Behavioral Demand Response FAQs
What is the purpose of the Behavioral Demand Response program?
The purpose of the program is to encourage people to reduce energy during peak event days, which happen when energy use is higher than usual. This is done by sending communications that help you and other utility customers to lower energy demand on a large scale. This not only saves energy and money, but also allows utilities to keep from powering up extra energy resources (such as additional power plants) to meet demand.
What are peak events?
Peak events are days in which the demand for energy exceeds a utility’s capacity to supply it. These days often occur during extreme weather conditions during the summer or winter seasons when the demand for energy is high. As a result, electricity becomes very expensive to produce. For the hours of the peak event in which energy is the most expensive, we ask you to reduce your energy use so you can save money and help lower the demand for energy in your area.
How was I selected to be part of this program?
Different utilities have different goals, and so they may select program participants in different ways. Some utilities select all eligible customers in a service area. Other utilities select a random subset of eligible customers. Either way, the goal is to help you understand your energy use and lower your bill.
Note to CSRs: Your utility may want you to emphasize a specific method for how customers were selected. Check with your supervisor for more information.
What are some ways I can save energy during a peak event?
The tips you can follow vary depending on whether the peak event takes place during the summer or winter. Here are a few of the most effective ways you can save electricity during a peak event in the summer.
- Raise your thermostat by 3-4 degrees. Decreasing your use of air conditioning during peak hours is the most effective way to save energy.
- Use fans and reduce air conditioning. Fans can help you beat the heat while reducing your AC needs. Every degree counts. Raise your thermostat's setting by 3-4 degrees during peak hours and stay close to fans to help keep cool.
- Enjoy unplugged activities. Put off running the dishwasher or doing the laundry until nighttime. Instead of watching TV or using electronics that need to be plugged in, read a book, play a board game, or spend quality time with your household members.
Can I opt out of this program?
Yes. You can opt out in a number of ways. The options available will depend on your utility's setup and program design.
From the web: The recommended method is to use the Digital Self Service - Energy Management Web Portal Account and Preferences section to change your preferences. If you unsubscribe in this way, you will be able to subscribe again in the future.
Note: Some utilities choose to host their own account services. If your utility does not offer the Digital Self Service - Energy Management Web Portal as part of their program, contact your utility for more information about account management.
From an email: Click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email and follow the instructions to opt out.
Warning: If you click Unsubscribe in the email and then click to unsubscribe from all emails, this action is permanent, and you will not be able to opt back in. If you click to opt out of Behavioral Demand Response emails only, then you can opt back into them at a later time.
What is a multi-day peak event?
A multi-day peak event is when multiple peak days are scheduled over consecutive days. When this happens, pre-event messages include information about the consecutive days peak days. For example, pre-event emails and phone calls will specify the date range for the multi-day peak event.
Post-event results are communicated as soon as your energy savings from the event has been calculated, but you will not receive more than one phone call per day. If you are receiving email communications, you will receive an email as soon as your results are available and may receive more than one email per day.
Post-event results are communicated as soon as your energy savings from the event has been calculated.
Why did I only receive results for some of the peak days but not others?
Your results are sent to you as soon as they are ready. Calculations might not be complete yet for all of your peak day efforts.
Why did I receive so many messages for a single peak event?
You should only receive one pre-event and one post-event message for each peak event day. If there is a multi-day peak event, we do our best to bundle the previous day's results with the next day's notification so you only receive a single message that contains both pre-event and post news. However, you may receive more than one email from us, depending on when your results are calculated. If you are receiving email messages, you might receive an email for each day of results. You will never receive more than one voice message per day from us.
How often will I experience a peak event?
Peak events are dictated primarily by the weather. We will try to schedule as few peak events as possible. However, if the weather is severe enough that energy resources might become affected, we will set up a peak event. Your efforts to reduce energy use during a peak event are greatly appreciated and help keep electricity rates down for all customers.
Why didn't I receive a communication after the event ended?
You should receive a communication within a few days after the peak event. Sometimes it takes several days to receive your home’s data and provide a valid comparison.
Why should I participate in a peak event?
Primarily, we want to you participate in peak events to help reduce energy use so that we can be assured that everyone in your area will be able to access the energy they need. This includes businesses, schools, and hospitals as well as residences like yours. Participating in a peak event will also save you money as reducing your energy use during a peak event can significantly affect your bill. Our energy use recommendations for a peak event are carefully calculated to minimize any discomfort you may experience while still greatly reducing the energy needs in your area.
Why are you comparing me to my neighbors?
We are joining other utilities and cities across the country to provide this information because it has been proven to effectively help customers save energy and money. We compare your energy use to the use of similar size homes that are close to yours and have similar characteristics. We do this to provide you with education and context, and to offer an idea of what you could realistically save during the peak event.
How do you select my neighbors?
Our goal is to provide you 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.
Why are you trying to make me feel bad?
We are not trying to shame or judge you. If we have offended you, it was not our intent. Rather, we hope that the information we provide can offer valuable insights and context about your home’s energy use during peak events so that you can save energy and money. We have joined other utilities across the country to provide these notifications because they have been proven to help households effectively save energy during peak event hours.
How do you know the comparison is valid?
Our comparisons include approximately 100 similar, nearby, occupied homes. Our research shows that for almost all residents, this 100-home average indicates typical usage.