Energy Watch is an optional pricing program designed to help reduce demands on our electric system during critical times in the summer. This program is available for participating customers in Emmett and Letha who have Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters.

• Energy Watch Program Sign Up

Southern Idaho’s summer months place the greatest demand on our electrical system. Many thousands of air conditioning units cooling homes and businesses throughout the valley coincides with the agricultural irrigation season, creating an ever-increasing need for power during the hot afternoon and evening hours. That’s why we’d like you to consider rethinking your energy use this summer and join our Energy Watch program.

How Does it Work?

Participating in Energy Watch means that you’ll pay the same low rate for electricity for the majority of the summer, 7.3 cents per kWh. In return, you will be charged a much higher rate during Energy Watch hours in the summer. Energy Watch hours will be limited to a four-hour block of time between 5 and 9 p.m. for no more than 10 days, from June 15 through Aug. 15.

Participants will be notified by phone and/or e-mail by 4 p.m. the day before Energy Watch hours are scheduled to begin. For example, Energy Watch hours will be implemented when the demand for electricity is very high and the energy supply becomes limited. On a day when Energy Watch hours are in effect, participants would be asked to use as little electricity as possible between 5 and 9 p.m. This may mean grilling outdoors instead of using your stovetop. It could also be as simple as waiting until after 9 p.m. to do laundry or run your dishwasher.

On these 10 days, from 5 to 9 p.m., participants’ energy will be very expensive—20 cents per kWh—or about three times the normal rate. This rate is in effect only for the duration of that four-hour block; after that your electricity use is once again billed at the lower rate. There are no Energy Watch hours during the months of September through May.