Vernon Electric Cooperative experiences a high demand for electricity during certain times of the year when it is either very cold or very hot.
These peaks are also associated with the time of the day. Since we are a rural utility, our members are mostly residential and farm. Because of this, our demand for electricity increases between the hours when people are getting up and when they leave home for work or school. Our demand increases again between the hours when people come home and when they go to bed. These typically are the same hours when dairy farmers are milking. When you have very cold or hot weather, you are also adding electric heating equipment (i.e. space heaters, furnace blowers, etc.) or cooling equipment (i.e. air conditioners, refrigerators, etc.).
"Peak Period" is the term we use when everybody wants electricity at the same time and utility generators must be ramped up to full speed to meet that demand. There can be occasions when the demand for electricity by members is greater than what the generators can produce. It is times like these when it's important for members to reduce energy consumption as much as possible. Vernon Electric Cooperative gives incentives for members to allow the cooperative to automatically control their electric water heater, electric vehicle, electric heat and/or their air conditioning during peak periods.
Please refer to our Forms/Downloads page for documents related to our Off-Peak programs, such as the Off-Peak Heat Agreement, Off-Peak Cost Comparison Sheet and Off-Peak Wiring Diagram.