Planning for Peak Time Events

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 aren't considered similar days and aren't 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 4-7 p.m., PGE will determine your home’s average use during the hours of 4-7 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)

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.

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. At least one is required to stay enrolled in the program.

If you only provide a mobile phone number and reply STOP to text notifications, we'll unenroll you from Peak Time Rebates. You can update your notification preferences on the Peak Time Rebates webpage, or call PGE Customer Service at 503-228-6322.

When you enroll in the program, you have the choice to be notified by email and/or text. After each Peak Time Event, you'll 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.

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.

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.

Peak Time Events are announced the day before the event. If you won't be home during the scheduled event hours, we recommend focusing on appliances that can be scheduled or programmed to shut off or reduce their use. For example, a delay time start on your dishwasher or setting a schedule on a thermostat before leaving your home. We understand whether you’re away from home a few hours or days, participating in every event may not be possible or convenient.

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.

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.

It’s easy to confuse the terms, but each one plays a different role in how we use electricity. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Energy conservation means reducing how much energy you use by changing your habits — like turning off lights when you leave a room or unplugging electronics when they’re not in use.

• Energy efficiency is about using technology that does the same job with less energy. Upgrading to LED light bulbs or ENERGY STAR® appliances, for example, helps you use energy more wisely without changing your behavior.

• Energy shifting is about when you use energy — not how much you use. It means shifting your energy use away from times when demand on the grid is highest, like hot summer afternoons. This helps prevent spikes in energy costs and keeps the grid running smoothly.

Energy demand usually peaks early in the morning and in the evening — when most people are heating or cooling their homes and using appliances. During extreme weather, that demand can surge even higher.

There are also times when strain on the grid or in neighboring areas might result in a shift request, even if it’s not particularly hot or cold.

By participating in energy shifting — either through Peak Time Rebates or Time of Day pricing — you’re helping to keep energy reliable for everyone.