Orlando Utilities Commission Offers Tools to Help You Stay in Control of Your Electricity Bill
By Monica Vanover on December 5, 2025
When you look at your electric bill, you probably focus on how much energy you’ve used — that’s called consumption, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). But there’s another key factor: demand.
It’s easy to overlook how much energy your home is using at any given moment. You come home, start dinner, toss laundry in the dryer, and cool off from the Florida heat, all perfectly normal routines. But behind the scenes, your electric meter is working overtime. Each appliance you turn on adds to your home’s energy demand, creating spikes that can drive up costs and strain the electrical grid. Until now, it’s been hard to see that invisible activity.
Orlando Utilities Commission offers two powerful tools—its new Appliance Calculator and an updated personalized Usage Dashboard—that simplify how you use energy to help you manage it wisely.
Your Usage Dashboard shows how much electricity you're using, down to 15-minute intervals, allowing you to track when your usage spikes and adjust your routine to lower demand. Meanwhile, your Appliance Calculator helps you estimate how much power common appliances draw, and how they contribute to your overall electric demand.
These free tools are available on ouc.com/myusage. You’re able to clearly see how much energy you're using, as well as when and how you're using it. That kind of knowledge could translate into real savings.
Demand Vs. Consumption: Know the Difference and Save
Most of us are familiar with consumption—the total amount of electricity we use throughout the month, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). It's the number you see on your monthly statement and it’s the number most of us assume drives most of our energy costs.
But there's another piece of the puzzle: demand.
Demand is the amount of power your home is drawing at any single moment, measured in kilowatts (kW). Think of it like this: Consumption is like tracking the total miles you drive in a month. Demand is like checking your speedometer at any given moment.
Your energy demand rises and falls throughout the day based on what you're doing. Running the oven at the same time the clothes dryer is going, and the air conditioner is working hard on a hot afternoon? That creates a spike in your home’s energy demand—a moment when your home is pulling significant power from the grid at once.
When demand spikes happen across the community, typically in the late afternoon or evening when everyone returns home in the summer, or on cold mornings in the winter, it places stress on OUC's electrical grid. The grid must be equipped to handle even brief surges in usage, and if demand gets too high, OUC may eventually need to build additional infrastructure to keep up. Those costs eventually reflect in everyone's electric rates.
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The Power of OUC’s Appliance Calculator
OUC's Appliance Calculator takes the guesswork out of energy management. Easily accessible without having to log into your myOUC account, this intuitive tool allows you to click on different appliances, like your oven, dryer, or TV, to see how much power each one uses, as well as your total energy consumption. Here’s how the Appliance Calculator helps you take control of your household energy use:
The good news is by understanding and managing your demand, you can help keep electric prices stable while having the power to potentially lower your own bill. Even small changes in your routine can make a real difference.
sponsored by: Orlando Utilities Commission
Reducing Demand Is About Working Together
When you manage your household's demand, you're not just helping your own bottom line—you're contributing to a more efficient, sustainable energy system for Central Florida. Lower demand means OUC can optimize how the grid operates, relying on cost-effective energy sources to keep rates reasonable for the entire community.
Recognized in Escalent’s national Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™ study as the #1 Most Trusted Brand in the South and #3 nationally among electric utilities, OUC is doing its part. We invite you to do yours and see how knowledge is power (saving)! Together, we can reduce demand across the entire OUC grid, keeping electricity reliable, affordable, and sustainable for everyone. Start managing your energy today at OUC.com/myusage.
Identify Power-Hungry Appliances: See which devices draw the most electricity. You might be surprised to learn that some appliances use multiple kilowatts in just 15 minutes.
Understand the "Stacking Effect": See how running multiple appliances simultaneously, or “stacking” causes demand spikes. The calculator shows you what happens when you run multiple appliances at once versus using them at different times throughout the day.
Find Smart Timing Strategies: Empowered with the knowledge of how your appliances add up, you can stagger your appliance use to keep demand low without sacrificing comfort or convenience. It's not about using less—it's about being wiser with your usage.
Estimate Your Power Draw: Get estimates for common household appliances so you can make informed decisions about when to run them.
Wattage may differ depending on the type, brand, or size of your appliance. Check the user manual or the label on the device to find the exact number. Source: U.S. DOE Energy Saver Appliance Energy Calculator, EPA ENERGY STAR®, OUC research