).

[Toymeister]

HiWhat is the source of this info?
SECO is the source, call them and ask for yourself. Call them if you have an inkling of doubt

Why don't they announce it themselves?, call them and ask them yourself. Good luck with that call as you would effectively be asking why they have poor dissemination of information.

Your welcome that I told you.

[villagetinker]

Interesting since I do not believe the current meters or metering system would be able to support REAL TIME metering. To do what is being "reported" requires one way (possibly two way) communication to the utility, or meters with accurate TOD clocks and the ability to store all of this information for a monthly reading.
The other item to consider is if Duke and Florida Power actually have similar rates in place for SECO to buy power at the proposed levels to support the proposed rates. If have not seen any announcements from either of these utilities, or associated news article about the very significant changes to rates, ALL of which require approval from Florida government.
Just my humble opinion.

[Papa_lecki]

Change the timing of your pool equipment.

[Toymeister]

I have not seen any announcements from either of these utilities, or associated news article about the very significant changes to rates.

Call them and ask them why they have not done this. I have met the SECO PR person professionally ( not about this topic), I was not impressed nor surprised there has been no mention of this. Any SECO customer service representative will tell you if specifically asked.

Will these new rates require smart meters, why yes, it will. Do new home installs have smart meters already, probably. Will this deployment/retrofit take time, yes it will, probably by subcontractors.

Why hasn't your paid elected SECO trustee told you about this?, I have met her and no I wasn't impressed. BTW she isn't a TV resident. Interesting that three TV residents ran against her this spring.

I suspect an official announcement will come out with the deployment of smart meters. In the meantime at least I told you about it.

[Pairadocs]

Thanks for the information. I will have to look into getting a better thermostat so I can adjust the HVAC settings to have the system run way less during the peak hours.


Got fully programmable digital thermostat last year, even without these rates it was a VERY prudent purchase !

[CFrance]

Got fully programmable digital thermostat last year, even without these rates it was a VERY prudent purchase !
Which brand did you get?

[ithos]

This price structure seems to incentivize gas heat

Nov-Mar
6-9am P

[SusanStCatherine]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

Most have SECO? Really? We don't have Florida Power. We don't even have Duke Electric like the houses behind us. We get our electricity from the City of Leesburg. The few times we lost power the houses behind us did not making me wish we had Duke. Good luck with your time of use billing. Don't ever sign up for letting them decide when to cycle your power.

[Rainger99]

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP


It looks like it is going to be really expensive to use the air conditioner in the summer afternoons!!

[Sandy and Ed]

Tinker raises a good point. Those of us without “smart” meters with the ability to record/report TOD useage could not be subject to this billing method. Or would we? Maybe by applying a temporary weighted rate equivalent to those with meters until new meters are installed?

[Sandy and Ed]

It looks like it is going to be really expensive to use the air conditioner in the summer afternoons!!
Yeah but that would only be during the HOTTEST months of the year!! Snowbirds seem to be getting pretty good rates though. Wife suggests new rates would be a good reason to take her out to lunch and dinner instead of cooking

[Altavia]

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/seco-smart-meters-67991/

Also:

Who will install the AMI meter? - SECO Energy (https://secoenergy.com/ufaqs/who-will-install-the-ami-meter/)


Scott Nelson - April 17, 2023 at 12:16 pm
Is there a schedule to when they will be rolled out in The Villages – Deluna?
Log in to Reply

Amanda Richardson - April 18, 2023 at 1:38 pm
Thank you for your inquiry. The systemwide AMI project is scheduled to last three to four years. We don’t have particular neighborhoods scheduled at this time. Watch SECO News for updates and we will send a notification before contractors arrive.

[dtennent]

Looks like solar panels are going to get more interest.

[Altavia]

Tinker raises a good point. Those of us without “smart” meters with the ability to record/report TOD useage could not be subject to this billing method. Or would we? Maybe by applying a temporary weighted rate equivalent to those with meters until new meters are installed?

Looks like they plan to upgrade to the AMR meters over the next few years. Newer homes may allready have them.

One motivation could be to get ready for future increases in electric vehicles charged at home.

[nn0wheremann]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.
Mattress the rec centers will need to set up nap rooms. Anybody want to form The Villages Siesta Club?

[Battlebasset]

I'll get a timer for my golf cart so it only charges on SOP times. Also program my thermostat to take advantage of SOP - Cool your house more SOP/OP times, and let it carry you through so you can set it higher during P times.

Heat really isn't an issue. Even during the coldest time of year, house retains heat pretty well, and solar radiation helps as well. I have NG so I can kick on a stove burner to heat up some water (and my house) from 6 to 9 am vs running the heat pump, if it's really cold (below freezing).

[Battlebasset]

Looks like solar panels are going to get more interest.

Not from me in the current configuration (whole house). Payback time too long, don't like a bunch of holes in the roof, issues with getting insurance, extra weight on roof, something else to maintain/get serviced.

Give me an AC/Heat pump that can be directly augmented by solar energy to reduce its energy consumption during peak usage/daylight hours? Now you have my attention.

[Birdrm]

Maybe they want you to self report the usage?

[Rainger99]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

If I did the math right (I probably didn’t) and you used 1 kWh per hour (unlikely because most people use more electricity during the day than when they are sleeping) it would cost $2.64 a day under the old plan and $2.54 a day under the time of day usage.

I am surprised that they don’t have a weekend rate.

[asianthree]

Our ecobee’s are programmed for sleep 9p to 6a at 73
6a to 9p at 76

My bills for all 3 houses stay about the same ($79) even though this last house is 800sf larger, newer hvac and insulation. Will see if this changes with new structure prices

[MandoMan]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

Interesting news, Toymeister. I’m sure you have been analyzing all this. What have you come up with? Can you deal with turning off the AC from 2-6 in the summer and from 6-9 am in the winter (well, maybe a month with the heater on at that time). Is this likely to increase our bills? Is it likely to encourage us to turn off the AC for a few hours to save money? Would it really make that much of a difference?

[cjrjck]

I wish Duke Energy offered a tiered pricing structure. I live in Sumter county but the electricity is provided by Duke. If I keep my usage below 1000 KWh a month, I end up paying about 16 to 17 cents per KWh. That is with all the fees added in.

[Maker]

This is not about the money we pay for power, although that may be a slight side effect.
The goal is to lower maximum power demanded away from the time of day when huge peak times typically happen. If successful, it reduces the need for power generation capability to be high enough just to cover peak times.
Having power plants sitting idle for most of the day is expensive. This is called "spinning reserve". Elimination of that peaking power plant will save SECO a lot of expenses.
The down side is that SECO may not have spinning reserves to handle a sudden unexpected demand. When you hear of rolling blackouts in California, it's because peak demand cannot be handled by all available generators, plus spinning demand reserves.

Going into the future, as people put in solar to try to save money by reducing consumption... and more houses are built... and a very cloudy hot day occurs, the peak demand would spike. Will SECO have sufficient reserve capacity?

[Toymeister]

Tinker raises a good point. Those of us without “smart” meters with the ability to record/report TOD useage could not be subject to this billing method. Or would we? Maybe by applying a temporary weighted rate equivalent to those with meters until new meters are installed?

Almost certainly they will swap out your meter.

[djplong]

This is probably the best reason I've seen for installing solar panels on one's roof.

[Toymeister]

Interesting news, Toymeister. I’m sure you have been analyzing all this. What have you come up with? Can you deal with turning off the AC from 2-6 in the summer and from 6-9 am in the winter (well, maybe a month with the heater on at that time). Is this likely to increase our bills? Is it likely to encourage us to turn off the AC for a few hours to save money? Would it really make that much of a difference?

I have analyzed the new pricing and I am predicting lower bills. My strategy is super cooling the home, changing the pool pump timing, using delay start on the dishwasher and charging the car stating at midnight. Most already mentioned here.

I recently did a hard data reset on my whole house energy monitor so I don't have enough hard data to precisely monetize this. Frankly,I'm not going to change my lifestyle to hyper save on a utility bill.

My effective electric cost per gallon equivalent for my PHEV will be 88.6 cents per gallon. This brings the premium paid for a PHEV into the reasonable payback realm.

[dougawhite]

Doesn't Tesla have a time-shifting power storage system? You charge it during cheap off-peak hrs and then use that power during peak hrs.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Powerwall

[greg.turay]

This is probably the best reason I've seen for installing solar panels on one's roof.
I did put solar panels on just two months ago and the savings on electricity is more than recouping on a monthly basis the cost of the installation. And with 25 years of warranty and electricity going up (probably) I am in a great position

[Keefelane66]

I called billing just now and are unaware of time of day billing at this time could not confirm in the future.

[Stu from NYC]

I did put solar panels on just two months ago and the savings on electricity is more than recouping on a monthly basis the cost of the installation. And with 25 years of warranty and electricity going up (probably) I am in a great position

If we were 10-15 years younger and going into a new house would seriously consider. At this stage of life with 13 year old roof, do not see it as a worthwhile investment.

[daniel200]

In their 2022 annual meeting they discussed the roll out of smart meters.

In the meeting they said that they plan to install 7,000 to 9,000 smart meters per month. So to convert everyone they say it will take 3 to 4 years. These meters have the ability to provide realtime usage information in 15 minute increments

[Rainger99]

This is probably the best reason I've seen for installing solar panels on one's roof.

Ballpark, what does it cost to install solar panels? I thought the government provided huge tax benefits for installing solar panels.

And how much are you saving a month with solar power? I have always read that you start breaking even after 25 years. Probably won’t be here in 2048.

[kimreniska@mac.com]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

I think you wrote 12pm when it should be 12am (midnight is 12am, noon is 12 pm)

[Spectreron]

Outstanding! Now you can put 300 miles of charge in a Tesla for $4.44 instead of $8.

[Bob45]

Interesting since I do not believe the current meters or metering system would be able to support REAL TIME metering. To do what is being "reported" requires one way (possibly two way) communication to the utility, or meters with accurate TOD clocks and the ability to store all of this information for a monthly reading.


I signed up for the EV charging plan. Then they installed a new meter that reports usage in real time. The man installing said that all customers will be getting the new meter. He also said we would be able to log on and see our usage in 15 minute increments.
Bob

[Stu from NYC]

Outstanding! Now you can put 300 miles of charge in a Tesla for $4.44 instead of $8.

Given that my Camry gets about 40mpg would save about $ 25 everytime I go 300 miles if I owned a Tesla.

At 10,000 miles per year do not think I could live that long to break even.

[Jdburns11]

Also interesting implications for solar customers (like me!) - obviously could benefit during the peak daylight hours - I wonder how they’ll adjust the exported KWs during all of the time periods involved. Right now it’s about $0.09 per KW . I also agree with others in that there seems to have been no mention of this significant change thus far - and do they have the technology in place to support such as change.

[askcarl]

Bend Over and Smile....

[Southwest737]

Given that my Camry gets about 40mpg would save about $ 25 everytime I go 300 miles if I owned a Tesla.

At 10,000 miles per year do not think I could live that long to break even.

Tesla owners drive an EV not just because they are 3 times more efficient than antiquated ICE vehicles. We drive an EV because they are more fun. Modern, quiet, clean, smooth. Auto drive feature is sweet as is one pedal driving (it brakes and stops itself). But the best feature is the instant torque when pressing down the right foot. None of that lag associated with combustion, turbochargers, or downshifting. Sheer acceleration. Then the downer is when I have to drive my Chevy Colorado with its 3.6 liter V6. What a dog compared to the Tesla.

[oneclickplus]

Seems like an incentive to put in a battery storage system. Store all the power you can in batteries from midnight to 6:00am. Draw upon that power during the heat of the day.


SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

[crash]

SECO services most of TV as the electric utility. They have plans to switch all customers from a .11 first 1,000 kWh, .13 above 1,000 kWh: to a three tier time of day pricing plan.

Super off peak (SOP) .06 per kWh
Off peak (OP) .09
Peak (P). .23

April-Oct
12-6am SOP
6-2pm OP
2-6pm P
6-12pm OP

Nov-Mar
12-6am SOP
6-9am P
9-12pm OP

The SECO rep that I spoke to didn't know when this will be put in place. But the rates have been established so it's clearly not too distant.

If those times are correct very little of my electricity will be in peak hours and I should get a cut in my electric bill.

In California they had a tier system and very little of your electricity would occur in the low tier I believe it was 95 kWh at 0.12 up to 0.39 for over a 1000 with 5 tiers.

[jrref]

Interesting since I do not believe the current meters or metering system would be able to support REAL TIME metering. To do what is being "reported" requires one way (possibly two way) communication to the utility, or meters with accurate TOD clocks and the ability to store all of this information for a monthly reading.
The other item to consider is if Duke and Florida Power actually have similar rates in place for SECO to buy power at the proposed levels to support the proposed rates. If have not seen any announcements from either of these utilities, or associated news article about the very significant changes to rates, ALL of which require approval from Florida government.
Just my humble opinion.

Right! Currently our meters can't report usage based on time of day.

[msilagy]

ComEd I Illinois has a sign up for notification of peak hours on very hot days. By reducing your electrical outlay during that time you earn $ if less than the year before. It happens maybe 2-3 times in the summer. I always earn $ that go against my next bill! Electricity is more expensive in my Florida home for sure. I pay less in Illinois.

[bobnyce]

My wife and I switched to a heatpump wster heater last October. It has saved us from 200 to 300 kwh per month. Bought it at Lowes -A O Smith. Had it installed bt Dunstan Plumbing. Cost about $2,400. Best decision ever. Never used electric elements to supplement at all.

[Bilyclub]

ComEd I Illinois has a sign up for notification of peak hours on very hot days. By reducing your electrical outlay during that time you earn $ if less than the year before. It happens maybe 2-3 times in the summer. I always earn $ that go against my next bill! Electricity is more expensive in my Florida home for sure. I pay less in Illinois.

You pay more for practically everything else up there.

[Stu from NYC]

We got our electric bill with news letter last night and while it mentions special pricing for electric cars no mention of time of day billing

[Marsha11]

I dont know why this is being done. I'm concerned with the hatred of utilities by government. Each and every large utility has brown outs for sure. The government won't build anything at all. Then the go broke so then they must raise prices. There is nothing to help the utility at all but govt.

[Bogie Shooter]

I dont know why this is being done. I'm concerned with the hatred of utilities by government. Each and every large utility has brown outs for sure. The government won't build anything at all. Then the go broke so then they must raise prices. There is nothing to help the utility at all but govt.

Did you proofread this?

[Keefelane66]

We went true a smart meter conversion in Naples Florida Area with LCEC a cooperative similar to SECO.. TWACS Technology
This system will require the Cooperative to replace the existing electric meter with a new TWACS (Two-Way Automatic Communication System) digital meter. This project is designed to not only benefit customer-owners with convenience and cost attributes but to also increase the efficiency and safety of the Cooperative's employee team.
This technology will enable the Cooperative to have reliable two-way communication between our offices and your meter. The TWACS system uses existing power lines to transmit data to and from the home office. Eliminating the need for most meter readers.

[vinricci]

Received this email from SECO yesterday:
SECO has learned that there was an erroneous blog post claiming that we are mandating all members opt-in to a time-of-use rate and that is simply not true. I’m sorry for the misinformation.

We do have a TOU rate that you may be interested in since you charge your vehicle at night. Remember though, if you use your HVAC to cool/heat your home during peak hours the price per kWh is almost 23 cents. With summer temperatures, this may not be the time to make the switch.

[Keefelane66]

Received this email from SECO yesterday:
SECO has learned that there was an erroneous blog post claiming that we are mandating all members opt-in to a time-of-use rate and that is simply not true. I’m sorry for the misinformation.

We do have a TOU rate that you may be interested in since you charge your vehicle at night. Remember though, if you use your HVAC to cool/heat your home during peak hours the price per kWh is almost 23 cents. With summer temperatures, this may not be the time to make the switch.
I called SECO office Thursday and received the same info.

[Toymeister]

Received the following email from SECO to this question:

Is SECO intending to replace dumb meters with smart (AMI) meters in three to four years as announced by SECO's CEO at the 2022 annual meeting?

Answer: Thank you for your email. Regarding your inquiry, we are in the process of working on changing out the meters to AMI meters. It will take some time to get them all changed out, so I do not have a timeframe as to when your area will be changed out.



Bottom Line SECO will transition to smart meters as I have stated. And their public relations and communication in general are extremely poor

[Bill14564]

Received the following email from SECO to this question:

Is SECO intending to replace dumb meters with smart (AMI) meters in three to four years as announced by SECO's CEO at the 2022 annual meeting?

Answer: Thank you for your email. Regarding your inquiry, we are in the process of working on changing out the meters to AMI meters. It will take some time to get them all changed out, so I do not have a timeframe as to when your area will be changed out.



Bottom Line SECO will transition to smart meters as I have stated. And their public relations and communication in general are extremely poor

This was in place in MD at least five years ago if not 10 years ago. I was surprised to learn it wasn't already in place in Florida.

If I remember correctly (it's been a while), time-of-use metering saved me money on Maryland with no changes to my normal usage. That was when I was out of the house working all day - we'll have to see what happens now that I'm retired.

[Keefelane66]

Received the following email from SECO to this question:

Is SECO intending to replace dumb meters with smart (AMI) meters in three to four years as announced by SECO's CEO at the 2022 annual meeting?

Answer: Thank you for your email. Regarding your inquiry, we are in the process of working on changing out the meters to AMI meters. It will take some time to get them all changed out, so I do not have a timeframe as to when your area will be changed out.



Bottom Line SECO will transition to smart meters as I have stated. And their public relations and communication in general are extremely poor
AMI meters transmit data of usage eliminating the need for meter readers. It will not require all to go to time of day metering unless you elect this billing option.
As a side not our daughter has just installed solar on their home in Ct AMI meters installed on cloudy day with showers panels are making 30kwh during daylight on full sun days panels are producing 55kwh. Power consumption average is 20kwh for home per 24 hr day according to meter they are not on time of day metering.

[Spartan86]

Received this email from SECO yesterday:
SECO has learned that there was an erroneous blog post claiming that we are mandating all members opt-in to a time-of-use rate and that is simply not true. I’m sorry for the misinformation.

We do have a TOU rate that you may be interested in since you charge your vehicle at night. Remember though, if you use your HVAC to cool/heat your home during peak hours the price per kWh is almost 23 cents. With summer temperatures, this may not be the time to make the switch.
Perhaps obvious but….you either stay on flat rate or go to variable, to include $.23/kw peak? Thanks.

[Bill14564]

Perhaps obvious but….you either stay on flat rate or go to variable, to include $.23/kw peak? Thanks.

Typically, yes. You either have the standard meter or they replace that with a time-of-use meter. One or the other, all-in on whatever choice you make.

When one of the electric companies in MD switched over they offered customers the choice. For one or two years you could voluntarily sign up for time-of-use billing. Later, they decided everyone would go to time-of-use metering and they changed everyone's meter. Who knows what SECO will choose to do but it sounds like it is a few years out anyway.

[Spartan86]

Typically, yes. You either have the standard meter or they replace that with a time-of-use meter. One or the other, all-in on whatever choice you make.

When one of the electric companies in MD switched over they offered customers the choice. For one or two years you could voluntarily sign up for time-of-use billing. Later, they decided everyone would go to time-of-use metering and they changed everyone's meter. Who knows what SECO will choose to do but it sounds like it is a few years out anyway.
Thanks

[RPDaly]

////

[Pairadocs]

Which brand did you get?

Ours is by Honeywell. They make quite a few, some, like ours, you can even program in the humidity you prefer, others just program for heat/cool temp, for each day of the week, so for those who work or are gone most of the day, the can program to just keep moderate cool/humidity, and then automatically cool a bit lower at the time you expect to return. Or, conversely, if you prefer it not as cool at night or when sleeping, you can program that in also. For us, we actually did find it lowered the bill, but part of that was, of course, replacing the old less efficient unit also ! I doubted the claims about efficiency, doubted actual savings, but the combination of a solid state programmable thermostat, and a new AC unit, did make an observable bottom line difference !

[Pairadocs]

Yes - to implement time-of-use billing you need a "smart" meter installed first that can transmit (typically via RF) stamped data to determine the cost based on the established tier pricing. Changing all meters over to this type will require a fair amount of time and cost to SECO. Although more than half of all residential customers in the United States already use this type of electrical meter so SECO is behind when it comes to this technology.

As a member owned rural co-op, quite different from a for profit corporation/utility (because this area was all ag at one time), I am surprised this was not mentioned at all at the last membership and election meeting, unless it was VERY quickly proposed the one time during the meeting I did leave to go to ....the restroom for a few minutes ! They usually do a great job of taking member input and discussion. Just surprised it was not even brought up by any members ?