CHELCO members have an opportunity to lower their electric bills while helping reduce demand on the electric system through the cooperative’s Switch to Save program.

Members who participate receive a $50 bill credit* upon enrollment and installation of the switch, plus an ongoing $3 monthly bill credit for as long as they remain in the program with the switch active.

  *Act Now! The $50 bill credit is only  
   available to the first 500 members 
   who enroll in the program.

Switch to Save is a voluntary load management program that allows CHELCO to temporarily control electric water heaters during periods of peak energy demand. For those who participate, a small switch is installed on their tanked electric water heater at no cost. During times when electricity use is especially high—such as winter mornings or summer afternoons—a signal is sent to the switch, temporarily interrupting power to the water heater for up to a few hours. 

By lowering peak demand, CHELCO can better manage wholesale power costs and improve system efficiency, benefiting the cooperative and its membership as a whole. In combination with our other load control efforts during peak events, including voltage regulation, coordinating with our large accounts to run their generators, and asking our members to avoid high energy usage activities for a short period, CHELCO avoided more than $2.8 million in wholesale power costs in 2025 alone.

A common question is whether participants will still have hot water when the switch is activated. In most cases, the answer is yes. Because most water heaters are well insulated, the water inside typically remains hot and available for normal use while the unit is temporarily powered off. During the control period, the water heater simply will not heat additional water. Once the event ends, the water heater resumes normal operation automatically.

Enrollment is quick and easy. Visit CHELCO.com/switch-to-save or call 850-307-1122 to sign up today!