Automatically conserve energy when electricity use is at its peak

Between June 1 and September 30, demand for electricity soars. During these times, the Central Hudson Peak Perks Program automatically engages the central air conditioning or heat pump systems of participating households in a “conservation event”.

When a conservation event occurs, Central Hudson Gas & Electric will send a wireless signal to your smart thermostat to cycle the central air conditioner or heat pump compressor. The compressor then operates on and off in 10 to 15 minute intervals until energy supply and demand are once again balanced. Your heating or cooling system is never “turned off”—its compressor just operates half the time it did in the hour before the conservation event. Your system’s fan will continue to run during the conservation event, circulating air throughout your home.

If your central air conditioner or heat pump is off during the hour preceding the conservation event, it will remain off for the duration of the event. If you turn it on at any point during the course of an event, your compressor will only operate 15 minutes of every half hour until the event concludes. At that time, the compressor will return to full operation, cooling your home down to your thermostat temperature setting.

A typical conservation event causes an average 1 to 3 degree rise in temperature. The temperature increase of a home during this time will depend on many variables: outside temperature, size of the central air conditioner or heat pump system, sunlight coming through the windows and the length of the conservation event. Most participants in similar programs across the country don’t notice when a conservation event is occurring.

A typical conservation event will last for at least one-half hour, and may last up to four hours. Central Hudson expects five to ten conservation events between June 1 and September 30. A conservation event is most likely to occur on a weekday afternoon when electricity demand is at its peak.

Your smart thermostat and energy manager portal will notify you that a conservation event is taking place. If you’re home, you can choose to shift your high energy appliance use to after the conservation event ends. For instance, you could do the laundry and run the dishwasher in the evening.

You have the option of overriding two conservation events each summer. Just call us if you need to opt out.

Every kilowatt of electricity not generated during a conservation event helps:

• Keep our electricity rates lower over the long term
• Reduce the amount of carbon emissions and other pollutants associated with peak power generation
• Minimize the need for costly new infrastructure