Flex Smart is a voluntary program that uses smart technology to smooth out the demand for energy when it’s at its highest, helping us meet our region’s growing energy needs.

Enrollment is available to both residential and business customers who have an AMI meter, whose heating or cooling is provided by PSE electricity, and who have qualifying Wi-Fi enabled smart thermostats. Customers who heat with PSE natural gas and do not cool with PSE electricity do not qualify.

Since Flex Smart only will make small, limited adjustments, you will likely not see any savings on your PSE bill. Instead, you will receive incentive payments from PSE in the form of an e-gift card.

Get tips on how to save energy and reduce your PSE bill.

Customers who enrolled in a TOU rate plan featuring Peak Time Rebates (Sch. 317 or Sch. 324) are not eligible to simultaneously participate in PSE’s other demand response programs (Flex Rewards/Flex Smart/Flex EV) and will be opted out accordingly. However, customers who are currently enrolled in a standalone TOU rate plan (Sch. 307 or Sch. 327) are eligible to simultaneously enroll in both Flex Rewards/Flex Smart/Flex EV and TOU.

Residential customers who do not have a qualifying thermostat can purchase one at the PSE Marketplace and receive a $75 rebate instantly at checkout! After you install the thermostat, you will get up to $50 per device for enrollment into Flex Smart, plus participation rewards of up to $20 per device each season.

Your rewards depend on the type of thermostat(s) you enroll and how long you stay enrolled.

Smart thermostat participants (Nest, Sensi, Honeywell, Amazon, Ecobee) get $50 per device for enrolling, plus $20 per device for each season (winter and summer) you stay enrolled.

Line-voltage connected thermostat participants, also known as heating boards (Mysa, Sinopé) get $20 per device for enrolling, plus $10 per device for each season (winter) you stay enrolled.

No, if you are signed up for Flex Rewards, you cannot also enroll your thermostat. However, you can enroll other qualified smart devices such as EV chargers.

Participants who enroll are automatically entered to win one of two $250 gift cards. Giveaways will be drawn each month during the summer season (May 1 through September) and winter season (November through March).

Flex Smart is administered on behalf of PSE by AutoGrid, overseeing program implementation, payment processing, and customer support. Enrolled customers can manage their accounts through the FlexSaver portal provided by AutoGrid. For the fastest assistance, you can contact AutoGrid's customer support directly at flex@pse.com or by calling 1-888-292-0502.

Enrolling your thermostat requires that your home or business be equipped with AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), the current standard for metering technology that facilitates two-way communication between meters and PSE. As part of PSE’s Meter Upgrade Project, nearly 2 million meters in our service area were upgraded to AMI between 2018 and 2023. For more information, please visit the Meter Upgrade Project.

To maintain your comfort during a Flex event, your thermostat may pre-heat (temperature setting is increased) or pre-cool (temperature setting is decreased) prior to a Flex event. Although this process may seem unusual, it shifts energy use before demand is high this way you are comfortable when your thermostat is adjusted during a Flex event.

Our experts can predict periods with heightened demand for electricity based on a range of different criteria, which we call “Flex events.” For example, a Flex event might occur on a day with weather hotter or colder than normal, when we tend to use more energy to heat and cool our homes and businesses.

With collective action from the community, we can prevent spikes in energy usage that strain the grid and ensure there is enough energy to go around.

Once you’ve enrolled your thermostat, we’ll adjust its temperature set point by a few degrees for a few hours during the Flex event. We may also adjust your temperature set point ahead of an event. Data shows that most customers do not experience a change in comfort during Flex events and you’ll be helping to create a more energy-efficient and resilient electrical system in your community.

Yes, you can always opt out before or during a Flex event by manually adjusting your thermostat. You are always in control of the comfort of your home, and PSE will never lock thermostats.

Flex events will only occur once a day during the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., typically lasting between 2-4 hours each, and will never take place on holidays (see list below). Winter events can occur from Nov. 1 to March 31 and summer events can occur from May 1 to Sept. 30, no more than 3 times a week and 15 times per season.

Holidays:

• New Years
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

No, reducing energy usage during Flex events is 100% voluntary for customers. There is no requirement to participate in events, but you will need to actively override each event if you do not want to participate in the event

Your smart thermostat will automatically adjust by typically 2-4 degrees, depending on the model of thermostat or the settings you have selected. In preparation for the event, your thermostat may “pre-cool” or “pre-heat” so that you are more comfortable for the duration of the event. Once the event is over, your thermostat will default to its regular settings. Some thermostats come with the option for you to choose the exact temperature adjustments in the app.

Depending on your preference settings and the brand of thermostat, you will get a notice from us up to 60 minutes ahead of the event (unless there is a grid emergency) via your smart phone app and/or device display. During the event, you will also see a notice on your smart phone app and/or device display with opt out instructions.

No, PSE will not disconnect customers' power in response to increased demand. However, it is possible that a power outage might coincide with a Flex event due to circumstances such as inclement weather. For customers in the Flex Smart program, PSE is only authorized to auto-adjust their smart thermostat or other smart device during Flex events, but participation is always voluntary.

If you have a qualifying thermostat, you may enroll it as long as your thermostat account is associated with the thermostat(s) in your home. If not, you may qualify for our Flex Rewards program, which does not require a smart device to join.

To learn more about our commercial Flex programs, please reach out to flex@pse.com.

When you receive a smart thermostat discount from any PSE program, the devices are now pre-enrolled into Flex Smart for your convenience. You may elect to unenroll from the Flex Smart program at a future date if the program isn’t working for you.

If inaccurate customer or account information is provided during the sign-up process, it can result in a failed enrollment. If this happens, you may be notified by your manufacturer of what went wrong. If you need additional assistance signing up, you can always call our toll-free help line 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1-888-292-0502 or email flex@pse.com.

You will receive your enrollment reward in the form of a gift card. For smart thermostats, you will receive an additional reward for each season (winter and summer) that you remain enrolled at the season’s end. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing. For line-voltage connected thermostats, you will receive an additional reward for each winter you stay enrolled. Winter season goes from Nov. 1 to March 31 and summer season goes from May 1 to Sept. 30. If you unenroll from the program, you will forfeit your participation reward.

Yes, as long as your new residence or business meets the program qualifications. To ensure you remain enrolled at your new address, please contact us at 1-888-292-0502.

That is great to hear! In fact, for each eligible referral to friends and family, PSE will pay you. ten dollars ($10) for each enrollee referred to the program. To track referrals, you must use the unique referral link from your FlexSaver account.

Absolutely! You can sign up as a new participant using the thermostat left behind. Follow the links for "Compatible Thermostats" on this page or call us at 1-888-292-0502, and we will assist you with your program enrollment.

Yes! You can get assistance installing a smart thermostat through PSE’s contractor network, Recommended Energy Professionals. Once you have selected a contractor, they will provide you with a written estimate. Get a referral today.

Your smart thermostat uses Wi-Fi to communicate with PSE, similar to the way it communicates with your phone when you alter the temperature remotely.

Yes. PSE takes its responsibility to maintain the confidentiality and security of customer information seriously. When signing up for PSE Flex through your smart thermostat’s manufacturer website, you are only providing basic information that allows Puget Sound Energy to connect your device information to your account information. This data is securely transmitted through encrypted connections to PSE. Learn more about PSE’s privacy policy.