Three Smart Days in a Row! / myLot

Paso Robles, California

July 27, 2016 1:57pm CST

Two is an inconvenience. Three is a major disruption. The Smart Days take about five hours of computer time a day from me. What's a Smart Day? It's a day when I save money on electricity most days by cutting usage on Smart Days between 2 and 7 PM . They are called for 15 of the hottest days in the year. I usually try to leave the house and go to some air conditioned place to spend those hours. Today I'll probably go to the gym for part of the day. They have a lounge where I can read after I exercise. On Smart Days I normally unplug all applicances that don't have clocks to reset, turn off the computers, keep the TV and lights off, and sit and read my Kindle until I start to bake in my chair. Then I flee for the gym or the library or to shop or all three. If I use electricity during those hours I pay a .60 per kw surcharge. They lower my rate slightly on the other summer days. Do you have a Smart Rate program where you live? What do you do on Smart Days?

7 people like this

7 responses

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (382240)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Jul 16

We are on SmartPower where we pay much less between 9pm and 7am so I always wash and iron between these times. I might put a load of washing on before I go to bed or whatever. There are 'shoulder' rates and 'peak' rates as well as the 'low' rates overnight.

4 people like this

Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

28 Jul 16

We have choices like that here, too. There are about four different plans. Some apply every day with varying rates for different hours of usage. Some plans combine two plans. I chose to "suffer" for 15 days a year.

3 people like this

Ruby Hawk

@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

27 Jul 16

I have never heard of such a plan so I don't believe we have it. Sounds like it would really lower your power bill.

3 people like this

Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

28 Jul 16

I'm not sure it really lowers my bill as much as I was hoping. My bill was still $329 last month for just the two of us. I hardly ever use the stove or hot water. Probably the refrigerator, freezer, and computers use the most power. I only dry about four loads of clothes a month. It's the air conditioning that caused the rate hike. We can't take the heat.

1 person likes this

Ruby Hawk

@RubyHawk (99367)

• Atlanta, Georgia

29 Jul 16

@bagarad Your bill is more than ours but we live in a small apartment. i use cold water for laundry I use the dryer. I think the AC uses most electricity. We would burn up without it.

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Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

29 Jul 16

@RubyHawk So would we. I spend a few hours reading in the gym today and letting the club keep me cool. I could only cycle for about eight minutes of that time before my knee gave out.

2 people like this

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ShannyBananny

@shaggin (74987)

• United States

8 Aug 16

I have heard of same places that do this but I am pretty sure out electric company does not do this. I do get a discount off my electric though each month due to being low income.

2 people like this

Teep11

@Teep11 (7673)

• United States

27 Jul 16

If there's no need to use up electricity then don't do so. That's great that you're saving. Enjoy today.

3 people like this

Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

28 Jul 16

Sometimes I really do need to use it. I don't like having to shut the computer down during some of my best working hours.

1 person likes this

Gina

@Gina145 (3949)

• Johannesburg, South Africa

7 Aug 16

I remember you wrote about it last year, but that's the only time I've ever heard about Smart Days. We don't have air conditioning in our house so I understand about fleeing the heat. There were a few days last summer when we had to flee to shopping centres to escape from the heat. I could handle it, but it was just a bit too much for my Mom. Our summers aren't usually that hot though and I certainly hope the one that's coming will be better.

2 people like this

Barbara Radisavlejvic

@bagarad (14283)

• Paso Robles, California

30 Aug 16

We are in the high nineties today. Fortunately I don't have to leave, since they didn't call a Smart Day for today. There will probably be a few more before the end of the Smart Day season.

1 person likes this