Beat the Peak - Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Beat the Peak?
• What does Beat the Peak do?
• How does the program work?
• What are the goals of the Beat the Peak program?
• How can I limit my energy consumption?
• Can one person make an impact through this program?
• How will I know if this program is really working for SCI REMC and its members?
• Why is it that I sometimes receive a text message or email notification but I don't receive a phone call?

What is “Beat the Peak”?

Beat the Peak is a voluntary program designed to help the South Central Indiana REMC minimize our power requirement needs and costs during peak demand periods during summer and winter months.

What does “Beat the Peak” do?

South Central Indiana REMC’s “Beat the Peak” program should save our members money on their electric bills by reducing our power costs paid to Hoosier Energy.

How does the program work?

When the REMC determines that a PEAK period is approaching, we will publish the alert on our website (www.sciremc.com ) and alert all participants by e-mail, text message to their cell phone, or phone call as to the anticipated day and time of the PEAK period.  This alert will be published and sent up to 24 hours before the scheduled PEAK period.

The information you provide us will be kept confidential and will only be used for the purpose of notifying you about these peak periods.  If at any time you wish to unsubscribe from this service, please e-mail our office or call us at (800) 264-7362.

What are the goals of the “Beat the Peak” program?

Our goals in introducing the “Beat the Peak” program are:

• control future wholesale power costs,
• use our electricity resources wisely, and
• minimize future rate increases to our members.

Our goal at this time is to engage 5% of our members or 1,700 members to participate in Beat the Peak. 

Because of the growth in our area and the increased need for power, the summer demand has steadily increased over the past ten years as shown in the graph below. (Note:  2005 – 2007 saw some high record summer temperatures) 

How can I limit my energy consumption?

During the peak period identified in the alert, members are asked to use energy wisely and follow these guidelines:

• Use major appliances sparingly.  This includes dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers.  If you must use them, please try to limit usage to one appliance at a time.
• Heaters, ovens, grills, or any appliances that are controlled by a thermostat, should not be turned on all at once.  If you must use more than one of these appliances during the peak period, please stagger the start-up times of these appliances by 15-20 minutes to help reduce your demand.
• Delay using any hot water during the peak period to reduce the demand for your water heater.  If you have a tankless water heater, please do not use it at all during the period.  A tankless water heater can use 28 - 36 kw of demand.
• Adjust your thermostat by 3 degrees during the peak period.  (up in summer and down in winter)
• Turn off all unneeded lights and appliances in your home.
• Other things you can do to reduce your energy consumption:
• Learn more about your home’s overall energy efficiency and areas where waste may be occurring by conducting your own energy audit.  You can use some of the tools we have available on our website, such as, Home Energy Calculator and 101 Low Cost Home Energy-Saving Measures.  You can also view some of the other energy tools available on our website under the Energy Efficiency tab.
• Visit and become familiar with the Department of Energy’s web site which talks about the Energy Star rating system for appliances and electronic devices.

Can one person make an impact through this program?

Many people are surprised by the kW demand of appliances found throughout the home. The following table lists the average kW demand of typical appliances:

Let’s look at an example. The Smith’s are a typical South Central Indiana REMC family of four. On an average summer evening, they begin preparing dinner at 5 p.m., wash and dry a few loads of laundry, use their dishwasher and watch television. They also keep their thermostat at 72 degrees during the summer months.

If the Smith’s heat pump, range, oven, washer, dryer, dishwasher and television are all operated at the same time, their demand is approximately 16 kW.

The average charge for the demand set during the peak time is $15.23 per kW that is paid each month for a 6-month time period. (June thru Nov.) This means that by running everything at once during the peak time period, their demand at that one time could potentially cost the REMC $1,462.00 ($15.23 x 16 kW x 6) regardless of what the Smith’s consumption and demand might be at any other time.

By cycling the appliances or avoiding the use of them entirely during the peak time period, they can drastically reduce their overall demand and lower the overall cost of power for all South Central Indiana REMC members.

For example, the Smith’s might use their range but not the oven. Another option would be grilling outdoors, which both lowers their demand and helps avoid the excess heat given off by the range and oven which causes the heat pump to work harder to cool their home. Or, they might wash clothes during this time and wait to use the dryer until later in the evening. They might also turn their thermostat to 75 degrees in order to reduce the demand on their heat pump or other air conditioning equipment.


How will I know if this program is really working for SCI REMC and its members?

On an individual basis, we hope to have a customer portal set up by June, 2010, that each SCI member can access and see what their hourly usage is each day of the year.  This portal will also highlight the Beat the Peak periods and show those members that have volunteered to be a part of this program, what their contribution to the savings actually was.

Collectively, the success of this program will be shown on our website and should result in lower costs to our members on their monthly electric bills.  The savings we have noticed from this program will be calculated and posted on our website for all of our members to see.

Why is it that I sometimes receive a text message or email notification but I don't receive a phone call?

We set up our BTP notifications once we are informed by Hoosier Energy that there will be a peak period. When we receive a late notification from Hoosier Energy, we sometimes send out the text messages and emails only. We do this because it takes up to two-three hours to make phone calls through our IVR.

For example, today we were notified at 1:29 pm that Hoosier Energy has scheduled a peak period this afternoon starting at 4 pm. Since we only have a few hours to get out the notice, we have decided to send only the text messages and emails but not make the phone calls through the IVR. The text messages and emails are sent out at 2 pm, and are delivered within minutes.

We appreciate efforts in reducing usage during these BTP periods from all of our customers. We also realize that it is not always convenient to do your part during these scheduled periods, especially when you receive late notification. Please do what you can. Anything your do to reduce your usage is greatly appreciated.