DEMAND BILLING RESOURCES
This page is intended to help members of Fall River Electric (FRE) better understand demand & why Fall River Electric Cooperative is adding a demand component to our 2022 rate schedule. Below you will find resources, such as calculators, conservation program information, and additional links to help you determine how this rate change will impact you.
Demand - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Demand is the largest amount of power a residence/business uses at any point in time within a billing month.
Demand is measured in kilowatts (kW) not in kilowatt hours. Think of a vehicle speedometer as a way to measure demand. If you are traveling at 60mph but then speed up to 70mph, your maximum speed of 70 would translate into your demand. Advancements in technology now allows the Cooperative to collect residential demand efficiently & accurately.
Historically, residential demand has been included & paid for as part of the kilowatt hour charges (kWh) that each residential member receives. Billing demand will accomplish these objectives:
- Provides another valuable resource for members to control their electric usage & thus potentially reduce their over-all expense and
- Large residences have higher demand than smaller ones so by charging for demand it creates a fairer way to treat all residential members.
- Will start to align residential member billing with the Cooperative’s cost for demand.
Strategically, the more members “manage” their demand the less of a need to secure more generation and build facilities such as transmission lines, substations & etc. to meet growing demand needs which helps to keep rates low.
The more information members have as to how they are using the power they pay for, the more ability they have to control those costs and thus reduce their expense.
The best way to reduce demand is to be smarter about how you use all electric powered devices in your home/business. Spreading out the time during which you use electric devices will help lower demand. For example, run your dishwasher at night after everyone has gone to bed, use a programmable thermostat, cook with a microwave instead of an oven, dry clothes when not cooking dinner. Fall River Electric’s website has suggestions on reducing demand & also links to other websites to help you save.
No, Fall River Electric’s kWh rates are so low that a time-of-day rate will not benefit members but as stated above, think about when you use electric devices so that you reduce the number of them operating all at the same time.
The average demand is from 10 to 15 kWs per month. Larger homes & businesses will have a higher demand rate.
Fall River Electric’s website has a demand “calculator” which allows you to see the estimated kW demand for specific electric devices. Some examples include:
- Baseboard heater – 5kW
- Portable electric heater – 1.5kW
- Clothes Dryer – 3.5kW
- Clothes washer - .8kW
- Dishwasher – 1.5kW
- Electric cooktop stove – 1.5kW
- Electric forced air furnace – 7.5kW/1000 sq ft
- Electric range/oven – 2.4kW
- Electric water heater – 4.5kW
- Engine block heater (winter) – 1.8kW
- Freezer – 1kW
- Hair dryer – 1.5kW
Since February 2019, Fall River Electric residential
members have seen a line item on their
monthly statements referred to as “demand.” Demand
is measured in kilowatts. A kilowatt-hour
(kWh) and a kilowatt (kW) may sound like the
same thing, but they are different. While both are
interrelated units of measurement, the major difference
between kWh and kW is that a kWh reflects
the total amount of electricity
used, whereas a kW reflects the rate
of electricity usage.
As we explained on our October
’21 edition of FLASHES, like kWh
and kW to a vehicle speedometer. If
you are driving at 60 miles per hour,
but then speed up to 70 miles per
hour, your maximum speed of 70
would translate into your demand.
Because of advancements in technology,
Fall River is now able to collect
residential demand efficiently and accurately.
This provides one more tool for members to
use to better control their electric usage—potentially
reducing their overall monthly expenses.
Historically, residential demand has been included
and paid for as part of each member’s
kilowatt hour charge (kWh). Beginning with residential
statements received in January, Fall River
Electric will charge members $1.00 for each kilowatt
(kW) of demand.
Larger residences have higher demand than
smaller ones. Charging for demand creates a
way to treat all residential members of the Cooperative
more fairly than previously.
So, how can a residential member reduce their
demand? The best way to reduce demand is to
be smarter about how you use electric powered
devices in your home. Spreading out the time
during which you use electric devices will help
lower demand. For example, if you have a delay
function on your dishwasher,
schedule your dishwasher to run at
night when other devices are not
being utilized. Use programmable
thermostats, cook with a microwave
rather than a conventional
oven, or dry clothes when other
major electric devices are not in
use.