hey y’all,

duke energy is converting to dynamic pricing, charging more money for peak usage times. they’re advertising it as a cost-savings program, with “opt-in” language designed to manipulate consumers. here’s a screenshot of a real email i got today:

the “option” they’re advertising is opting into text message or email alerts, so that you as the consumer know whether or not on-peak pricing will apply. it is not an opt-in to the dynamic pricing itself. regardless of whether you are aware of the pricing or not, duke energy will begin charging 23.50 cents per kWh between 6pm - 9pm every single day.

their solution is to brand “off-peak” times as a “discounted rate”.

here’s the brass tax:

if you use less energy during on-peak times, you won’t feel the price increase. your energy bill will stay the same if you sacrifice your comfort and safety during the hottest times of day.

the corporate psychosis of this plan believes that you will overall save money, because if you program or constantly adjust your thermostat, you will be able to control your utility bill. this has, of course, always been true, but with the budgeting tool that comes with a fixed rate, working class and low income families can accurately calculate their utility bill and navigate that accordingly. changing your thermostat a couple of times a day isn’t a big ask, right?

but who does this actually benefit? homeowners, work-from-home white collar professionals, households with a stay-at-home parent, upper class families who earn passive income, etc. etc. someone who works two jobs, lives in a poorly managed building with bad insulation, and/or is a caretaker will experience an enormous increase in their utility bill.

this new plan also requires the property to have a smart thermostat. people who rent do not have control over their own HVAC system, and if they live in a property without a smart thermostat, they’ll need to adjust their thermostat manually to benefit from dynamic pricing. i don’t know how many working people have the capacity to adjust their thermostat anywhere from 3-5 times a day, especially during school drop off, shift changing, and dinner/bed time.

we’ve been living this way for too long. these companies believe that they’re smarter than you, and can obscure their intentions with words like “discount rates” and “flex savings options”.

so, why are they doing this? duke energy is feeling the squeeze of demand from data centers all over the south. so, they’re investing in AI to take the heat off, which requires them to build more gas and coal output facilities. they’re outsourcing that demand to you, the consumer. i’m going to be drafting an action plan next, but for now, i wanted you to know what duke has in store. there is no opt-out option at this time, so in the meantime, i wanted you to have the ability to navigate the new system while we try to change it.

xoxo,

kuya von