Time of Use 101
The Time of Use 101 module educates customers about when electricity is most expensive based on their time of use rate plan. The module provides customers with information such as:
- Whether electricity prices differ on weekdays and weekends
- How much more expensive peak prices are than off-peak prices
- The hours during which electricity is most expensive
- A visual timeline that displays off-peak, partial-peak, and peak hours
The type of module a customer receives depends on their time of use rate plan and the type of report they receive:
Time of Use 101 for Welcome Reports: The welcome version of the module educates customers about their specific rate plan at the specific time the report is generated and why saving during peak is especially important. It also provides the customer with an example of how avoiding high energy appliances, like running the dryer, during peak hours can have a positive impact on their bill. The module varies by whether the customer has a simple or complex rate plan, and whether or not they are confirmed to have a clothing dryer.
Time of Use 101 for Progress Reports: The progress version of the module serves the dual purpose of educating customers about their specific rate plan at the specific time the report is generated and providing educational information about why saving during peak is especially important. The module includes a heading, weekday graph, weekend graph, explainer, call-to-action, and seasonal details where applicable.
Appears in: Time of Use Report, Peak Focused Report
On this page:
Requirements
Utility Requirements
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Category |
Description |
|---|---|
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Required Cloud Service |
Energy Efficiency Cloud Service |
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Scale |
Not applicable. |
Customer Requirements
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Category |
Description |
|---|---|
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Billing Frequency |
Monthly or bi-monthly. |
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Data Delivery Frequency |
Monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly. |
|
Data Requirements |
Modeled Rates |
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Data History |
Not applicable |
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Data Coverage |
Not applicable. |
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Supported Fuels |
|
Limitations
- Number of Rates: A maximum of three rate types (peak, mid-peak, off-peak or super peak, peak, and off-peak) can be displayed at a given time.
- Off-Peak Hours (Welcome Report only): For the purpose of this report, Super Off-peak and Super Saver rates are included in a single off-peak timeline category. For example, a customer with multiple off-peaks or multiple on-peaks will see all off-peaks represented as a single off-peak category on the timeline.
- Peak Focused Report: The Peak Focused Report is only available for the electric fuel type.
- Time of Use Rate Plan and Demand Charge: The demand charge version of the module is only available to customers who have demand charges in addiction to a Time of Use rate plan.
User Experience
Time of Use 101 - Welcome Report
This section describes the user experience for a customer with the welcome version of the module, a weekly peak period, and no weekend or holiday peak periods.
Heading: The heading informs the customer that there are simple steps that they can take to save energy during peak hours.
Image: The image includes a clock indicating on peak times highlighted to help aid in communicating peak hours.
Body Text: The body text identifies the dryer as one of the largest energy using appliances in the home and, therefore, costs a lot to run during peak hours.
Weekday Subheading and Graph: The weekday subheader is dynamic by rate plan and tells customers how much more their energy costs during the peak hours. The graph notes the price ratio and relevant peak hours:
- Weekday Price Ratio: The weekday price ratio is dynamic by rate plan and compares the most expensive rate to the least expensive rate.
- Weekday Peak Hours: The weekday peak hours displays the most expensive period for the week.
Weekend Subheading and Graph: The weekend subheader is dynamic by rate plan and notes whether or not there are peak hours on weekends and holidays.
- Weekend Price Ratio: If the utility has weekend peak hours, the ratio is dynamic by rate plan and compares the most expensive rate to the least expensive rate.
- Weekend Peak Hours: If the utility has weekend peak hours, the peak hours displays the most expensive period for the weekend.
Graph Labels: The graph labels identify which periods in the graphs fall into peak, mid-peak, or off-peak hours.
- High Cost Period: A warning-color identifies the most expensive time range. It is dynamically rendered based on the customer's rate plan details. For example, "On-peak hours ($$$)."
- Medium Cost Period: A medium warm color identifies the time range that is neither the most or least expensive. It is dynamically rendered based on rate plan details. For example, "Partial-peak hours ($$)."
- Low Cost Period: A cool color identifies the least expensive time range. It is dynamically rendered based on rate plan details. For example, "Off-peak hours ($)."
Call to Action: The call to action invites the customer to view their full plan details and provides a URL to the utility's rate plan page.
Time of Use Progress Report
This section describes the user experience for a customer with the progress version of the module with a single, weekday peak, no weekend peak hours, and a seasonal variation.
Heading: The heading tells the customer that they can save money by using less energy during peak hours.
Weekday Subheading and Graph: The weekday subheader is dynamic by rate plan and tells customers how much more their energy costs during the peak hours. The graph notes the price ratio and relevant peak hours:
- Weekday Price Ratio: The weekday price ratio is dynamic by rate plan and compares the most expensive rate to the least expensive rate.
- Weekday Peak Hours: The weekday peak hours displays the most expensive period for the week.
Weekend Subheading and Graph: The weekend subheader notes whether or not there are peak hours on weekends.
- Weekend Price Ratio: If the utility has weekend peak hours, the ratio is dynamic by rate plan and compares the most expensive rate to the least expensive rate.
- Weekend Peak Hours: If the utility has weekend peak hours, the peak hours displays the most expensive period for the weekend.
Graph Labels: The graph labels identify which periods in the graphs fall into peak, mid-peak, or off-peak hours.
- High Cost Period: A warning-color identifies the most expensive time range. It is dynamically rendered based on the customer's rate plan details. For example, "On-peak hours ($$$)."
- Medium Cost Period: A medium warm color identifies the time range that is neither the most or least expensive. It is dynamically rendered based on rate plan details. For example, "Partial-peak hours ($$)."
- Low Cost Period: A cool color identifies the least expensive time range. It is dynamically rendered based on rate plan details. For example, "Off-peak hours ($)."
Details Subheading: The details section explains to the customer why it matters when they use energy.
Details Text: The text reminds the customer that saving energy during peak hours lowers their bill and helps their utility deliver clean energy to the community.
Call to Action: The call to action invites the customer to view their full plan details and provides a URL to the utility's rate plan page.
User Experience Variations
Welcome Experience
Heading and Body Text: The heading and body text varies depending on the report type, whether or not the customer has a dryer, and the number of timelines included in the report.
Timeline Variations: The timeline subheading text varies based on the customer's rate plan and the type of days displayed in the sliding scale.
Progress Experience
Timeline Variations: The timeline subheading text varies based on the customer's rate plan and the type of days displayed in the sliding scale.
Peak Focused Report
The welcome version of the Time of Use 101 module is included in the Peak Focused Welcome Report. The module educates customers about their on-peak use and offers educational insights into why saving energy during peak hours holds particular significance.
Demand Charge
The demand charge version of the module is included in the Peak Focus Welcome Report for customers who have a demand charges in addition to their Time of Use rates. The module educates customers about their rate plan's demand charge while emphasizing the critical role of minimizing peak demand to reduce costs. The module provides customers with information such as:
- Demand charges and their impact on overall costs
- Whether electricity prices differ on weekdays and weekends.
- How much more expensive peak prices are than off-peak prices.
- The hours during which electricity is most expensive.
- A visual timeline that displays off-peak, partial-peak, and peak hours.
This image is an example of a progress version of the Time of Use 101 module with demand charges for a customer with a weekly peak and partial peak periods, and no weekend peak periods.
Heading: The heading informs the customer that there are simple steps that they can take to save energy during peak hours.
Weekday Subheading and Graph: The weekday subheader is dynamic by rate plan and tells customers that their energy costs the most during the peak hours. The graph notes the price ratio and relevant peak hours:
- Weekday Price Ratio: The weekday price ratio is dynamic by rate plan and compares the most expensive rate to the least expensive rate.
- Weekday Peak Hours: The weekday peak hours displays the most expensive period and least expensive period for the week.
Weekend Subheading and Graph: The weekend subheader is dynamic by rate plan and notes whether or not there are peak hours on weekends.
- Weekend Price Ratio: If the utility has weekend peak hours, the ratio is dynamic by rate plan and compares the most expensive rate to the least expensive rate.
- Weekend Peak Hours: If the utility has weekend peak hours, the peak hours displays the most expensive period for the weekend.
Graph labels: The graph labels identify which periods in the graphs fall into peak, partial-peak, or off-peak hours.
- High Cost Period: A warning-color identifies the most expensive time range. It is dynamically rendered based on the customer's rate plan details. For example, "On-peak hours ($$$)."
- Medium Cost Period: A medium warm color identifies the time range that is neither the most or least expensive. It is dynamically rendered based on rate plan details. For example, "Partial-peak hours ($$)."
- Low Cost Period: A cool color identifies the least expensive time range. It is dynamically rendered based on rate plan details. For example, "Off-peak hours ($)."
Details Subheading: This heading prepares the customer to learn why it matters when they use energy.
Details Body Text: The body text explains that electricity more expensive during peak hours, and that the customer will incur a demand charge each bill period for their highest hour of on-peak use. The customer is encouraged to reduce large appliance use during on-peak hours in order to avoid the charge.
Call to Action: The call to action invites the customer to view their full plan details and provides a URL to the utility's rate plan page.