Energy Guardian Platform Cuts Summer Demand Charges for EV Charging Sites Without Equipment Swaps

As utilities across the United States raise demand charges by 40% to 65% above winter rates between June and September, commercial EV charging sites face significant financial exposure from unmanaged power peaks. EVready Energy, the turnkey EV charging partner behind the Energy Guardian platform, highlights that active load management is critical during this period to avoid surcharges that persist on monthly bills through the fall.

Demand charges are calculated from a site's single highest 15-minute interval of power consumption, and a single unmanaged charging peak in July can establish a surcharge that appears on every monthly bill for the quarter. “A DC fast charger can draw 150 kilowatts the moment a session starts. If that lands during your building's afternoon peak in July, you've just set a charge that follows you for a month — at the highest rate of the year,” said Chris Nihan, CEO and Co-Founder of EVready Energy. “Guardian's job is to make sure that spike never registers.”

The platform's effectiveness is documented in a published customer report from Berger Chevrolet, a dealership in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Energy Guardian managed ChargePoint and Blink charger loads against the building's base consumption over a single billing period. Without intervention, the site would have recorded a peak of 149.8 kW. Guardian held the actual peak to 116.9 kW — a reduction that saved an estimated $680.94 during that period and cut the dealership's single largest demand event by approximately 75%. The system intervened in only 7.1% of the period's 15-minute intervals to achieve that outcome, and no charging sessions were turned away.

“The Guardian software enables us to take advantage of opportunities to reduce costs, and the EVready Energy team is there providing friendly, expert guidance every step of the way,” said Mike Ohlman of Berger Chevrolet.

Energy Guardian is network-agnostic, managing energy costs regardless of charger brand, and requires no equipment replacement. This flexibility allows commercial operators to implement cost-saving measures without capital-intensive hardware swaps. For operators heading into the summer rate season, EVready Energy recommends reviewing utility tariffs before the first heat-driven peak establishes the financial baseline for the quarter.

EVready Energy provides EV charging strategy, certified installation, and ongoing energy management for dealerships, fleets, multifamily properties, parking operators, and public sector clients nationwide. To learn how demand charges work and how to manage them, learn more at EVready Energy.