Participate in Demand Response
What is Demand Response? It’s when a lot of people volunteer to pitch in and lower their energy use just a small amount for an hour or two when energy demand spikes. This helps to lower energy use, reduce high energy prices and even avoid building extra power plants. And you get paid to participate!
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
That’s Demand Response—sign up and agree to lower your AC or other energy use by just a bit when demand spikes. It is simple and easy to do—it can even be automated where the utility can adjust your thermostat or water heater just a degree or two when needed and you never even notice. The best part—you can often get paid for participating! Demand response has been used to reduce expensive energy spikes by many utilities. In fact, it has even been used to avoid building expensive new power plants, saving lots of money for all customers. Demand response just makes sense.
Even better, avoiding turning on extra power plants means less air pollution and climate emissions. Backup power plants are often more polluting, so using them less has a big impact. So participating in demand response is a win-win-win. Read on to learn more.
1Learn about Demand Response programs & sign up!
Demand Response is simple—turn down your energy a small amount during an energy use spike in your area. Demand Response “events” can be once a week or a few times in the summer or winter, depending on the program. The amount you need to reduce your use is very small. For example, generally one or two degrees on your thermostat for an hour or two. Most people don’t even notice a difference!
There are a few different types of Demand Response programs. Here are some of the options:
Utility vs. Independent: Demand Response programs can be run by utilities or independent program providers. They often work the same way, just a different provider.
Automated vs. manual: Most programs will provide the option of automating participation. This requires linking your thermostat, water heater or other home energy use to the Demand Response provider (generally through your utility account) to allow them to automatically reduce your energy use during the peak demand period. The other option is you receive a text or email notification and can participate by turning your energy use down manually—like turning off lights or lowering your AC use just a bit.
Paid vs. unpaid: Most programs will pay you for participating. Once you sign up for the program, they track your participation during peak events (or automatically adjust your energy use). Then they compensate you based on how much energy you reduced and the value of the “avoided energy”.
Paid programs are generally tied to a specific utility so check with your electric utility or in the resources section below for program options. If there is a program in your area, that is the best choice! However, if there is no program in your area, one company, Ohmconnect, will let you participate from anywhere. If you are not a customer of one of their participating utilities, you can’t get paid directly for participating, but they do offer points and the opportunity to win prizes.
Next, sign up and get started! If you don’t have a program full program (where you can get paid) locally, consider writing to your State Representatives and suggest implementing a program! This is a smart and easy way to lower energy use and save money.