An Otter Tail Company

RDC savings calculator

Find out if you will save on the Residential Demand Control (RDC) rate

The Residential Demand Control rate applies to all electricity used in a home. Calculations are based on your current annual fossil-fuel heating costs and household electricity use. The calculator will figure the equivalent electric heating requirement for your home and apply Otter Tail Power Company's low Residential Demand Control rate.

To use this calculator, first gather information:

  • The age or efficiency level of your present fossil-fuel system.
  • The amount and type of fuel it used over a one-year period.
  • The price you paid for that fuel.

Note: Electricity costs include facility charges, conservation adjustments (Minnesota CIP and South Dakota EEP), and renewable resource rider charges in Minnesota and North Dakota.

Fuel type now being used for heat: Help
Do you know your furnace's efficiency percentage? Yes    No Help
Do you know the total amount paid for this fuel? Yes    No  
Electric use for the past 12 months kwh Help
Electric service cost for the past 12 months Help

Demand is the rate of energy consumption per unit of time. It is the sum of the wattage requirements of all electric devices operating at a given time and is measured in kilowatts.

With an RDC installation customers establish a demand setting at which to operate their home during control periods. Demand settings usually range from 3 kilowatts to 6 kilowatts but may be as high as 8 kilowatts.

Customers pay a set energy rate per kilowatt-hour used plus a demand charge based on the highest kilowatt reading that is metered during a winter control period during the last 12 months.

Estimated demand setting for RDC Help
State you live in: Help