Want to save money on your power bill this summer? Georgia Power has a few little-known ways for customers to deal with high energy bills. Here’s a review of the utility’s five rate plans.
1) The Standard Plan: The default plan for every new and recurring customer, with a monthly base charge and variable rate that changes with your usage and time of the year.
- Recommended for: Those who are comfortable with fluctuations in their monthly bill, and aren’t interested in conservation measures. For your knowledge, below is the monthly rate* schedule:
- Winter: October – May, Prices range from 5.6582¢ – 4.7641¢ kWh depending on usage
- Summer: June – September, 5.6582¢ – 9.7273¢ per kWh
*Prices are approximate and do not include fuel, taxes and other charges.
2) The Nights & Weekends Plan: This plan requires you to change your energy usage from the peak
period (2-7 p.m.) on summer weekdays for the months June- September. This plan allows you to save up to 15 cents per kWh.
- Recommended for: Anyone willing to adjust their schedule.
- Important Note: Requires a 12-month contract.
3) The Plug-In Electric Vehicle Plan: This plan offers a discount for charging your electric vehicle at night or during other optimum times.
- Super-off peak: 11 p.m.- 7 a.m. daily. Charging your car during these hours will give you the lowest price
- Off-peak: This represents the majority of the hours in the year and is priced higher than super-off peak, but lower than on-peak.
- On-peak: Weekdays, 2-7 p.m. June through September, non-holidays. This time represents about 5 percent of the hours in a year. It works if you are willing to raise the thermostat or put off doing laundry while charging your vehicle.
4) The Smart Usage Plan: With this plan, Georgia Power supplies you with a FREE Nest thermostat, which tracks electricity usage in your home and encourages you to control your bill in simple ways, such as not using appliances simultaneously or shifting energy usage from peak time periods (2 p.m.- 7 a.m. Monday-Friday, June-September, excluding holidays). October through May is considered off-peak; rates are lower during these months.
- Recommended for: Those who can and are willing to pay attention to appliance usage.
- Important Note: This plan does not require a 12-month contract and can also be paired with the Flat Bill plan.
5) The Flat Bill Plan: Residents who’ve lived in their home for one year are eligible for this plan, which charges the same rate each month based on the average of your past year’s usage paired with the expected weather.
- Recommended for: Those who have been in their homes minimum of one year.
- Important Note: This plan requires a 12-month contract and can also be paired with the Smart Usage Plan. At the end of your first year, you will receive a letter with the recommended flat rate for the next 12 months, with the option to renew at that rate.
Call Georgia Power at 1-888-660-5890 (24 hours/7 days a week) or click the links above for more information. At each site you will find a calculator that will quickly give you an idea if that plan is right for you.
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One last tip: Have your A/C unit inspected and maintained each year by professionals. A poorly running unit will have your bills sky rocketing. If you aren’t sure who to go to, see our advertiser’s directory for a list of local service providers.