Connecticut peak load pricing test. Final report

• Main Author: Not Available
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: 29 ENERGY PLANNING; POLICY AND ECONOMY; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION; CONSUMPTION; AND UTILIZATION; ELECTRIC POWER; RATE STRUCTURE; ELECTRIC UTILITIES; LOAD MANAGEMENT; PEAK-LOAD PRICING; RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS; POWER DEMAND; CONNECTICUT; ELECTRIC APPLIANCES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GRAPHS; OFF-PEAK POWER; OPERATION; TABLES; APPLIANCES; BUILDINGS; DATA; DATA FORMS; INFORMATION; MANAGEMENT; NORTH AMERICA; NORTH ATLANTIC REGION; NUMERICAL DATA; POWER; PRICES; PUBLIC UTILITIES; USA; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5421762; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5421762; https://doi.org/10.2172/5421762

The purpose of the test was to determine the response of electric power customers to a time- and price-differentiated rate structure based on the innovative concept of peak load pricing. 250 utility customers were used in the study, were grouped according to annual Kwh consumption, and were balanced against a control group. The data derived from the test, including both the data from the recording devices and those yielded by interviews, showed that, in comparison with the control group, the test group customers: shifted substantial amounts of consumption out of the peak and intermediate periods into the off-peak periods; made better utilization of system facilities, as shown by a higher load factor based on the test group load coincident with system peak; found it easier to respond by shifting consumption away from the peak periods in summer than in winter; altered schedules rather than uses; found it generally easy to alter schedules to take advantage of the rate, with laundry the easiest activity to reschedule; and improved of the innovative rate structure and felt that it gave them the opportunity to save on their electric bill. It was concluded from the results that residential customers of all levels of use are able to respond to a rate structure based upon time periods with different prices. The majority of the test customers appeared to welcome the opportunity to make an economic choice in the time they used electricity.