Recently we were looking for more options for our neighbors and ourselves to save money on that summertime SRP Bills. We researched and found many options that were tied to savings on the electric bills including window coverings, changing out our windows for higher efficiency, updating our appliances, and even sunscreens.
The most expensive option we found was adding solar to our system. This was not a good option as I wasn’t looking to lower one bill and add another. Without liquid funds to pay for the solar system, we were looking at adding $300-$500 per month as another bill. Not what we were looking for as a way to save money.
In talks with a local friend and neighbor, his suggestion was to add a demand manager to our home.
A demand manager is like a computer that regulates and talks with the electrical systems running in our house. It tells the system how much energy has been used and routes the system so there are no spikes in energy throughout the day.
When you regulate the system there are no spikes to the system from the air conditioner or pool pump and therefore there are no sudden jumps in our energy use.
We checked into adding a demand manager by Ego Electric to our home and determined that upfront cost was going to take 24 months to recover based on their figures for savings per month.
The savings would be immediate in the first month of use and would even last throughout the winter months when the electric stove and pool pump were in use.
The greatest part of adding a demand manager to my electrical panel was to make the system the most efficient I had to lower my thermostat to 72 degrees. The company suggested 68-70 degrees but I found that even cooler than I liked.
Yes, I was able to lower the temp in the house and save money on my electric bills.
I’d suggest for any homeowner looking to save money to consider the demand manager as a viable option to save money for months and years to come.
