Little known PHX utility savings revealed

Heading into summer your utility bill is probably on your mind.  There are plenty of ways to save money here and there, check out our recent post about How To Cut Your Utility Bill in 30 Minutes for some ideas.

Depending upon which utility company you use there are actually billing plans available to you to save even more.  Here’s the quick version of what is offered through our two different Valley companies.

• SRP – SRP Customers have two pricing options to help cut costs.  Rather than being charged the usual flat rate for the basic utility usage plan at all times of the day, year round, these two plans offer something different.

• EZ-3 – This plan is pretty straightforward.  The EZ-3 plan charges two different rates depending when it is used.  You are simply charged the higher rate from 3pm to 6pm, Monday through Friday and the lower rate the rest of the day. When enrolling in the EZ-3 plan, the average customer saves 4% annually than they would on the basic plan.
•  Time-Of-Use – This plan is slightly more complicated but once you’ve got the hang of it, the average customer saves between 6%-7% annually.  The TOU plan charges two different rates depending upon when the energy is used just like the EZ-3 plan, but the windows of time are more complicated.  From May to October, you are charged the higher rate from 1pm to 8pm and the lower rate for the remainder of the evening and morning.  The plan then switches so that from November to April the higher rate falls between 5am to 9am, and then from 5pm to 9pm.  This may seem too convoluted but posting a reminder on your fridge of the more expensive hours should do the trick.

Another great feature of selecting either of these plans is SRP’s 90-day guarantee. If you find that being on either plan is costing you more than you were on the basic plan, you are able to switch back with no penalty and will actually be credited the difference. Giving either plan a try can’t hurt!

• APS – APS customers are offered a completely different type of program called the Equalizer Level Billing Program.  The benefit of switching to this plan rather than the basic plan is to ensure a flat rate bill each and every month no matter your usage.  In order to qualify for this plan you must have a 9 to 12 month billing history with APS at your current home.  Your energy usage is then averaged out during this time frame to establish your new monthly flat rate.

This is a cool feature to help out monthly budgeting but there is no savings here you say? This is true, but with enough planning there can.   Take care to be stingy in your next 9 or so months of utility usage and then apply for the Equalizer Level Billing Program and bam, there is your savings!

By simply raising your awareness of your utility usage and sticking to whichever savings plan you qualify for, you will certainly cut your monthly costs and save a bit extra on that budget.