Delaware Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Delaware Electric Cooperative (DEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving roughly 115,000 members across Kent and Sussex Counties, Delaware. Members access billing and 15-minute interval usage data through the NISC SmartHub portal and DEC Connect app, with Green Button Download My Data available via the NISC platform.
Delaware Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (GS) | Commercial | $8.70 customer + ~$0.115/kWh blended (incl. PCA), no demand | Small commercial under 50 kW |
| Large Commercial (LC) | Commercial | $14.90 customer + ~$0.065/kWh energy + ~$8.95/kW demand | C&I 50 kW+ at secondary voltage |
| Large Commercial - Primary (LC-P) | Industrial | $110 customer + lower per-kWh + demand | Large loads with own transformation |
| Large Commercial - Controlled Load (LC-CL) | Commercial | $14.90 customer + $2.55/kW non-control demand only | Members who can curtail during control periods |
Market Overview
DEC is a member-owned cooperative governed by its elected Board of Directors. It opted out of Delaware retail electric competition, so members cannot select a competitive supplier and receive bundled supply and delivery service from the cooperative. Rates are Board-approved rather than set by the Delaware PSC.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Delaware Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
DEC's Board-approved tariff includes residential, general service, and several large commercial schedules. Commercial and industrial members fall under General Service (Schedule GS, average demand under 50 kW) or one of the Large Commercial schedules (Schedule LC and primary/controlled-load variants, 50 kW or more). All schedules add a Power Cost Adjustment of $0.03069/kWh on top of base rates. Demand on commercial schedules is billed on the maximum 15-minute average kW. Verified figures below are drawn from DEC's published Approved Rates sheet and tariff (revised March 2025).
Effective: March 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (Schedule GS) | commercial | Non-residential service with average monthly demand under 50 kW over the prior 12 months; commercial and small industrial, churches, schools, office and public buildings. | Customer Charge $8.70/month; distribution charge $0.02744/kWh; transmission $0.00281/kWh + ancillary $0.00256/kWh; electric supply $0.06059/kWh summer (Jun-Sep), $0.05564/kWh (first 700 kWh) and $0.04024/kWh (over 700 kWh) winter (Oct-May); Renewable Resource Fund $0.000178/kWh; plus PCA $0.03069/kWh. No demand charge. | — |
| Large Commercial (Schedule LC) | commercial | Service at one point of delivery with average monthly demand of 50 kW or more over the prior 12 months (secondary/standard voltage). | Customer Charge $14.90/month; distribution $0.00896/kWh; distribution demand $2.55/kW; transmission demand $0.85/kW; ancillary $0.00226/kWh + ancillary demand $0.08/kW; electric supply $0.03297/kWh; supply demand $5.47/kW; Renewable Resource Fund $0.000178/kWh; plus PCA $0.03069/kWh. Billing demand = max 15-minute average kW. Power factor below 90% increases billing demand. | — |
| Large Commercial - Primary (Schedule LC-P) | industrial | Large commercial/industrial members taking service at primary voltage (customer owns/maintains transformation). | Customer Charge $110.00/month; distribution $0.00613/kWh; distribution demand $2.45/kW; Renewable Resource Fund $0.000178/kWh; plus transmission, ancillary, and supply components and PCA $0.03069/kWh. Lower per-unit charges reflect primary-voltage delivery. | — |
| Large Commercial - Controlled Load (Schedule LC-CL) | commercial | Large commercial members (50 kW or more) participating in load control during control periods in exchange for reduced demand charges. | Customer Charge $14.90/month; distribution $0.00983/kWh; demand charge waived during control periods, $2.55/kW during non-control periods; Renewable Resource Fund $0.000178/kWh; plus supply/transmission/ancillary components and PCA $0.03069/kWh. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial / light industrial under 50 kW
Energy-only General Service with no demand charge is the simplest fit for small C&I loads.
GS has no demand charge; total cost is driven by kWh and the PCA, so usage reduction is the main lever.
- Track the PCA component ($0.03069/kWh) as it moves with wholesale markets
- Shift discretionary load to winter over-700-kWh supply rate ($0.04024/kWh) where possible
- Use SmartHub usage graphs to find waste
Mid-size commercial 50 kW+ at secondary voltage
Large Commercial (LC) applies once average demand reaches 50 kW; demand charges dominate, so peak management is essential.
Combined demand charges (~$8.95/kW) on the max 15-minute peak typically exceed energy charges, so shaving peaks yields the largest savings.
- Download Green Button data to identify 15-minute peaks
- Correct power factor to avoid the sub-90% billing-demand penalty
- Stagger large motor starts to limit coincident peak
Large industrial with on-site transformation
Primary-voltage service (LC-P) lowers per-unit charges for sites that own transformation.
A $110 customer charge is offset by lower distribution energy ($0.00613/kWh) and demand ($2.45/kW) for high-volume loads.
- Model the breakeven volume where LC-P beats LC
- Account for transformer ownership/maintenance costs
- Combine with power factor correction
Flexible loads able to curtail during peaks
Controlled Load (LC-CL) waives demand charges during control periods for curtailable members.
If operations can pause during DEC control windows, the waived demand charge during control periods materially lowers the bill.
- Confirm control-period frequency and duration with DEC
- Pair with Beat the Peak alerts
- Ensure critical processes can ride through curtailment
Historical Rate Trends
DEC's Board approves rate changes; the cooperative undertook a rate restructuring in 2024 and revised its tariff in March 2025. The Power Cost Adjustment fluctuates monthly with wholesale power costs and is the most variable element on a member bill.
January 1, 2024
Rate restructuring adjusting cost allocation across customer classes and charge components.
n/aMarch 19, 2025
Tariff revised and adopted by the Board of Directors (effective March 2025).
n/aOverall trend: Recent restructuring (2024) and tariff revision (March 2025); PCA varies with wholesale power markets.
Next expected change: Future changes set by Board resolution; PCA updated periodically. Confirm current PCA on the Approved Rates sheet.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Large Commercial demand charges (~$8.95/kW combined) and the per-kWh Power Cost Adjustment dominate C&I bills, the highest-impact strategies are 15-minute peak demand management, power factor correction, and participation in load control.
Manage 15-minute peak demand
For: Large Commercial (50 kW+)
Billing demand is the single highest 15-minute average kW in the month. Staggering equipment startups, load-shifting, and peak shaving directly reduce the combined ~$8.95/kW demand charge on Schedule LC.
Correct power factor to 90%+
For: Large Commercial with inductive load
DEC increases billing demand by 1% for each full percent the power factor falls below 90%. Capacitor banks or PF correction restore demand to actual and avoid the penalty.
Enroll in Beat the Peak / Controlled Load
For: Members able to curtail load
Responding to Beat the Peak alerts lowers coincident peak (reducing wholesale costs in the PCA); the Controlled Load schedule (LC-CL) waives the demand charge during control periods for members able to curtail.
Evaluate primary-voltage service
For: Large industrial loads
Members with large loads who can own and maintain transformation can move to Schedule LC-P for materially lower per-kWh distribution charges and a $2.45/kW distribution demand rate, offsetting the higher $110 customer charge.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Delaware Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a commercial or industrial member access 15-minute interval data from DEC?▾
C&I members can view usage in SmartHub and download up to 14 months of Green Button ESPI XML (which includes 15-minute granularity) from the My Usage section. Standard CSV export provides hourly data; the 15-minute CSV export was restricted as of January 2024. For automated feeds, contact Member Services at 855-332-9090.
Does DEC offer an API or Green Button Connect My Data for third-party energy managers?▾
DEC does not publish a developer API, and Green Button Connect My Data (automated OAuth access) is not confirmed as enabled. The supported path for third parties is member-initiated Green Button downloads shared with the provider, or a Letter of Authorization submitted to DEC. Confirm Connect My Data availability directly with DEC.
How are demand charges calculated for DEC commercial accounts?▾
For Large Commercial (Schedule LC, 50 kW or more), billing demand is the maximum 15-minute average kW during the month. Demand-related charges combine a distribution demand rate ($2.55/kW), transmission demand ($0.85/kW), ancillary demand ($0.08/kW), and a supply demand rate ($5.47/kW). A power factor below 90% increases billing demand by 1% for each full percent below 90%.
What is the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) on DEC bills?▾
The PCA is a per-kWh charge that passes through the cost of wholesale power above the base energy rates in each tariff schedule. As of the current approved rate sheet, the PCA is $0.03069 per kWh and applies to all rate classes. It fluctuates with wholesale power costs.
Can a third party get data without sharing member login credentials?▾
Yes. The recommended approach is to have the member download their Green Button file from SmartHub and share it, or submit a signed Letter of Authorization to DEC Member Services. Credential sharing and screen-scraping are not recommended and may violate the platform terms of service.
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