Load Management Periods

CGEMC customers can be prepared for conservation actions during Load Management Periods by knowing what to do during normal, elevated, and peak use phases. The conservation alerts on this website will be updated on the homepage every afternoon during the Load Management Period to reflect conservation needs for that day. There are three control levels: normal use, elevated use, and peak use.

No special energy-saving measures are necessary.  Voluntary conservation measures are encouraged.  Here are some tips to get you started:

  • Install ENERGY STAR® compact fluorescent light bulbs or LEDs in as many light fixtures as possible.

  • Purchase ENERGY STAR® appliances and home electronics.

  • Wash laundry in cold water, using cold-water detergent.

  • Clean or replace furnace filters at least once per month.

  • Turn off lights when you leave a room.

  • Do not set your thermostat below 78 degrees for air conditioning and 68 degrees for heating.

Electricity use is forecast to be higher than normal.  As a result, CGEMC is promoting wise energy use.  By working together to reduce energy use, we can help keep power costs down; therefore, CGEMC is asking customers to conserve energy voluntarily from noon until 10 p.m. with the following tips:

  • Instead of using the oven to prepare meals, try grilling, making meals in the microwave, or dining out.

  • Turn off lights, appliances, and other electrical items that are not needed.

  • Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher for air conditioning or 68 degrees or lower for heating.

CGEMC and regional utilities are in a temporary period of peak electricity use, and CGEMC is asking customers to do everything they can to reduce electricity use.  Peak energy use often results from unique circumstances, such as prolonged periods of extreme weather or excessive transmission constraints.  Working together, we can substantially reduce the economic impact of these circumstances.

  • Instead of using the oven to prepare meals, try making meals in the microwave or dining out.

  • Turn off all unnecessary indoor and outdoor lights.

  • Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher for air conditioning or 68 degrees or lower for heating.

Receive up to a $30 per year credit on your power bill for participation in this program.

Load Management is a practice that is utilized during times of exceptionally elevated usage, which often coincide with extreme shifts in outside temperatures. Load Management Switches, when activated, cycle off participating customers’ outside heating and air-conditioning units for brief intervals throughout the peak demand period. During that time, the inside fan will continue to run, circulating the air inside the home. Additionally, the switches cycle off participating customers’ water heaters for the duration of peak demand.

To date, more than 8,000 load management switches have been installed in homes by qualified service technicians. The majority of load management participants are never inconvenienced by the switch. Most customers forget about them after a few months because there is no change in the hot water availability or comfort level in the house.

There is no installation cost and no maintenance cost for participating in the Load Management Switch program.  As part of the program, you help reduce the need for future power generation. When you participate in load management, you help us also keep the cost down by reducing the amount of electricity we have to purchase during our peak demand hours, which is a time when electricity is usually the most expensive.

As a participant in CGEMC’s Load Management program, you will receive up to a $30 bill credit issued during the month of November. $10 maximum for a water heater switch and $20 maximum for an Air Conditioner switch.  Credits given are not on a per switch basis.