Peak Time Rebates
You can help reduce strain on the grid, keeping energy more reliable and sustainable and save a little on your PGE bill at the same time! It’s your choice how you participate and there’s no cost to join.
You can help reduce strain on the grid, keeping energy more reliable and sustainable and save a little on your PGE bill at the same time! It’s your choice how you participate and there’s no cost to join.
Get rewards for making a difference
Peak Times Events occur on a handful of days when the demand for energy is at its highest. Think of the late afternoon or early evening when many people are doing chores at home. Add on a hot summer day when everyone cranks their air conditioners all at the same time.
You can earn rebates on your bill by reducing your energy use during these peak times. That deserves a reward!
Peak Time Rebates summer season starts June 1, and ends September 30, 2024.
When energy demand and prices are high, you'll have the option to reduce your energy use during the Peak Time Event, which is typically 3 to 4 hours. When you reduce your energy use, you can earn a rebate on your next bill. Plus, shifting your energy away from peak times makes a difference. You’re helping to keep energy more reliable and supporting the use of more sustainable energy resources. It’s a win-win-WIN!
1. Get notified
Once you're enrolled, we'll send you a text or email the day before and the day of a Peak Time Event. We'll let you know when the event will start and stop and provide savings tips you can use to lower your use.
2. Shift use
During an event, you can reduce your energy use with simple changes like waiting to wash dishes or do laundry and adjusting your temperature setting a few degrees.
3. Earn rebates
If you reduce your energy use during the Peak Time Event, you can earn a rebate on your next bill.
Your energy use baseline is calculated from your average use over the past 10 similar days during the same hours as the Peak Time Event. You earn $1 per kilowatt hour (kWh) when you reduce below your baseline during a Peak Time Event.
During Peak Time Events, your health and safety should always come first. On hot summer days, please be sure to keep the temperature in your home safe by exercising discretion during Peak Time Events. Consider health impacts when reducing energy use. Remember, participation in Peak Time Events is completely voluntary. Here’s information about staying safe when the temperature gets warm outside.
Frequently asked questions
When are Peak Time Events called?
Peak Time Events happen when we know that many PGE customers will be using a lot of energy all at the same time. In the summer season, events can occur between June 1 and Sept. 30. The winter season is Nov. 1 to Feb. 28.
In the summer season, Peak Time Events happen in the late afternoon and early evening, somewhere between 3 and 8 p.m. In the winter, we call Peak Time Events in the evening, as well as the morning, between 7 and 11 a.m. The events often last for three hours but can be shorter or longer. You'll receive a notification the day before the event with the specific start and end times.
Do I need to provide PGE with an email or mobile number to participate in Peak Time Rebates?
To enroll in Peak Time Rebates, you must provide either an email address and/or a mobile phone number. These are essential to inform you when a Peak Time Event will happen. You can choose to receive notifications by email, text or both — it’s up to you. You must maintain at least one form of notification to remain enrolled.
If you only provide a mobile phone number and reply STOP to text notifications, we will unenroll you from Peak Time Rebates. You can update your notification preferences on the Peak Time Rebates webpage, or call PGE Customer Service at 800-542-8818.
How are Peak Time Rebates calculated?
Your energy use baseline is calculated from your average use over the past 10 similar days during the same hours as the Peak Time Event. You earn $1 per kilowatt hour (kWh) when you reduce below your baseline during a Peak Time Event.
The calculation in four steps:
Step 1: PGE looks at the 10 most recent days that are similar in type (weekday or weekend). Holidays or any previous Peak Time Event days are not considered similar days and are not included in establishing the 10-day baseline period.
Step 2: Using the selected 10 days for your baseline period, PGE identifies your home’s average use during the same hours as the Peak Time Event. So, if the upcoming Peak Time Event is from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., PGE will determine your home’s average use during the hours of 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Step 3: Because the weather on the Peak Time Event day may not be exactly the same as the 10 days selected for the baseline period, PGE applies an adjustment for the difference in temperature for some customers if your historical usage indicates a significant difference in electrical use when the temperature changes. For example, you may have higher use in summer because of air conditioning or in the winter due to electric heating. This will determine your home’s energy usage baseline or “Typical Use.”
Step 4: We subtract the total kilowatt hours you use during the Peak Time Event or “Actual Event Use” from your “Typical Use,” as shown in the calculation below. If your energy use during the event is less than your Typical Use, you earn a rebate at a rate of $1.00 per kilowatt hour.
Customer rebate baseline and rebate calculation:
(Typical Use + Weather Adjustment) – Actual Event Use = kWh Savings
kWh Savings x $1.00 = Rebate
Example with Peak Time Event data and rebate:
(3.67 kWh + 1.1 kWh) – 2.21 kWh = 2.56 kWh
2.56 kWh x $1.00/kWh = $2.56 (Rebate amount that would appear on your bill)
How will I know if I earned a rebate after a Peak Time Event?
When you enroll in the program, you have the choice to be notified by email and/or text. After each Peak Time Event, you will receive a message one to three days later to let you know if you earned a rebate and for how much. If you earned a rebate, this amount will appear as a credit on your next bill.
What if I don’t participate in a Peak Time Event?
Your participation is completely voluntary. Once you’re enrolled, you’re eligible for a bill credit during any event where you successfully reduce your energy use. If you aren’t able to save energy during an event, you’ll still be enrolled and have other opportunities to participate in the future. Your health and safety should always come first, so please consider any health impacts when reducing your energy use.
I did my best to shift my energy use but didn’t receive a rebate. How come?
If you’re a customer who doesn’t use much electricity on a daily basis, it may be more difficult to reduce your use during Peak Time Events. Turning off lights or waiting to charge your phone won’t make much of an impact during a Peak Time Event. You can make the biggest impact by reducing the use of major appliances, using less hot water and turning your thermostat down a few degrees if you have electric heat or air conditioning.
Where will Peak Time Rebates credits appear on my bill and how often?
Your Peak Time Rebates bill credit will appear in the “Additional Charges/Credits” area of your bill. Earned bill credits should appear on the next bill you receive after the Peak Time Event.
Can I be enrolled in Peak Time Rebates as well as the PGE Smart Thermostat program?
Unfortunately, no — you can't be in both programs at once. However, if you have a smart thermostat, you may want to consider joining the PGE Smart Thermostat program, where you can earn $25 per season for participating. For more information, go to portlandgeneral.com/thermostat.
There are typically 4-7 events in the summer and 1-4 events in the winter. While we can’t guarantee savings, customers who participated in our pilot program earned an average of $2 - $3 per event.* And when we all work together, it helps provide reliable energy for everyone. So, your participation can make a difference.
Ready to get started? Sign up for Peak Time Rebates online or call 503-228-6322 or 800-542-8818 weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. View Peak Time Rebates terms and conditions.
*Your actual savings will vary.
Easy ways to be successful this season
Check out these tips and creative ways customers like you on Peak Time Rebates are shifting their energy use to help keep energy reliable and can save a little on their PGE bill.
There’s more than one way to shift your energy
Have a smart thermostat? Consider joining our Smart Thermostat program instead of Peak Time Rebates to make shifting your energy use even easier. Because both Peak Time Rebates and the Smart Thermostat program reward you for shifting energy during a Peak Time Event, you can only be enrolled in one or the other.
Energy shifting matters
Today, 22% of PGE customers are participating in energy shifting programs like Peak Time Rebates. This community reduced its energy use during this past summer's high heat to help maintain service reliability and support the use of more sustainable resources.