Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation (REMC) Rate Selection Guide
Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation (REMC) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 76,500 accounts across six western North Carolina counties. A TVA wholesale customer on the NISC SmartHub platform, REMC offers modern data access including online billing, hourly/15-minute interval usage, Green Button downloads, and a SmartHub API for authorized third parties.
Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation (REMC) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule G | Commercial (general) | $32-33.50/mo + $3.14/kW over 30 kW + 12.200/9.150 cents/kWh blocks | Commercial under 50 kW: offices, retail, schools |
| Schedule LP | Commercial (large power) | $71/mo + $4.41/kW over 30 kW + 13.841 down to 7.759 cents/kWh | Larger commercial/industrial >=50 kW |
| Schedule I | Industrial | $141/mo + $3.95/kW over 30 kW + 13.073 down to 6.695 cents/kWh | Industrial plants >1,000 kVA, high load factor |
| Schedule G-TOD | Commercial (TOD) | Time-of-day on/off-peak pricing (optional) | Loads that can shift to off-peak hours |
Market Overview
REMC is a member-owned electric cooperative buying wholesale power from TVA. Rates are board-approved and there is no retail supplier choice; members influence rates through the cooperative's governance.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation (REMC) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
REMC's commercial and industrial rate schedules are published on its website with full per-kWh and per-kW figures, effective for bills issued on and after July 1, 2023. All schedules add a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA), a TIER adjustment, and a North Carolina REPS adjustment, plus applicable sales tax. Billing demand is the maximum 15-minute demand, not less than 30 kW.
Effective: July 1, 2023 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule G - General Service | commercial | Non-residential single/three-phase service with peak demand under 50 kW (offices, retail, schools, churches, public buildings, light commercial/industrial). | Basic Facilities Charge $32.00/mo single-phase, $33.50/mo three-phase. Demand: first 30 kW no charge, over 30 kW at $3.14/kW. Energy: first 4,500 kWh at 12.200 cents/kWh, over 4,500 kWh at 9.150 cents/kWh. Plus WPCA, TIER, and REPS adjustments. | — |
| Schedule LP - Large Power Service | commercial | Non-residential consumers with peak registered demands of 50 kW or more (not for resale, parallel, or standby service). | Basic Facilities Charge $71.00/mo. Demand: first 30 kW no charge, over 30 kW at $4.41/kW. Energy (first 125 kWh/kW block): first 3,000 kWh 13.841 cents, next 87,000 kWh 9.572 cents, over 90,000 kWh 7.825 cents; all over 125 kWh/kW at 7.759 cents/kWh. Plus WPCA, TIER, REPS. | — |
| Schedule I - Industrial Service | industrial | Non-residential service with installed transformer capacity over 1,000 kVA, used by a single enterprise on a single contiguous premise (three-phase only). | Basic Facilities Charge $141.00/mo. Demand: first 30 kW no charge, over 30 kW at $3.95/kW. Energy tiers from 13.073 cents/kWh (first block) declining to 6.695 cents/kWh for very high usage (over 400 kWh/kW block). Plus WPCA, TIER, REPS. | — |
| Schedule G-TOD - General & Large Power Time of Day | commercial | Voluntary, limited, at the cooperative's option, for consumers otherwise served under General Service or Large Power schedules. | Time-of-day pricing with on-peak/off-peak periods (seasonal on-peak windows). Specific charges in the LPG-TOD tariff; designed to reward off-peak load shifting. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small/medium commercial under 50 kW
Offices, retail, schools, and churches with peak demand below 50 kW on Schedule G.
Schedule G keeps the facilities charge low ($32-33.50/mo), exempts the first 30 kW of demand, and energy is 12.200 cents for the first 4,500 kWh dropping to 9.150 cents thereafter, so higher usage lowers the average rate.
- Keep peak demand under 50 kW to stay on Schedule G (LP triggers a higher demand charge).
- Push usage past 4,500 kWh/month to capture the 9.150 cent block.
- Use SmartHub interval data to spot demand spikes.
Large commercial / light industrial >=50 kW
Facilities at or above 50 kW peak demand billed on Schedule LP.
LP carries a $71/mo facilities charge and $4.41/kW demand over 30 kW, but declining energy blocks reach 7.759 cents/kWh above 125 kWh/kW, so steady high-utilization load is rewarded.
- Manage the 15-minute peak; demand at $4.41/kW is the key controllable cost.
- Raise load factor to move kWh into the 7.759-cent tier.
- Maintain power factor >=85% to avoid penalties.
Industrial plant >1,000 kVA
Single-enterprise industrial sites with installed transformer capacity above 1,000 kVA, eligible for Schedule I.
Schedule I's $3.95/kW demand (over 30 kW) and deep declining energy blocks (down to 6.695 cents/kWh) make it the cheapest option for high-load-factor plants, despite the $141/mo facilities charge.
- Confirm eligibility (>1,000 kVA, single contiguous premise).
- Maximize load factor to reach the 6.695-cent top block.
- Right-size contract demand to manage ratchet and minimum-bill provisions.
Flexible-load facility evaluating time-of-day
C&I members able to shift load off-peak who can opt into Schedule G-TOD where offered.
G-TOD offers on/off-peak pricing with seasonal on-peak windows; shifting discretionary load off-peak can lower energy cost versus standard schedules.
- Review the LPG-TOD tariff on-peak windows (summer 1-7 PM weekdays; shoulder months add morning peaks).
- Use SmartHub interval data to model TOD savings before switching.
- Confirm availability with REMC (offered at the cooperative's option).
Historical Rate Trends
REMC's published C&I tariffs (Schedules G, LP, I) are effective for bills issued on and after July 1, 2023. Rates move with TVA wholesale power costs via the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment and any TIER adjustment needed to maintain the cooperative's financial condition, plus the NC REPS adjustment.
July 1, 2023
Current Schedules G, LP, and I took effect for bills issued on and after this date, with declining-block energy and per-kW demand charges plus WPCA/TIER/REPS riders.
N/A (published schedule)Overall trend: Base schedules stable since the July 1, 2023 effective date; month-to-month bill variation comes mainly from the WPCA tracking TVA wholesale costs.
Next expected change: Board-approved rate updates as needed; ongoing WPCA adjustments tied to TVA wholesale costs.
Cost Optimization Strategies
With no retail choice, REMC C&I members optimize through schedule selection, load-factor improvement (declining blocks reward steady high usage), and managing the 15-minute peak that sets demand charges.
Right-Size the Rate Schedule
For: All C&I
Confirm placement on the lowest-cost applicable schedule: G under 50 kW, LP at/above 50 kW, and Schedule I where transformer capacity exceeds 1,000 kVA and load factor is high.
Peak Demand Management
For: Schedule LP & I (over 30 kW)
Reduce the maximum 15-minute demand that sets the per-kW charge; note the 30 kW exemption and ratchet provisions (50% of prior 11-month peak).
Improve Load Factor
For: Schedule LP & I
Declining-block energy charges reward steady, high-utilization load; spreading usage to raise load factor lowers the average cents/kWh.
Power Factor Correction
For: Motor-heavy industrial loads
Keep power factor at or above 85% to avoid demand adjustment penalties applied under the tariff's power factor clause.
Time-of-Day Shifting (G-TOD)
For: Flexible-load commercial/industrial
If eligible for Schedule G-TOD, shift discretionary load to off-peak hours to capture lower TOD energy pricing.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation (REMC) interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a commercial member or consultant get REMC interval data programmatically?▾
REMC uses NISC SmartHub, which provides hourly usage in the Usage Explorer, 15-minute interval data via CSV export, Green Button Download My Data (ESPI XML), and a SmartHub API with OAuth 2.0. The API is not publicly documented, so aggregators and consultants must register with REMC/NISC; members can also authorize third parties through SmartHub's Share My Data feature.
Does REMC support Green Button?▾
Yes. SmartHub ships Green Button Download My Data as a standard feature, exporting up to 14 months of usage as ESPI-standard XML at no charge. Green Button Connect My Data (OAuth) is supported by the platform for automatic third-party delivery; confirm activation for a specific integration with REMC.
What are REMC's commercial and industrial electric rates?▾
Effective July 1, 2023: Schedule G (general, <50 kW) charges $32-33.50/mo plus $3.14/kW over 30 kW and energy of 12.200 cents (first 4,500 kWh) then 9.150 cents/kWh. Schedule LP (>=50 kW) charges $71/mo plus $4.41/kW over 30 kW with declining energy to 7.759 cents/kWh. Schedule I (>1,000 kVA) charges $141/mo plus $3.95/kW over 30 kW with energy declining to 6.695 cents/kWh. All add WPCA, TIER, and NC REPS adjustments plus tax.
Can REMC business members choose their electricity supplier?▾
No. North Carolina cooperatives operate in a regulated, no-retail-choice market. REMC is member-owned and buys wholesale power from TVA, setting board-approved rates. C&I savings come from rate-schedule selection, demand management, and load-factor improvement rather than supplier shopping.
How is REMC's demand charge calculated for commercial accounts?▾
Billing demand is the maximum integrated 15-minute demand during the month, but not less than 30 kW, 50% of contract demand, or 50% of the highest demand in the prior 11 months (a ratchet). The first 30 kW is exempt; demand above 30 kW is billed at $3.14/kW (G), $4.41/kW (LP), or $3.95/kW (I). A power factor adjustment applies below 85%.
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