Power supplier asks customers to limit use of electricity from 4-8 p.m. today due to heat

If you’re a Puget Sound Energy customer, you might’ve received a phone call, text or email notifying you about the company’s Flex event that is scheduled for Tuesday. Flex events occur on days “when demand for electricity is forecasted to peak,” according to the PSE website.

PSE predicts periods that are expected to have a heightened demand for electricity based on Flex events which could occur on a day with weather that is hotter or colder than normal, when more energy is used to cool or heat your home, according to the PSE website.

Gerald Tracy, the media engagement program manager at PSE, said in an interview that although the electric grid is working properly and there are no concerns at this time, they are asking their customers to minimize the use of electricity between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. “in the attempt to ease the strain on the grid before we do before we get to a place where it is strained.”

Tracy said that customer participation during the Flex event is optional, but their participation could lead to saving money on their electrical bill and PSE Flex rewards for customers enrolled in one its Flex programs.

“Customers would get $25 for enrollment plus $1 per kilowatt hour saved during Flex events and $15 each year you stay enrolled, “ Tracy said. “If they went up to Flex Smart, it would be if you want a Wi Fi enabled smart thermostat and that’s where you get $50 per device you enroll and at least $10 each year you stay enrolled.”

If you’d like to participate in PSE’s Flex event, Tracy and PSE recommend doing the following:

• Cook outdoors
• Use the oven instead of the electric stovetop
• Wash dishes before or after the Flex event
• Delay the use of large appliances during Flex event
• Use smart lighting to be able to turn lights off from a mobile device
• Upgrade to a smart thermostat that adjusts the temperature in your home during Flex events