Consumers Energy has implemented summer rates for electricity usage, which began on June 1 and will last until Sept. 30.
During weekdays, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., customers will see charges of approximately 23 cents per kilowatt-hour. At all other times during the summer, including weekends, the rate drops to around 18 cents per kilowatt-hour. In contrast, the non-summer months feature a flat rate of about 15 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Matt Johnson with Consumers Energy explained the reasoning behind the increased summer pricing. “With kids at home and people running their A-C more, it's more demand on the system resulting in higher price,” he said.
To help manage energy costs, Johnson offers several tips to beat the heat and save on bills:
- Pre-cool your home in the morning
- Cook outside
- Keep shades drawn
- Window and door quality control
Use Smart Technology
“Get a smart thermostat. If you don't already have a smart thermostat, they're great. You can get an app on your phone that shows you, you know, sets your temperature to whatever temperature you need it to be while you're home. A lot of people, unnecessarily, are cooling their homes when they're away, right? So we encourage people to turn your thermostat up a couple of degrees when you're not at home, so that you're not using electricity and air conditioning unnecessarily,” Johnson advised.
For those wishing to reduce electricity costs during peak hours further, Johnson recommends participating in Consumers Energy's Critical Peak Pricing Program. “You'll never have to pay more by participating in the program if you don't tone down your usage during those peak times,” he said. The program offers credits for every kilowatt-hour of energy avoided during the high-demand period.
“With kids at home and people running their A-C more, it's more demand on the system resulting in higher price,”
Customers can verify their enrollment in the Critical Peak Pricing Program through their Consumers Energy bill or by accessing their accounts on the Consumers Energy website.
As air conditioning usage and electrical demands rise, some customers may find their bills increasing. For those seeking assistance with payments, information on budget planning, high bill alerts, and additional resources for help is available.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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