During a hot summer in Kansas City, many of us are keeping a close eye on our electric bill. But if you log into the Evergy platform, you may come across a surprise if you live in Missouri: Evergy’s new time-based energy plans are coming for residential customers. All current plans will be replaced with the new rates — rates that depend on the time of day you’re using electricity.
With the new plans starting in October, customers now have the opportunity to select their new plan from four time-based options. If you don’t select your plan before October, Evergy will automatically convert your account to their new “standard” plan.
Keep reading to learn more about the options available and how they’ll affect your electric bill.
Option 1: Standard Peak Saver
The Standard Peak Saver is Evergy’s new default plan. With the Standard Peak Saver plan, customers will experience an increase in the per-kilowatt hour rate between 4pm-8pm on weekdays from June to September. During those times, the price will more than triple, rising from $0.09 to $0.38 per kilowatt hour. A 322% increase.
This means that, if you choose this plan, you’ll want to be sure to shift the majority of your energy usage to the hours outside of the 4pm to 8pm window on weekdays.
Option 2: Peak Reward Saver
The concept of the Peak Reward Saver isn’t far off from the Standard Peak Saver, as customers will want to avoid heavy energy uses between 4pm and 8pm. But rather than this only being the case during weekdays in the summer, it’s for every day of the week.
The pricing plan consists of three tiers based on monthly usage, ranging from 600 kWh to over 1,000 kWh. Once a customer surpasses the energy allotment in one tier, the price transitions to the rate of the next tier.
In the summer months, the initial 1,000 kWh are charged at a rate of $0.14 per kWh. Once the first 1,000 kWh is consumed, the price increases to $0.15 per kWh.
During the winter months, Evergy will charge $0.12 per kWh for the first 600 kWh consumed. Subsequently, the price decreases to $0.07 per kWh for the next 400 kWh used. For the subsequent 1,000 kWh, the rate further decreases to $0.06 per kWh.
With this plan, customers will receive either a credit or an extra charge on their bill, based on when they’re using electricity.
Option 3: Nights & Weekends Saver
The Nights & Weekends Saver Plan is for those who are focused on budget and/or sustainability. Electricity prices will vary based on the time of day, day of the week, and the season.
During the peak hours of 4pm-8pm, customers on the Nights & Weekends Saver Plan will be charged $0.33 per kWh in the summer months and $0.27 per kWh in the winter months. However, customers can receive significantly lower rates during “Saver” and “Super Saver” hours.
“Saver” hours are considered to be 6am-4pm and 8pm-12am on weekdays, and 12am-6am on weekdays. “Super Saver” hours are every day between 12am-6am.
During the summer, the prices decrease to $0.11 per kWh during “Saver” times and $0.05 per kWh during “Super Saver” times. In the winter months, customers will be charged $0.10 per kWh during “Saver” times and $0.04 per kWh during “Super Saver” times.
Option 4: Nights & Weekends Max Saver
To go even more extreme than the Nights & Weekends Saver, there’s the Nights & Weekends Max Saver plan. Evergy claims this is designed for people who are flexible energy users, as well as those who drive Electric Vehicles.
Customers enrolled in the Nights & Weekends Max Saver plan will experience elevated energy prices from 4pm-8pm, with a charge of $0.35 per kWh during the summer months and $0.27 per kWh during the winter months.
In the summer, the prices drop to $0.11 per kWh during the “Saver” times and further decrease to $0.02 per kWh during “Super Saver” times. Throughout the winter months, customers will be billed $0.09 per kWh during “Saver” times and $0.02 per kWh during “Super Saver” times.
Will Evergy’s New Time-Based Energy Plans Save You Money?
This is the big question, huh?
While putting the word “Saver” in each of the new available plans is a clever trick that makes it sound like every option will save every customer money, this simply isn’t the case.
The fact of the matter is that some customers will save money, but many others will see their electricity bills increase. Customers who have the flexibility to ensure their lifestyle aligns with the “Saver” hours rather than the “peak” hours, may be able to save money.
But it comes at a bit of a cost — for example, this means that you wouldn’t want to pump the air conditioner during the hottest hours of the day, start the washing machine when you get home from work, or run the dishwasher right after dinner.
According to KCUR, Evergy estimates that 70% of customers will save money under the new plan. But Evergy needs to meet its bottom line somehow, so that means the other 30% are going to have to pay the difference in the form of higher prices.
If you’re not sure which plan would fit you best, Evergy does offer a tool to help you compare rates and calculate the potential cost based on your personal historical energy usage.
Tired of All the Increasing Energy Prices? Solar Panels Can Help
Unfortunately, the issue of rising energy prices and changes to the pricing structure to squeeze more out of electricity consumers isn’t new. Energy prices have surged more than 34% year-over-year part of a long-term trend that has seen prices rise consistently over the past several decades.
But installing solar panels is one of the best ways to protect against the rising costs of electricity.
With solar panels, you can lock in the cost of your monthly energy bills. The stable monthly payments help you avoid financial surprises — and eventually, your monthly electric bill may disappear altogether.
Plus, you won’t have to be in a constant state of stress trying to remember whether running the dishwasher at any certain time is going to be something you regret next month when the electric bill shows up.
While solar panels do have an upfront cost, the pricing is much more transparent and predictable. And it typically only takes 8-10 years to see a total reurn on your investment. In other words, that’s how long it takes until you’ve recovered the initial money you spent on your solar panel system.
From that point on, you’re only putting the would-be costs of your electric bill back in your pocket.
Vanquish Fluctuating Energy Prices For Good!
If you are looking for the best solar company in Kansas City, look no further than KC Solar. They are your local Kansas City solar panel installation experts. Once you schedule a no-pressure site visit, our experts will help you understand what solar system specifications would be best for your home or business.
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