Beat the Peak - Do your part to help control wholesale energy costs and keep rates down!

Beat the Peak is a free and voluntary program that helps control energy costs for all CVEC members. During peak hours, members may receive alerts encouraging them to reduce electricity consumption for a short period of time.

Alerts are activated only when extreme weather conditions are predicted to cause unusually high energy usage by many people during the same time frame, such as unusually hot summer afternoons or extremely cold winter mornings.

Why should members participate?

Banding together and helping one another is the cooperative way. Our members collectively have the means to help control what CVEC must pay for wholesale power, which affects rates for all members. 

The single largest expense CVEC has is the price of energy we deliver to our members. When demand for electricity rises, the wholesale cost to buy it rises. When CVEC purchases large amounts of energy during these peak periods when prices are highest, it can have a significant impact on rates. Through our Beat the Peak campaign, our goal is to keep the amount of power we have to buy as low as possible so the rates are controlled over the course of the year.

What does a Beat the Peak alert ask me to do?

During peak hours, members are encouraged to reduce or postpone power-intensive activities during a specific time, typically only a few hours long. We understand that you can't always postpone certain things, such as showers, but when possible during peak demand, members are asked to: 

• Adjust your thermostat by 3 degrees

  • move it higher during summer peaks

  • move it lower during winter peaks

• Delay hot water consumption (if you have an electric water heater)

  • delay showers until after peak

  • wait to run the dishwasher or washing machine

• Postpone using heavy appliances like your electric oven and dryer

For more info contact us at 405.382.3680