During hot summer afternoons, the demand for electricity rises. Occasionally, when energy use on the grid approaches the highest levels, your cooperative may issue a "peak alert" asking members to conserve energy during these peak hours. View the current load control status here.

By reducing our system’s energy footprint during peak times, we can avoid costs associated with high grid demand and/or securing additional power generation. The result is lower costs for all of our members!

Simple ways you can help conserve include waiting until after peak hours (later evening) to shower or do laundry. Consider grilling or other meal accommodations that don't include the oven or electric range.

To help further reduce and manage the demand for electricity, appliances equipped with radio-controlled switches may be controlled during these peak times. 

What is a "radio-controlled switch"?

You may have noticed a small, gray box located on your water heater, heat pump, and/or geothermal unit. The box, known as a “radio-controlled switch” or RCS is a key component of the co-op’s load management system for reducing our overall system load during peak hours.

At times when energy use on the grid is at its highest, a signal can be sent to these switches to temporarily cut power to the connected appliance. As a result, the demand for energy can be more easily predicted and managed.

Managing energy use across the grid

Electricity cost is highest when demand is greatest. The maximum, or “peak,” amount of electricity used determines Mid-Ohio Energy’s future cost of power. When the peak goes up, so does the cost — for all of our consumer-members.

The co-op may enact load management or issue a “peak alert” notice when the demand for electricity is very high and potentially rising toward a new peak.

“Peak alerts” typically occur during regional weather extremes, typically in the warmest summer afternoons between 1 and 6 p.m. Control periods are enacted in less than 1% of all the hours in a year.

During these times, we ask our members to reduce their energy consumption in order to help avoid reaching a new peak.

By performing some of your daily chores (such as running the dishwasher or doing laundry) during off-peak hours when people are generally using less electricity, you can help keep electricity rates lower. Another way to help could be to set your programmable thermostat to adjust the settings so that your air conditioning system syncs with the off-peak periods. Use automatic timers to run hot tubs, pool pumps, water heaters, and other appliances in the same way.

Energy credits for efficiency upgrades!

As an added bonus, Mid-Ohio Energy offers energy credit rebates to members as a way to encourage involvement in the load management program while incentivizing upgrades to new (more efficient!) appliances such as water heaters and heat pumps. Visit MidOhioEnergy.com/rebates for a full list of available marketing rebates.

Radio-control switch info

Mid-Ohio Energy currently has more than 4,500 radio-control switches on various appliances throughout our system! As a member, you may currently have one or more load management switches (pictured below) in your home.

For more information on load management and peak alert status updates, give us a call or visit MidOhioEnergy.com/peak.