There are two utilities that provide electricity to the residents of Greater Phoenix, and both of them know that during the summer months, the demand for electricity climbs with the temperatures. Both of those utilities offer a rate plan for people who can allocate major parts of their usage to off-peak hours, and those people are rewarded with lower electricity rates. The trick is that if you sign up for one of these rate plans, and you use the bulk of your electricity during high-peak hours anyway, you'll be charged even more than before. Having a programmable thermostat is critical to being able to get the most benefit from your plan.

If you are a Salt River Project (SRP) customer, the hours for your Time of Use Plan change on May 1 for the summer and last through October 31st. As of May 1, the only On Peak hours are Monday though Friday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you are an Arizona Public Service (APS) customer, your On Peak and Off Peak hours don't change.

Is a Time Advantage or Time of Use Plan right for you? It's worth a few minutes of your time to check it out.