Jackson EMC has three rates designed to reward customers who build energy-efficient homes or help us control the cost of producing electricity.

• Energy Advantage Rate
• Switch to Savings Program
• Time-of-Use Rate

Jackson EMC actively supports energy conservation. You can qualify for a special Right Choice electric rate if your home or apartment community is a certified as energy efficient by Jackson EMC; your manufactured home is a certified Energy Advantage home; or you have had a Right Choice High Tech Audit analysis, made the recommended repairs and the home has passed its final High Tech Audit test.

When the demand for electricity peaks in the summer, Jackson EMC pays a premium to supply extra power to our customers. By reducing energy requirements during these peak periods through the Switch to Savings program, we can control the high cost of producing electricity in the summer and pass those savings on to you in the form of lower monthly electric bills.

When you enroll in this program, we install a free switching device on your central air conditioning system that works a lot like a thermostat. On hot summer days when electric use is at its peak, a Jackson EMC radio signal activates the switch and temporarily shuts off your central air conditioner compressor for about seven minutes.* The system's fan inside your home continues to run, circulating the air. The switch then turns the compressor back on and normal air conditioning resumes — all without any noticeable disruption in your comfort. Cycling continues about each half hour until the peak demand situation passes.

Participants in the Switch to Savings program receive credits on their electric bill during the summer months, July through September. The total amount of your credit will be determined by the electric demand we are able to control on your central air conditioner. Typically, Switch to Savings participants help us save about 5 kW a month, yielding a credit of $4.37 each month or $17 for the summer.

More than 45,000 switches are already in operation, saving an average of nearly a million kilowatt hours of energy each summer and producing more than three-quarters of a million dollars in savings for program participants.

Contact your local Jackson EMC office to sign up for Switch to Savings, and help conserve energy while you reduce your power bill.

*On extremely hot days, the switch may operate for a slightly longer time.

If you're committed to energy conservation and have a flexible lifestyle, Jackson EMC has a program that can reduce your electric bill up to 25 percent. Called the Time-of-Use rate, this program gives you a year-round lower electric rate for reducing your consumption of electricity between the hours of 3 to 8 p.m. on weekdays from June 1 through September 15. Reducing energy requirements during summer peak demand periods helps us control the high cost of producing electricity in the summer. Time-of-Use rates pass those savings on to you.

Here's how it works. When you sign up for Time-of-Use rates, Jackson EMC will install a special electric meter that records the date and time, logging all energy used during peak and off-peak periods. Your cost of electricity per kilowatt hour from 3 to 8 p.m. on summer weekdays between June 1 and September 15 will be 32.99 cents. That's about three times the normal rate, but this will be the period when you've agreed to limit your electric use. On summer weekends, at non-peak times and the rest of the year, your electric rate will be much lower — just 5.89 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to the normal residential rate of 7.90-8.32 cents per kilowatt hour. You must sign up for Time-of-Use rates by May 15 of each year to participate. Customers who sign up after May 15 will begin Time-of-Use rates the next year.

Adjusting your lifestyle can be easy. Go ahead and use lights, television sets, stereos, computers, refrigerators, ceiling and oscillating fans — just avoid using the big power guzzlers like air conditioners and electric water heaters between 3 and 8 p.m. You can switch air conditioning and water heating units off manually if you like, but we recommend you install a simple water heater timer and programmable thermostat for your air conditioner to ensure they are taken care of.

Think this would be difficult to do? Here are some simple steps that can make Time-of-Use rates work for you:

Cooling

• Pre-cool your home before 3 p.m., turning the thermostat down to 74° rather than 78°, then turn the air conditioning off until after 8 p.m.
• Use ceiling fans or oscillating fans to circulate air.
• Draw blinds and drapes to keep the sun from heating up rooms.
• Minimize the opening of windows and doors.
• Don't use appliances that add heat to the house, such as the oven or stove.

Cooking

• Grill out or picnic in the park.
• Enjoy dinner out.
• Cook meals before 3 p.m. or on weekends, then warm food in the microwave.
• Eat salads, fruit, sandwiches or other meals that don't require cooking.

Electric Water Heating

• Make sure the water heater is off between 3 and 8 p.m. by manually switching it off or installing a timer.
• Avoid using large amounts of hot water (washing clothes, bathing, etc.) from 3 to 8 p.m. to conserve hot water for other activities.
• Consider using an appliance timer if you have a water bed heater.

Other

• If your home uses a well pump, limit water use from 3 to 8 p.m.
• Avoid using high energy appliances, like the dishwasher, washing machine or clothes dryer.
• Restrict hot tub use.

For more information about these rates, contact your local Jackson EMC office.