Encourages Community to Reduce Energy Usage from 5 pm to 8 pm
Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) issued a peak alert for tomorrow, Thursday, July 2, as part of its Defeat the Peak program launched during summer 2017, encouraging members of the Burlington community to reduce their energy usage from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. The purpose of the Defeat the Peak program is to reduce our energy costs by reducing usage during a peak event.
Vermont Electric Cooperative is encouraging members to conserve electricity Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings as demand for electricity across New England is expected to spike because of high temperatures. Specifically, VEC asks members to conserve between 5-10 pm all three evenings
Burlingtonians can lend a hand by taking the following steps on what is projected to be an unusually hot summer day:
- Raise thermostat temperatures or turn off air conditioners between the hours of 5:00pm and 8:00pm before returning air conditioners to cooler settings;
- Wait until after 8:00pm or later to use washing machines, clothing dryers, dishwashers, and other appliances;
- Turn off non-essential lights until 8:00pm and later;
- Avoid charging electric vehicles between 5:00pm and 8:00pm; and
- Delay other discretionary electric consumption until after 8:00pm.
BED has called the peak alert due to extreme regional temperatures. The New England region reaches peak demand for electricity during the summer. A significant portion of BED’s costs as a utility is determined by how much energy our community is using during the summer peak. In addition, by reducing our peak energy use we can also help reduce the region’s reliance on fossil fuel peaker plants.
Based on customer input, BED designed a community reward opportunity to motivate customer participation in Defeat the Peak through which a local nonprofit – in this case COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter) – will benefit from a $1,000 contribution from BED if our customers hit the targeted amount of load reduction on a peak alert day.
With high temperatures forecasted through Friday, the City is encouraging residents to take advantage of the following cooling locations and resources:
- Fletcher Free Library main location, 235 College Street
- Fletcher Free Library, New North End location, 1127 North Avenue
- COTS Daystation, 95 North Avenue
- CVOEO Community Resource Center, 228 North Winooski Avenue
- City Hall Park interactive fountain
- The Waterfront (The lake remains dangerously cold at this time of year, and time in the water should be limited to prevent cold water shock and hypothermia.)
*For cooling center hours, please visit the City website.
“We are excited to continue Defeat the Peak for our 10th year, focusing on reducing cost for Burlington customers,” stated Darren Springer, BED General Manager. “It is important to note that Defeat the Peak is not related to grid reliability. Rather, BED can save money for all our customers and protect our environment by reducing energy use during peak events and lessening our contribution to peak energy demand. We want our customers first and foremost to stay safe during this heat wave and to utilize City cooling centers as needed. We also ask that, where possible, customers take small steps such as unplugging phone and laptop charging cords, adjusting thermostats during the peak hours by a few degrees, and waiting until after the peak to run dishwashers and other appliances. With your help, we can continue to hit our peak reduction targets, and we will be able to support COTS with its important work in Burlington and throughout Chittenden County.”
“COTS partners with Burlington Electric on our renovation and construction projects because we want to provide dignified, climate-controlled spaces to our guests,” stated Jonathan Farrell, Executive Director of COTS, a nonprofit advocating for long-term solutions to end homelessness and provide emergency shelter, services, and long-term housing for people who are experiencing homelessness or are marginally housed. “BED helps us with efficiency, and the less we spend on energy, the more we can spend on helping our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. We greatly appreciate our partnership with BED and look forward to our continued work together that plays a role in our work to end homelessness.”
BED also notifies customers by email blast about peak day alerts. Customers are invited to sign up for these email notifications, view a video explaining Defeat the Peak, and learn more about the program by visiting burlingtonelectric.com/peak. BED also shares information about peak day alerts with the community through social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram.
7.1.2026. Burlington, VT – Burlington Electric Department (BED) burlingtonelectric.com
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