Q. How is electricity use measured?
Q. What are on-peak and off-peak time periods for summer and winter?
Q. What are the Time of Use Energy supply costs per kwh for on-peak and off-peak time periods for summer and winter?
Q. How would I be billed on Time of Use?
Q. Which holidays are observed for Time of Use participants?
Q. Who will benefit from Pacific Power's Time of Use program?
Q. If I lower my monthly energy consumption will that be enough to save money on the Time of Use program?
Q. How can I shift my electricity usage from on-peak hours to off-peak time periods?
Q. If I use hot water during off-peak hours would that mean my charges will be rated at off-peak charges?
Q. How does the Guarantee Payment work?
Q. Why is Pacific Power offering this option to their Oregon customers?
Q. What reasons would I be denied enrollment in Time of Use?
Q. Why must I have a special meter if I decide to enroll in this option?
Q. Why is there an additional $1.50 charge per month on my bill?
Q. When will my service start with this option?
Q. Why is there an initial 12-month enrollment term and can I leave Time of Use before the term has ended?
Q. If I am a participant in the Time of Use program do I take the special meter if I move locations?
Q. If I am a Time of Use participant and I move from one Pacific Power serving area (i.e. Medford) to a different Pacific Power serving area (i.e. Portland) can I enroll in the Time of Use program?
Q. How will the Time of Use option be presented on my bill?

Q. How is electricity use measured?

A. Electricity is measured in units known as kilowatt-hours (kwh). This is a product of watts and hours. A 100-watt light bulb burning for 10 hours equals 1,000 watt hours and will register on your meter as one kilowatt hour (100 x 10 = 1,000 watt-hours or 1 kwh).

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Q. What are on-peak and off-peak time periods for summer and winter?

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Q. What are the Time of Use Energy supply costs per kwh for on-peak and off-peak time periods for summer and winter?

A. Customers on Time of Use will be billed on Basic Service, with adjustments for Time of Use. Customers on Time of Use are rewarded with a credit  for the electricity used during off-peak  hours and are charged for electricity used during on-peak hours.

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Q. How would I be billed on Time of Use?

A. The rates listed above are only the Time of Use adjustments. All the usual electricity charges still apply, including charges for the electricity you use, delivery (i.e. Distribution and Transmission), taxes, etc. Refer to Pacific Power Oregon rate schedules 4, 23 and 41 for more billing detail

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A. Holidays include New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Holidays are rated as off-peak all day for summer and winter seasons. All other holidays not listed are rated on the regular Time of Use rate schedule.

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A. The Time of Use program is a good option for businesses with hours of operation that match the off-peak hours or can be shifted to avoid on-peak hours. To save money on this option, most customers need to make a complete shift in how and when they use electricity.

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A. Using energy more efficiently will definitely lower your bill, if you remain on the Basic Service option. However, if you subscribe to the Time of Use option and you do not change when you use electricity, you could end up paying more each month.

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Electric heating and ventilation system To reduce energy consumption during the winter heating season, set the thermostat in your workspace to 68° F during work hours and lower the setting to 55° F when the space is unoccupied. For every degree you lower in the 60° -70° F range, you can save up to 5 percent on heating costs. To manage your energy usage for heating needs, install a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature during work hours and after hours. Consider a locking cover over the thermostat to avoid having employees change temperature settings. Keep your exterior and freight doors closed as much as possible to retain heat inside the building. During the winter months, open the window blinds to warm your workspace from direct sunlight. Remove solar screens, blinds or awnings on the south and west facing windows to help increase heat gain—replace in the summer. If your business has a water heater, set the water temperature to 120° F. To avoid health risks, never go below 115° F. Add an insulation blanket if your water heater is located in an unheated space. Install a timer on the water heater and set it to run after 8 p.m. and go off before 6 a.m. Insulate the first three feet of exposed pipes coming from the water heater. Cooling and air conditioning During the summer, central air conditioning and heat pumps could be one of the largest energy users for your business. Take advantage of cool night and morning air by venting your business. Keep your windows covered and doors closed as much as possible to reduce the loss of cooling. During the day, try to reduce the use of heat-producing equipment such as printers, fax machines and any equipment not in use. To save money, operate your cooling system in the early morning, before 6 a.m. This will reduce the need for cooling during the hotter part of the day. A programmable thermostat can be set to avoid on-peak use. Room and central air conditioning units should be sized properly. The larger the unit does not necessarily mean the cooler the room. On a central air conditioning unit, the fan and compressor should be set to turn off at the same time--do not use the fan separately to circulate the cool air. Always keep your filters clean and maintain the unit in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Lighting Many offices, stores and factories can easily reduce lighting without affecting productivity. Turn off as many unnecessary lights as possible during work hours and make sure all lights are turned off after hours. Use task lighting instead of overhead lighting, and light only those areas that are needed at the time. Providing the right lighting can save up to 15 percent on your lighting bill. Replace old fluorescent lights with newer, more efficient models. Replace your high-use incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights with the Energy Star® label. A compact fluorescent light uses 75 percent less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb and doesn’t need to be replaced as often. Make sure the bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps and reflective surfaces are cleaned regularly. By removing grease, dust and other dirt, you can increase the output of your lights. Install automatic lighting controls to turn on and off depending on occupancy or time of day. Replace incandescent exit lights with LED exit lights that last significantly longer and use less electricity. Computers and other office equipment Turn off your computers and other office equipment when you are not using them, especially overnight and weekends. Smart power strips are marketed that sense the presence or absence of office workers and turn the attached equipment on and off accordingly. Choose settings that automatically switch the computer monitor into sleep or "power-down" mode when it hasn’t been worked on for a present amount of time. Choose the smallest computer monitor that will meet your needs. The bigger the monitor, the more energy it uses. Consider having employees use lap top computers, since they use up to 90 percent less energy than a standard computer. If it works for your business, consider ink-jet printers that also use 90 percent less energy than laser printers. Purchase the proper sized copier for your business needs. The larger the copier, the more energy it uses. When purchasing new office equipment, purchase equipment with the Energy Star® label because energy efficiency features are built into the design. Be sure the energy efficiency features are activated. Electric food service and refrigeration equipment Completely load cooking equipment to use energy efficiently; however, be careful not to overload beyond the recommended capacity. Keep evaporator coils clean and free of ice build-up with regular maintenance. Keep refrigerators full, which retains the cold longer and will cycle on less frequently. Install automatic door-closers and strip curtains on walk-in freezers or coolers. Turn off backup fryers and ovens during low production periods. Make sure oven doors fit tightly by adjusting door latches, and that gaskets are in good condition. Buy insulated cooking equipment when possible, since insulation keeps more heat in the equipment instead of the room. Irrigation Avoid irrigating during on-peak time periods, if possible. If you must irrigate during on-peak hours, operate at less than full capacity. Test your well pumps and improve overall pumping plant efficiency—that is the combined efficiency of the pump and the motor or engine. Consider repairing or replacing pumps with less than 50 percent efficiency. When replacing standard motors, buy new energy efficient electric motors.

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A. Not necessarily. As hot water is drawn from the water heater (for showers, laundry, dishwashing etc) and more cold water comes in, the bottom thermostat senses a temperature change and directs power (electricity consumption) to the lower thermostat and lower element to warm the water. If hot water continues to be drawn, the cold water level in the tank will rise and the upper thermostat will sense the water change. It disconnects the power to the lower thermostat and element and directs the power to the upper element. Once the upper element has heated the water in the upper part of the tank to the temperature indicated on the thermostat, the upper thermostat turns the upper element off and redirects power to the lower thermostat, which then activates the lower element if sensing cold water. When the temperature of the lower part of the tank reaches the temperature indicated on the lower thermostat, the power is turned off. The water heater then uses no electricity until more hot water is drawn off or considerable time has lapsed. So, even if you use hot water in off-peak periods, the heating of the water may occur during the higher cost, on-peak periods.

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Q. How does the Guarantee payment work?

A. Any participant enrolling in the Time of Use program is eligible for the Guarantee Payment for the first 12 months on the program. If the participant's total ANNUAL energy costs incurred on the Time of Use program exceeds 10 percent over what the costs would have been for the same period on Basic Service, the net difference will be credited on the customer's bill following the last month of the 12-month commitment. The Meter Charge of $1.50 (total annual meter charge of $18.00) will be excluded from the calculation and will not be credited back to the participant. No Guarantee payment will be paid if the participant terminates service before the end of the 12-month commitment.

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Q. Why is Pacific Power offering this option to their Oregon customers?  

A. The four regulated options available, in addition to Basic Service, are the result of Oregon's electricity restructuring bill that went into effect March 1, 2002. These options were created by a committee overseen by the Oregon Public Utility Commission. This law was designed to give customers more choices regarding their energy decisions, whether preferences are based on price or environmental impact. You are not required to make a choice. You may select a different energy option or simply do nothing and stay with your existing service.

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Q. What reasons would I be denied enrollment in the Time of Use program?  

A. Customers who have a time-payment agreement in effect on their account, have received two or more final disconnect notices or have been disconnected for non-payment within the last 12 months are not eligible for the program. In addition, customers with meter reading access problems will be denied eligibility to the program until the issue can be resolved by working with Pacific Power's metering team.

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Q. Why must I have a special meter if I decide to enroll in this option?  

A. The meter you have now tracks total kwh usage and does not track the time of day electricity that is used each day. A new meter that collects usage information at intervals throughout the day is required to bill customers under the two Time of Use time periods--on-peak and off-peak--days of the week, and season.

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Q. Why is there an additional $1.50 charge per month on my bill?

A. In order to offer the Time of Use program, a special meter is required to track and transmit usage information for the separate time periods. The additional $1.50 charge per month is to cover a portion of the additional cost for the special meter, including meter installation charges.

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Q. When will my service start with this option?

A. Billing under the Time of Use program will begin on the day the Time of Use meter is installed. There may be a delay from the time a customer requests service until Pacific Power can install the meter, due to the amount of customers desiring the Time of Use option. However, our goal is to install the special Time of Use meter within a 30-day period. We will leave notification at your location when the meter has been installed.

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Q. Why is there a 12-month enrollment period and can I get out before the term has ended?

A. Due to the costs of the special meter, we need a commitment from everyone who decides to participate in the Time of Use program. The only way that participants can be released from the program before the end of the term is by moving from your current location.

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Q. If I am a participant in the Time of Use program, do I take the special meter if I move locations?

A. No, when you move from your current location you leave the meter for the next business. The new occupant has an opportunity to enroll in the Time of Use program, or they can request either Basic Service or enroll in one of the other regulated options.

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Q. If I am a Time of Use participant and I move from one Pacific Power serving area (i.e. Medford) to a different Pacific Power serving area (i.e. Portland), can I enroll in the Time of Use program?

A. Of course. Contact Pacific Power to have your special Time of Use meter installed at your new location.

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Q. How will the Time of Use option be presented on my bill?

A. After your Time of Use meter has been installed and the meter reading has occurred, that information is sent to Pacific Power’s systems for billing. You will see all the usual charges for Basic Service on your monthly bill, and will also see three new line items.