Time of Use (TOU) is an electric billing structure that charges different rates for periods of high versus low electric usage.
TOU rates help utility providers to better align the costs that electricity consumers see with the actual cost of producing that electricity. The cost of electricity changes throughout the day, with higher costs at times when demand for electricity is greater.
DPU's Time-of-Use rate, once implemented no sooner than July 2026, will include a higher rate during peak hours (from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily) and a discounted rate during off-peak hours (all other hours). This type of rate structure is common in the electric utility industry, and several of our neighboring communities already use similar Time-of-Use billing approaches.