Time-of-Use Rates
Time-of-Use (TOU) electric rates better align the rates we charge with the costs that we pay for electricity. PWC’s advanced meters provide customers the opportunity to manage their electricity usage during peak and non-peak times through TOU rates. Customers who shift their usage from peak times will lower their price per kilowatt-hour (kWh)thereby lowering their bill and also lowering PWC’s demand rates paid to Duke Energy Progress (DEP).
- Time-of-Use Rates are billed with On and Off-Peak Rates.
- Off-Peak hours are 35% lower than during peak times. Effective April 1, 2025, daily On-Peak hours were reduced to be only 3 hours every day, and will now include weekends and holidays.
- Off-Peak are 21 hours each day. Because the demand for electricity changes depends on the seasons of the year, Peak hours are different in the summer and winter months. You can login to your PWC account information to review your historical on and off-peak energy usage.
Use these helpful TOU tips for residential and non-residential customers to take advantage of Time-of-Use Rates to lower your electric bills by conserving and shifting consumption from Peak to Off-Peak hours. Rates for electricity used during off-peak hours are 35% lower than during peak times.
| Summer Peak Hours, as of April 1, 2025 | Winter Peak Hours, as of April 1, 2025 |
| April – October | November – March |
| 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. |
| 7 days a week | 7 days a week |
TOU Frequently Asked Questions | TOU for Non-Residential Customers
Whole Home/Super Off Peak Rates Available
As of May 2023, PWC offers an elective Whole Home rate that features a super Off-Peak rate daily from 9:00 p.m.-5:00 a.m. Customers who sign up for the rate, pay a higher basic facility charge and On-Peak rate and their super Off-Peak rate ($0.05169) is 44% lower than Off-Peak rates ($0.09207). All customers are eligible to sign up for the Whole Home rate and the rate may be the most beneficial to Electric Vehicle owners. If you own an EV, can charge your vehicle at home, and drive at least 16 miles a day/480 miles a month, the Whole Home rate can help you save! Call 910-483-1382 to speak with a PWC representative and request to participate in our Whole Home electric rate.
Time of Use Rates are also available for Non-Residential Customers.
Tips For Residents to Maximize Your Savings with Time-of-Use Rates
Heating and Cooling: account for a large portion of your electric use.
During peak hours:
- Turn your thermostat up in warm weather, down when it’s cold – air conditioning at 78 degrees and heat at 68 degrees still “feels great.” A programmable thermostat will make this easy.
- Close blinds or drapes to keep the sun or the cold air out.
- Have your heating/cooling systems serviced annually so they operate efficiently.
- Don’t open doors unnecessarily or hold them open.
- Use fans to make the temperature feel about 4 degrees cooler.
- Minimize the use of appliances, such as your oven/stovetop, that add heat to the house.
Water Heaters: are the next highest energy users.
During peak hours:
- Avoid using large amounts of hot water (for washing clothes, bathing, etc).
- Turning your water heater off during peak hours; a simple water heater timer will do it for you.
- If you have to do laundry, use cold water settings.
In General:
- Wash and dry laundry and run your dishwasher during off-peak hours.
- Consider purchasing “smart” appliances, now offered by some manufacturers, and connecting them to home energy management system; this can make a big difference, making it easy to save more with Time-of-Use Rates.
- Take showers/baths during off-peak hours.
- Unplug electronics that are not in use.
- Be extra vigilant about conserving power in any way you can during peak hours.
Tips for Managing On-Peak/Off-Peak Energy Use in the Workplace
Year-round:
- The largest use of electricity in your business is heating and cooling. A programmable thermostat, especially an Energy Star wireless thermostat that you can control remotely using your smart phone, will allow you to lower the temperature during the winter on-peak hours, we recommend 68° and raise the temperature during the summer on-peak hours, we recommend 78°. This capability gives you the opportunity to choose between comfort and electric cost. Small Power and Church Time-of-Use customers are eligible to participate in PWC’s ENERGY STAR Thermostat Incentive Program
- 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:
- Replace weather stripping
- Close crawl space vents in winter, open in summer to prevent mold and mildew
For more tips on managing energy use in the workplace, visit www.energystar.gov/buildings/service-providers
