Offers like Rate Flex D and Hilo let you lower your electricity bill in winter. The rules are simple: Lower your heating and avoid using hot water and energy-intensive appliances. But some actions can undermine your energy-wise efforts without you even realizing it. Here are the eight most common mistakes.
1. Taking a shower right before a peak demand event
Taking a shower right before a peak demand event seems logical, but don’t be fooled! Your hot water tank empties and the water heater will automatically turn on, increasing your electricity use during the event.
Try this instead:
- If the peak demand event occurs in the morning, take a shower the day before.
- Shower after the peak demand event.
- If you have Hilo, use a smart water heater controller for automated management.
2. Taking a bath instead of a shower
You absolutely have to bathe during a peak demand event and you figure filling the tub will use less energy than running a shower.
In fact, the opposite is true: A half-filled bathtub uses roughly 120 L of hot water, i.e., 33% more than a 7‑minute shower (40 to 80 L, depending on the showerhead).
Instead, try:
- a short shower;
- a low-flow showerhead, which uses up to 40% less hot water.
3. Using a space heater or electric fireplace to compensate
You’ve lowered your thermostats, but you turn on a portable heater or your electric fireplace for extra heat. Not a good plan! A space heater uses as much electricity as a baseboard heater, but heats a lot less efficiently.
It’s better to preheat your home by raising the set temperature on your thermostats by one or two degrees before a peak demand event.
4. Avoiding the oven but using the stovetop
Surely a stove element uses less electricity than an oven? Not necessarily. If you’re preparing a dish that has to simmer for a while, or if you use several elements at the same time, the stovetop could consume as much electricity as the oven.
You’re better off: :
- using small appliances like a slow cooker, air fryer or pressure cooker;
- preparing your meals ahead and heating them in the microwave.
5. Not using the dishwasher but washing dishes by han
Your intentions are good, but washing dishes by hand with a steady stream of hot water uses three to five times more hot water than one dishwasher cycle in eco mode!
Do this instead:
- Run your dishwasher outside of peak demand events. The programming feature could come in handy!
- Don’t rinse your dishes before placing them in the dishwasher; just scrape the food off.
6. Avoiding the washer but using the dryer
You don’t use your washing machine during peak demand events but you use your dryer to remove wrinkles? A clothes dryer is one of the most energy-intensive appliances. Use it before or after peak demand events. You can simplify your life by programming the cycle if your machine has this feature.
7. Using more ventilation than you need
Did you know that your bathroom fan and stove hood can vent all the warm air out of your house outside in just one hour?
When you leave these fans running too long, you’re losing heat for no good reason. As soon as you’ve finished using them, be sure to turn them off.
8. Manually setting the temperature on your smart thermostats
Do you have Hilo and want to change the setting on a thermostat in a room you don’t use as often? Avoid doing this during a peak demand event. As soon as you change a setting between the preheating and recovery phase, Hilo stops automatically regulating the thermostat, so you miss out on the system’s optimization features.
Solutions:
- Let Hilo do its job! The system is specially designed to make it easy to save in winter.
- If you want to permanently exclude a thermostat, you can do it in the app by tapping Events > Manage My Event Settings.
- Use the Moderate, Intrepid or Extreme modes to potentially increase your savings.
Good to know: You can change your settings up until midnight the day before a peak demand event.
The easy way to save
Using winter peaks as an opportunity to save is definitely the way to go. But some mistakes can undo all your hard work. By adopting the right habits and using your energy in the right place, you can save big — without even thinking about it.
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