Peak demand pricing can significantly increase your electricity costs when your usage spikes above a defined threshold, even for a short time. Emporia’s Peak Demand Management feature helps you monitor usage and automatically adjust connected devices to avoid triggering these higher charges.
What is peak demand pricing?
Peak demand refers to the highest level of power your home draws during a billing period, often measured as a 15‑minute averaged interval by utilities. Some utilities add demand charges or change your rate based on the highest interval, which can substantially increase your bill if you exceed their threshold.
Example of peak demand pricing
Suppose your home typically uses around 2 kW, but during a party, you briefly spike to 8 kW with HVAC, EV charging, and other loads running at once.
If your utility has a 5 kW demand threshold (using 15‑minute averages) and you exceed it even once, your entire month may be billed at a higher “peak demand” rate.
Note: This is just one example; utilities differ in thresholds, averaging windows, and how demand charges are applied, so always review your own provider’s tariff details.
How Emporia helps
Using Emporia’s Peak Demand Management feature, you can automatically keep your real‑time usage under a chosen demand threshold. The system tracks your total load and adjusts connected devices so you are less likely to trigger higher demand charges.
Key benefits
Monitor real‑time usage: Emporia tracks your whole‑home consumption and surfaces trends that affect peak demand.
Automatic adjustments: The platform can temporarily turn off or reduce usage of connected devices to stay under your configured demand goal.
Prevent high charges: Keeping demand below your utility threshold can prevent being billed at higher rates, potentially saving hundreds of dollars in a single month.
What you need
To use Peak Demand Management, you need an energy monitor plus controllable devices that Emporia can manage.
Energy monitor
A Vue energy monitor (such as Vue 3, Vue Gen 2, or Vue Gen 1) with 200A CTs installed on your main lines.
Controllable devices
Emporia EV Chargers with on/off and charge‑rate control.
Emporia Smart Plugs with on/off control.
Compatible smart thermostats that support temperature adjustments.
Navigating the Emporia app
You configure Peak Demand Management from the Discover section of the Emporia app.
Tap the Discover button at the bottom of the app.
Select Peak Demand Management (second option from the top).
Choose which Vue energy monitor is tracking your system's mains.
Once selected, you can see and configure the devices that will participate in demand management.
Connected smart devices
The Peak Demand Management settings page shows a list of connected smart devices that can be automated.
Enable devices: Turn on the toggle next to each device you want Emporia to control.
Set priority: Tap and hold the handle (four bars) next to a device to drag it up or down; devices at the top have the highest priority (turned off last, turned back on first), while those at the bottom have the lowest priority.
Prioritization helps keep your most important loads running while lower‑priority devices cycle off to protect you from demand charges.
Feature behavior
The energy monitor continuously measures your total usage and compares it to your configured demand threshold. When usage approaches or exceeds that threshold, the system automatically adjusts connected devices to bring consumption back under the limit.
Example scenario
Threshold: Peak Demand goal set at 6.0 kW.
Below threshold: All enabled devices run normally when total usage is well under 6.0 kW.
Approaching threshold: If usage rises to about 5.7 kW and an air conditioner drawing roughly 2.0 kW is running, total demand could jump to around 7.7 kW; the system will turn off the AC or another lower‑priority device to reduce load to about 3.7 kW.
Staying under threshold: The device remains off until overall usage stays below a safe margin (for example, under 4.0 kW), helping prevent another spike that would exceed your demand goal.
This automatic cycling helps smooth out short‑term peaks while maintaining comfort and essential services where possible.
Feedback and suggestions
Emporia is committed to helping you manage energy efficiently with features like Peak Demand Management. If you have questions about configuration or run into issues, our Customer Support team is available to help and welcomes feedback to improve future guides and app capabilities.