HONOLULU — Customers who enrolled in the Shift and Save six-month pilot program in February will see their electric bills return to “normal” as of July 31, according to Hawaiian Electric.

Nearly 16,000 homes and businesses on Oahu and Hawaii Island signed up for the Shift and Save pilot program that incorporates time-of-use rates that are lower in the daytime when solar energy is abundant. The program has kept customer bills within normal range for the past six months. Customers will need to decide whether to continue beyond the six months.

Those who choose not to continue in the Shift and Save program must “decline participation” on the Hawaiian Electric website before they get their August bill. Those who choose to continue in the program need not take any action.

Customers taking part in the new time-of-use rates are protected from an unanticipated increase in their bills for the first six months with a bill protection credit.

During the six months of the time-of-use rates, residential bills are capped at no more than a $10 increase compared to what would have been normally charged for the month, which gives customers time to adjust their energy-use habits, according to Hawaiian Electric.

Bill increases for commercial businesses on time-of-use rates are capped at no more than a 4% increase compared to what would have been charged on the existing rate for the same month.

According to the company, it does not make or lose any money based on bill increases or decreases under the Shift and Save program.

Eligible customers on the five islands served by Hawaiian Electric who were not selected for the pilot’s launch can still enroll in the program, which could reduce bills. The six-month bill protection period begins once the customer is enrolled in the program.