This graph shows average electricity use and costs for a Farmers EC member. The Baseload is the area below the dotted line (green and blue). It remains stable throughout the year compared with the Variable Load for heating and cooling above the line (orange).
Average Farmers Ec Residential Members’ Electricity Bill: $1,913 Annually.*
Use Your Baseload to Create an Energy Reduction Goal
Step 1: Gather your electric bills for the last 12 months. If you do not have your paper statements, you can review your history online through your SmartHub account. If you do not have a SmartHub account, now is a good time to create one. Sign up.
Step 2: Find your 2 lowest months for the 12-month period—most likely during the early fall and early spring. Average these 2 months together to determine your Baseload. Also try to recall if these months included any heating or cooling. Not every member has months that they completely turn off their heating/cooling system. Some members may have a small amount of heating and cooling associated with their Baseload. That is okay. The important part is to understand the minimum amount of energy you use each month, with the least influence from heating or cooling your home.
Step 3: Now subtract your Baseload from your most expensive month. This is your highest Variable Load. Now you can set a goal to reduce your Variable Load and can measure your efforts against the next high bill month. Using the information in the following pages, you could be able to reduce your highest Variable Load by 20 to 50%.
🟠 Variable Load
While your Variable Load is almost half of your annual usage, it is compressed into about 6 to 7 months of the year. This makes your Variable Load the primary cause for spikes in seasonal billing. Energy savings here make substantial impacts in your annual electricity costs.
🔵 🟢 Baseload
Your Baseload is simply the typical amount of energy needed to run your home, minus heating and cooling costs. This includes powering large appliances and lighting as well as small appliances and electronics. While they add up to roughly half the amount you spend on electricity, not all these factors are created equal. Bottom line: Large appliances and lighting offer modest opportunities to save energy and money. Small electronic use and personal habits have minimal impact.