What is the demand charge? Demand refers to the rate at which electricity used at a single point in time, measured in kilowatts (kW). Minnkota Power bills Clearwater-Polk based on five different demand-based components, which together account for about 50% of our monthly wholesale power bill, incorporating demand charges into member rates is a necessary and equitable step. Meters enrolled in load control contribute to the cost of three of these five demand components, while all other meters contribute to all five.
The highest demand executed within the current billing period, which is measured in kilowatts (kw), is multiplied by a demand charge determined from your billing rate and applied to the bill.
Your monthly energy usage is different from the Demand. Energy usage which is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) represents the total amount of electricity consumed over the billing period. That usage gets multiplied by the current billing rate and applied to the bill.
The average residential demand for a CPEC member will vary from household to household.
You can take control of your demand by changing everyday household behaviors. Major electrical appliances that may contribute to high demand costs include the air conditioner, clothes dryer, water heater, electric range, and oven. To bring down the billing period peak, spread out the use of these high- powered appliances throughout the day. Try not to use them at that the same time since this behavior may cause the demand to rise.
Please watch this video from Minnkota Power Cooperative, our power supplier.
Your monthly demand appears on your electric bill in the Current Service Detail section under Current Activity of the bill.
You may also view your demand in SmartHub. Log into your account. In the menu, select Usage, then Usage Explorer, select the non-heat meter and change to Daily, also change the Usage Type to [kWh and Demand kW], and a line will appear to show your demand. Heat meters do not acquire a demand charge for off-peak meter usage.
The Off-peak meter/meters are not charged demand usage. Our members that are participating in the Off-peak program receive a reduced off-peak electric rate based on the current Off-peak metered rate they are on. This is in exchange for helping the cooperative shed the load during high electricity demand and high electricity market prices. The electric heat source loads are controlled (shut off) during peak demand periods.
A home on the Off-peak program has equipment at the location that receives an electronic signal when the load is to be controlled. This signal will shut off the electric heat source and require the backup heat source to kick in. Typically, the backup source would be propane or fuel oil.
For information about the Off-peak program, please contact our Member Services Department at 218-694-8205.
