Summer energy spikes usually come down to when and how electricity is used. Some utilities use time-of-use (TOU) rates, which means electricity costs more during high-demand hours – typically late afternoon and evening during the week – and less overnight or during midday hours, weekends and holidays. If you’re on TOU rates, you may benefit by shifting your electricity load to off-peak hours. If not, there are still several things you can do.

1. Tune Up Your HVAC (Biggest Impact)
Hot weather means your A/C runs longer and often during expensive peak hours. 

What helps?

• • • Replace filters every 1-3 months.
    • Clear debris around outdoor units.
    • Schedule a seasonal tune-up.
      
      

Efficient cooling helps reduce both total energy use and costly peak-hour demand.

2. Run Pool Pumps When Solar is Working
Pool pumps are major energy users, especially in summer.

What helps?

• • • Run pumps late morning through mid‑afternoon when solar production is strongest.
    • If you’re on TOU rates, avoid late afternoon and evening, when rates are often highest.
    • Reduce unnecessary runtime and consider a variable‑speed pump.
      
      
      

3. Charge EVs Off-Peak
EV charging can quietly become one of your largest summer loads.

What helps?

• • • Charge late morning to mid‑afternoon using solar-generated energy.
    • If you’re on TOU rates, charge overnight (roughly 10 pm–6 am) when rates are typically lowest; avoid late afternoon and evening charging when grid demand and prices peak.
    • Use the MyEverBright app to see how charging affects daily usage and adjust as needed.
       
      
      

 4. Keep Cooking Heat Out of the House
Cooking indoors adds heat, which your A/C then has to remove, often during peak-rate hours if you’re on TOU rates. 

What helps?

• • • Use microwaves, slow cookers, air fryers, or outdoor grills.

    • Shift heavy cooking to earlier in the day when your solar system is generating power.
        
      
      

5. Keep Panels Clean for Peak Performance
Dust, pollen, and debris can reduce solar output right when you need it most.

What helps?

• • • Gently rinse panels from the ground with a hose in the early morning when they’re still cool.

    • If you can’t reach the panels from the ground with a hose, hire a professional.

Cleaner panels = more midday solar power and less reliance on the grid.

6. Manage Tree Growth and Shades
Summer foliage can create new shade that didn’t exist earlier in the year.

What helps?

• • • Trim branches that shade panels.
    • Remove dead or overgrown limbs.
    • Consider professional pruning to protect both trees and panels.

Summer means both solar production and energy use typically go up. Use the MyEverBright app to track real-time solar production and energy use² to think about how to adjust habits that could help lower your electric utility bills.

Summer delivers the most sunshine of the year, but savings depend on timing and habits. By shifting energy use to lower-cost hours and aligning it with peak solar production, you can turn summer sun into summer savings.

¹Your agreement may include an annual escalator, which means your monthly charge may increase slightly each year.
²Contracts signed prior to March 2023 may not include monitoring in MyEverBright.