Hawaiian Electric’s Shift and Save program postponed
Hawaiian Electric has postponed the start of the new Shift and Save pilot program for approximately 17,000 residential and business customers who were selected at random to test time-of-use (TOU) rates on Hawaii Island, Oahu and Maui, by order of the Public Utilities Commission.
Hawaiian Electric will notify these selected customers about this postponement by email or postal mail.
ADVERTISING
For Hawaii Island and Oahu customers who were previously identified for the study, the TOU rates and study will begin on Feb. 1, 2024, instead of Oct. 1, 2023.
The PUC also temporarily suspended the commencement of the program on Maui. However, eligible Maui customers may voluntarily enroll in the TOU rates at their own discretion.
“The purpose of Shift and Save is to encourage customers to shift electricity use from the evening and overnight period when energy is generated by expensive fossil fuels to the daytime period when solar energy is abundant and less expensive,” according to Hawaiian Electric.
It was developed collaboratively by Hawaiian Electric, the state Consumer Advocate and representatives from the solar industry and reviewed and authorized for implementation by the PUC in June.
The one-year pilot program included only about 4% of Hawaiian Electric’s customers. Rates for all other customers remain unchanged.
The pilot will collect data and customer feedback that will be crucial for the PUC to determine how and whether this program will ultimately apply to all customers in the future. Customers selected for the pilot can choose not to participate.
