Summer brings heat waves that can stress the electric grid. It also brings the threat of Flex Alerts. Most electricity customers are familiar with these voluntary requests from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to reduce energy use when the grid needs it the most and when energy supplies are dwindling at day’s end.

But they may not know about Southern California Edison’s Power Saver Rewards program, which offers additional savings to customers who reduce their energy consumption during peak hours from 4-9 p.m. Enrollment in the program is free to encourage millions of customers to sign up and help prevent outages and improve grid reliability this summer.

Rewards in the form of an electric bill credit accumulate during designated Power Saver Rewards events. For each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy saved, customers will earn $2. A typical residential customer could earn $40 in bill credits this summer for conserving energy during Power Saver Reward events.

Power Saver Rewards events may occur between May 1 and Oct. 31, lasting from 4-9 p.m., typically on hot summer days. Participants are notified the day before an event so they can plan to reduce their energy use by turning up their thermostat setpoint, turning off lights or giving major appliances a break during the event.

All compensation will be disbursed to program participants by early next year as utility bill credits. Participants will also receive an end-of-season report showing a summary of the energy saved during the program season.

Enrolling in the program is fast and easy. If you choose not to participate in a Power Saver Rewards event for any reason, no additional action will be necessary.

For more information on the Power Saver Rewards program, including FAQs and customer support, visit powersaver.sce.com.