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:

1. Provides another valuable resource for members to control their electric usage & thus potentially reduce their over-all expense and
2. Large residences have higher demand than smaller ones so by charging for demand it creates a fairer way to treat all residential members.
3. 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.