ETS Heat Offers Value

Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) heaters can save you money. How much? Well, that depends upon many things:

• How big is the area you wish to heat?
• How well does that area retain heat?
• How much of your total electric use you can shift to off-peak times?

ETS heaters charge ceramic bricks with heat inside a super-insulated chamber when wholesale power rates are their lowest. Then, the heaters release this stored heat throughout the day when it is needed. Because the heaters don’t store heat when wholesale electric rates are at their highest, the cooperative pays less for the power the heaters use. SLVREC passes this savings on to members.

Members who use ETS heaters as their primary heat source are billed for their electric use based upon the time of that usage. Rates during off-peak times are lower than standard residential rates; rates during on-peak times are higher than standard residential rates. Members who shift a substantial portion of their electric use to off-peak times will see a significant savings on their electric bill.

Compared to propane, the cost to heat the same area with an ETS heater is equal when propane costs between $1.05 and $1.25 per gallon (the variation reflects differences in propane heater efficiency). In other words, at current SLVREC time-of-use rates, when propane costs more than $1.25 per gallon, ETS heat is less expensive. When propane costs less than $1.25 per gallon, ETS heat costs more.

Exact comparisons are difficult to make for pellet stoves because of differences in stove efficiencies and pellet densities. In general though, it costs about the same to run an ETS heater as it does to run a pellet stove. However, ETS heat requires no intervention. The heaters continue to provide warmth no matter whether you are home to load pellets or not.
If you can shift some of your electric use to off-peak times, ETS is a cost-effective heating option for you! The more electric load you can shift, the more you will save.

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Time of Use Rates

October thru March: Winter Hours
On Peak—5:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
and 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Off Peak—12:01 p.m. to 4:29 p.m.
and 10:31 p.m. to 5:29 a.m.

April thru September: Summer Hours
On Peak—4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Off Peak—10:01 p.m. to 3:59 p.m.
of the next day

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