Small Business Response Rewards
Shift energy use to parts of the day when energy is less expensive and reap monthly savings with Response Rewards.
Managing your small business expenses takes constant attention. As your energy partner, WPS offers ways to help you keep your energy costs manageable. One great way is through Response Rewards.
Response Rewards is a cost-saving rate that gives you the opportunity to reduce your monthly bills just by shifting some of your energy use times to Off-Peak hours, and by reducing your energy use during Critical-Peak hours.
By nature, small businesses are often nimble and responsive. If your small business has some flexibility in its operations, consider reducing your monthly energy costs with Response Rewards.
It Pays to be Flexible
With Response Rewards, the price you pay for the energy you use is based on the time of day you use it. Prices during the high-demand parts of each day, when other businesses and homes are using a high amount of energy are called On-Peak. At these times, you pay a higher per kilowatt hour price than you would on a standard rate.
The low-demand times of the day are called Off-Peak and the price you'll pay per kilowatt hour is significantly lower than you'd pay with the standard rate. The Off-Peak rate rewards you for doing the big things you need to do when energy is at a lower cost.
Most small business customers pay the Standard Small Commercial rate, which has a constant per kilowatt hour rate.
With Response Rewards, you start paying attention to when you use energy, but without giving up comforts, conveniences or productivity. By switching your big energy use activities to the Off-Peak periods, you'll lower your per kilowatt hour rate, saving you money in the long run.
Taking Flexibility One Critical Step Further
What makes Response Rewards a perfect rate fit for small businesses with flexibility is a limited set of hours called Critical- Peak, when prices or demand for energy is extra high. These Critical-Peak hours have the highest per kilowatt hour price, so it's best to avoid energy use during Critical-Peak periods.
To help you identify those times, WPS contacts you via pager, text, e-mail or fax at least one hour before a Critical-Peak period begins, usually during extremely hot or cold weather periods when there is a very high demand for electricity. This gives you time to shut off the big energy users in your business— copiers, equipment, machinery and the like.
WPS will then notify you in the same way at least 30 minutes prior to the Critical-Peak ending, so your business can resume its normal energy use.
Critical-Peak accounts for a maximum of 150 hours, or roughly 3% or less of all hours you could be using energy in a year's time. Off- Peak hour savings are available to you every day of the week.
Response Rewards Schedule
| Off-Peak Hours | On-Peak Hours | Critical-Peak Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| October-April Monday-Friday (except holidays*) |
12 p.m. – 5 p.m. / 8 p.m. – 7 a.m. |
7 a.m. – 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. |
Varies (limited to 150 hours per year) |
| May-September Monday-Friday (except holidays*) |
8 p.m. – 11 a.m. | 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Varies (limited to 150 hours per year) |
*These holidays are around-the-clock savings days: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday following Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day.
Does Your Small Business Qualify For Response Rewards?
WPS has classified three levels (rate schedules) of small business customers that may be eligible for Response Rewards based on the amount of electricity (kWh) used per month.
Rate schedules Cg-1 and Cg-2 are customers that use less than 12,500 kWh per month.* Rate schedule Cg-5 customers use between 12,500 kWh and 24,999 kWh per month.* Small business customers of all types may be eligible to take advantage of this rate opportunity.
Examples of Some Eligible Businesses
- Retail (Goods and Services)
- Business Office
- Healthcare Facility
- Industrial/Manufacturing
- Small Business (Other/Misc.)
* Customer demand must not exceed 100 kW for three consecutive months.
Cg-1 and Cg-2 Small Business Response Rewards
Cg-5 Small Business Response Rewards
Enroll in Response Rewards
Still not sure whether your small business is eligible for Response Rewards, or if it's the right rate for your company? Call the Business Solutions Center at 877-444-0888 to determine which Response Rewards rate is right for you and to enroll. By enrolling, you will need to participate for at least a year in order to see whether the rate really can work for you.