PGE’s prices are set by the Oregon Public Utility Commission.

A range of prices exist for different types of customers, but most business customers pay according to Schedule 32 or Schedule 83.

Schedule 32 applies to smaller business customers that have less than 30 kilowatts demand.

Schedule 83 applies to larger business customers that have more than 30 kilowatts demand.

What is demand?
Demand is the highest average usage at any given time during the billing month. Just as a speedometer measures your rate of travel, demand measures your rate of energy use. To determine your demand, we average the number of kilowatts (kW) you use during a 30-minute period. Then we identify your highest average-usage over a 30-minute period in a month; that's your demand level.

For example, imagine that your company and a neighboring business both used 2,000 kW in a month, but the other business used all of that 2,000 kW in a two-day period. They would have higher demand because they are “demanding” more power in a given period of time.

Only Schedule 83 customers are charged for demand. If your demand exceeds 30 kW at least twice in a 13-month period (or once in the first seven months of a new account), you pay according to Schedule 83. Demand charges help cover the costs of providing peak capacity in our system to meet business customers’ growing needs.