Conserve & Maintain Power for Everyone

Energy conservation helps reduce strain on the electrical grid.

With high heat, energy use increases and puts stress on the electrical supply. When this happens, voluntary energy conservation in our homes and businesses can help stop power outages. Here are some home and business energy conservation tips, and a list of resources to help you.

 

Residential

Residential customers can help conserve and maintain power during extreme heat waves. By following a few simple tips during the day, customers can keep cool while keeping the power on for everyone.

Home Energy Conservation Tips:

  • Set your air conditioner to 78°F or higher.
  • Turn off unused appliances and equipment.
  • Use electric fans instead of air conditioning, when practical.
  • Minimize lighting use, where possible.
  • Close drapes and blinds to keep out direct sunlight during high-temperature times of the day.
  • Avoid using evaporative coolers or humidifiers when the air conditioner is running.
  • Limit opening and reopening refrigerators – they’re major electricity users in many homes.
  • Pre-cool your home by lowering your air conditioning thermostats before 4 p.m.
  • Charge electric vehicles before 4 p.m. or after 9 p.m.
  • Charge mobile devices and laptops before 4 p.m.
  • Keep devices, medical equipment, and backup batteries charged and readily available.
  • Have a backup plan to maintain any life-support equipment.
  • Run your dishwasher, washing machine, and other major appliances before 4 p.m. or after 9 p.m.
  • Set your pool pump to run in the early morning or late at night.
  • If you are a Net Energy Metering (NEM) solar or battery storage customer, when you conserve energy, the extra electricity goes back to the grid to help your neighbors and reduces the likelihood of CAISO calling for rotating power outages.

For more energy-saving resources and ways to make your home more energy efficient, view our Energy Savings Tips.

 

Get Flex Alert Notifications

Sign up for Flex Alert notifications so you know when it’s time to conserve energy. To learn more and sign up, visit flexalert.org.

 

Business

Energy Saving Tips:

  • Turn office equipment off when not in use.
  • Minimize lighting use, including outdoor signage, where possible.
  • Close window coverings to keep out direct sunlight during high-temperature times of the day.
  • Run ice machines at night and into the early afternoon to build up your ice supply.
  • Use night covers on refrigerated display cases.
  • Turn off excess or unused escalators and elevators.
  • Shift dishwashing, waste processing, and laundry runtimes to off-peak demand hours.
  • Clean solar panels to help generate more electricity.
  • Pre-cool your business facility by lowering your air conditioning thermostats before 4 p.m.
  • Charge electric vehicles and their batteries before 4 p.m. or after 9 p.m.
  • Charge mobile devices and laptops before 4 p.m. or after 9 p.m.
  • Run major equipment and operations in the morning or late at night

For more energy-saving resources and ways to make your business more energy efficient, visit sce.com/business/savings-incentives.

 

Additional Resources

 

Earn Bill Credits for Conserving Energy

Residential Customers

Power Saver Rewards program rewards you for voluntarily reducing your energy use during Power Saver Rewards events, which are called when the electricity grid is stressed. To learn more, visit Powersaver.sce.com.

Business Customers

If your business can reduce its energy usage between 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., enrolling in the Emergency Load Reduction Program (ELRP) could earn you incentives. To learn more, visit ELRP.sce.com.

Electrically-Powered Medical Equipment

If you depend on electrically-powered medical equipment, you may be eligible for SCE’s Medical Baseline Allowance program. This program provides an additional 16.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day. Provided at the lowest baseline rate, this helps offset the cost of operating medical equipment.

High-Fire Risk Area (HFRA)

For our customers that live in a high fire risk area (HFRA), SCE online Marketplace offers rebates to help offset the costs of portable batteries (up to $150) as well as portable generators (up to $600 for customers enrolled in either the California Alternative Rates for Energy, Family Electric Rate Assistance, or Medical Baseline Allowance programs). 

Critical Care Backup Battery Program

SCE’s Critical Care Backup Battery program offers eligible customers, who reside in a high fire risk area and are enrolled in SCE’s Medical Baseline Allowance program, a free portable backup battery to provide temporary power to medical device(s) in the event of a power outage. 

Cooling Center Locator

Cooling Centers provide safe, air-conditioned facilities during heatwaves. Find a Cool Center.

CAISO Outages and Power Outage Awareness Map

  • Our crews are prepared for the heatwave and will be available to make repairs as quickly and safely as possible.
  • We are regularly updating sce.com with CAISO outage information.
  • Visit the Power Outage Awareness Map to check the status of outages in your area.