Peak Saver challenges
Challenge your household to shift, save and earn
Peak Saver challenges allow you to earn seasonal financial rewards for reducing your electricity use during peak events, which are occasional brief periods of high demand on our system. This is typically during very cold weather when electricity use is expected to be highest, but occasionally supports other needs, like temporary system maintenance.
Can you shift and save? Get rewarded for it.
For existing participants, log in and check your Peak Saver timeline to view your results history.
How Peak Saver challenges work
Here's what to expect:
- Alert: You'll receive an email/text with the date and time of the next peak event, including the challenge reduction target and potential reward. For example, reduce by 20% to earn $3.
- Shift or reduce: Shift high-energy activities to before or after the event and reduce your electricity use during the event. Follow our tips.
- Reward: Earn a reward if you meet the challenge target.
You can participate in as many or as few challenges as you'd like. There's no penalty for not succeeding.
Earn rewards for successful challenges
When you shift or save enough electricity to meet the challenge's reduction target, you earn rewards. For instance, achieving a 20% reduction might earn you a $3 reward.
Peak Saver events run from November to March. We typically host around 15 events each challenge season but the number of events varies depending on the needs of the grid. Each event lasts up to four hours.
By participating, you not only earn rewards but also help reduce strain on your community's electrical system during peak times.
Your total reward will be provided via a credit on your BC Hydro bill after each challenge season between April and June.
Before a challenge, we’ll look at how much electricity you used during the same time period over the previous five days – excluding prior challenge days. Of those five, we take the average of the three days with the highest usage and use that as your “baseline.”
After the challenge, we compare your actual use to your baseline use. If you reduced your electricity use enough to meet the challenge target, you'll earn the reward.
You can view this comparison for each challenge by logging in to your Peak Saver timeline.
To succeed, you’ll need to take steps to shift or reduce electricity use during a challenge.
Here are some easy ideas:
Heating
- Turn down thermostats on electric heating systems by one or two degrees if you can. Layer up with a sweater or blanket.
- Turn down or turn off heating in unused rooms during the challenge.
Water heating
- Use the shower or bath before or after the challenge – heating the water uses a lot of electricity.
- If you have a hot tub or pool, don't heat them up or use the pool pump during challenges.
Cooking, cleaning & lighting
- Instead of cooking with your oven or stove, try using small appliances like a toaster oven or slow cooker.
- Run your dishwasher, clothes washer or dryer after the challenge is complete. Hang dry your clothes when you can.
- Turn off unnecessary lights.
- Avoid using corded vacuum cleaners, irons, or power tools during a challenge.
Electric vehicle (EV) charging
- If you charge an EV at home, delay charging until after the challenge.
For more everyday tips, explore our ways to save energy everywhere in your home.
Using smart devices can be a great way to save energy while participating in Peak Saver because you can adjust them remotely to use less electricity.
If you want an easier way to participate in the program you can also enroll eligible devices in Peak Saver and let us do the work for you. Check eligible device types and learn more about enrolling them.
Customers with electric baseboard heating can also receive up to five free smart thermostats enrolled in Peak Saver.
Already participating? Track your results
We'll email you about 48 hours after each challenge once your results are ready. For a summary of your results and rewards earned to date, log in and check your Peak Saver timeline.