Make Time-of-Use Rates Work for You

Tips for Managing On-Peak/Off-Peak Energy Use in the Workplace

Year-round:

Install smart or programmable thermostats; avoid allowing employees access to adjust temperatures and/or educate them on what happens when they do
Install motion sensors on outside lights or in rooms that are not frequently used; educate staff about leaving the lights on in unoccupied rooms
Stage non-essential equipment to run during off-peak times
Strategically schedule required equipment to run sequentially, not concurrently, during On-Peak hours if possible

Winter:

Pre-heat buildings prior to the On-Peak Hours window by setting a schedule with smart/programmable thermostat
Evaluate how your heat pump operates to stage on auxiliary electric heat; it can be changed to respond to outside temperature, not temperature increase at the thermostat
Eliminate all space heaters

Summer:

Allow the use of small personal fans or overhead fans in the summer to increase personal comfort while keeping the temperature at the recommended setting
Close blinds at the end of day

General

Lighting:

Install dimmer switches in rooms where you can tolerate a lower light level; most employees won’t notice a change from 100% to 80% (reduces both lighting costs and cooling load)
If you have offices that have more than one overhead light fixture, an electrician can wire the lights to separate switches so that you can turn on the amount of light that you need
Delamp the light fixture if the office lighting is too bright for the occupant

Heat/Air:

Make sure supply and return vents, radiators, and self-contained package units are not blocked by furniture

Equipment:

Set refrigerators to 38 degrees and freezers to 5 degrees
Don’t allow individual college dorm refrigerators in every office – buy one Energy Star° certified refrigerator for entire staff
Lower the temperature on water heaters to 120 degrees; most have a default setting of 140
Insulate water heaters that are located in unconditioned space
Plug electronics into a smart power strip and turn off when not in use
Unplug miscellaneous appliances when not in use
Set copiers so that they shut off or engage sleep mode when not used for a specified amount of time

Envelope:

For more tips on managing energy use in the workplace, visit www.energystar.gov/buildings/service-providers