Our experts can predict periods with heightened demand for electricity based on a range of different criteria, which we call “Flex events.” For example, a Flex event might occur on a day with weather hotter or colder than normal, when we tend to use more energy to heat and cool our homes and businesses.

With collective action from the community, we can prevent spikes in energy usage that strain the grid and ensure there is enough energy to go around.

Flex events will only occur during the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., typically lasting between 2-4 hours each, and will never take place on holidays (see list below). Winter events can occur from Nov. 1 to March 31 and summer events can occur from May 1 to Sept. 30.

Holidays:

• New Years
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

No, reducing energy usage during Flex events is 100% voluntary for customers. There is no requirement to participate.

No, PSE will not disconnect customers' power in response to increased demand. However, it is possible that a power outage might coincide with a Flex event due to circumstances such as inclement weather. For customers in the Flex Smart program, PSE is only authorized to auto-adjust their smart thermostat or other smart device during Flex events, but participation is always voluntary.

By default, notifications for Flex events will be sent via email, but customers also have the option to receive phone and text notifications. If you enroll in Flex Smart, you'll receive notifications on your smart thermostat and/or thermostat app before and during a Flex event.

Notification emails for Flex events will start right after PSE announces a new event. For events happening the next day, emails will start at 8 a.m. PT the day before and will be delivered by 5 p.m. PT on that day.

For same-day events, notification emails begin at 8 a.m. PT on the day of the event and are all delivered by 12 p.m. PT. Flex events taking place on the same day will start at 3 p.m. or later.

As part of our commitment to supporting our community in this effort, PSE customers are automatically enrolled to receive Flex event notifications that ask them to reduce energy usage on certain days during specific hours. You can always opt out of receiving notifications by unsubscribing from Flex event emails or following the opt-out steps in our text and phone messages.

No, it doesn’t. Flex event notifications are a part of several PSE programs and do not necessarily indicate you are enrolled in either Flex Rewards or Flex Smart. If you’d like to either enroll or check enrollment status for these programs visit the FlexSaver portal. If you’d like to stop receiving Flex event notifications, you can choose to opt-out in the notification email/text that you received or by contacting PSE at 1-888-292-0502.

Go to the bottom of your most recent Flex event email notification and click “Manage Preferences” and then unsubscribe. Or follow the opt-out steps given in our text and phone notifications.

Minimize appliance use: Delay using large appliances like your clothes dryer and dishwasher until after the Flex event is over.

Upgrade to a smart thermostat: Consider upgrading to a smart thermostat to conveniently control your home temperature during Flex events. With a smart thermostat, you can stay comfortable without the hassle of remembering to adjust your thermostat. Residential customers can get an instant discount on a smart thermostat, visit big5vn.com/marketplace.

Use smart lighting: Upgrade to smart lightbulbs and you’ll be able to turn off your lights using a mobile device. Saving energy is easy when you can remotely turn off lights from anywhere—even when you’re not home! Get more energy-saving tips here.

For more ideas on how to save energy, visit big5vn.com/flextips.

We calculate your energy savings for each Flex event using a baseline. This baseline is created by averaging the energy consumption of the four highest-usage days among the five weekdays before the event. We also consider energy usage in the two hours before the event and the hour after the event, and make adjustments based on higher or lower usage during that time (e.g., 3-4 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. for a 5-7 p.m. event).

By default, we’ll send you notifications after events showing how much energy you saved in comparison to your neighbors. If you're enrolled in Flex Rewards, you can access your results in the FlexSaver portal.

Our goal is to provide customers with a comparison that is valid and meaningful. We do this by looking at other occupied households in your area with similar characteristics, such as home size and home type, since they have similar energy needs. Most importantly, we only include homes that appear to be occupied at the time of the comparison.

Yes! If you sign up for Flex Smart or Flex Rewards, you’ll earn money for participating in Flex events. See which program is right for you.