Here's something we can all do to address climate change: "shave the peak" (reduce your energy demands at times of peak usage on very hot or very cold days).

In New England, we usually know in advance when peaks will occur. demand forecasts take many factors into account including weather. Energy consumers can create an alternative way to meet peak demand by reducing our energy usage. We can do that by simple energy conservation efforts—or even by changing when we use electricity: by turning off lights, TVs, and electric ovens, turning down AC (or using fans instead). And if you own an electric vehicle, you have an extra ability to shave the peak by ensuring that you only charge your EV on off-peak hours.

By reducing total system demand during peak events, you’re helping renewable energy resources displace fossil fuels and thus meet a higher percentage of our electricity needs.

You can now sign up for peak day text alerts.

To sum up:

Peak days occur on the coldest days in winter and the hottest days in summer, when the grid operators have to turn on dirty and expensive power plants to meet skyrocketing demand.

Just 1% of the year accounts for 8% of the electricity costs, and 10% of the year accounts for 40%.

We don’t have enough renewable energy to green up the grid during peak events. So we need to Shave the Peak.

You can help Shave the Peak by signing up for peak alerts here and supporting our advocacy efforts as we push for a cleaner, more efficient grid.