As your community owned utility, we are here to help you save energy all year long.
During the summer season it's especially important to stay informed and thoughtful about your daily energy use. There are simple adjustments we can all make at home to conserve during peak demand hours (4-9 p.m.).
Check out our resources below to find out how to save energy this summer and where to get information in the case of a Peak Alert.
Simple no-cost tips to help save energy
- Start or program your dishwasher and laundry machines to run and finish before 4 p.m. or start after 9 p.m.
- Wash full loads of laundry whenever possible and switch your temperature setting from hot to cool/cold to cut energy use in half for a single load. Using the cold cycle can reduce energy use a lot. About 90% of the energy consumed for washing clothes is used to heat the water.
- Try to avoid using multiple appliances like your dishwasher, air conditioner and washer and dryer at the same time between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
- Use small appliances to cook. Microwaves, toaster ovens and pressure cookers use about 66% less energy than a conventional oven.
- Since up to 20% of heating and cooling inside a typical home is lost through the windows, check the weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows.
- Gaming systems use a lot of energy. Try to avoid using your gaming systems between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Activate power saving settings and turn off controllers when not in use.
During peak hours
- Avoid running oven, dishwasher, and laundry machines
- Set thermostat to 78 degrees or higher (if health permits)
- Check out our smart thermostat rebate and Power Flex program
- Use fans instead of central air, and adjust ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise
- Check out our whole house fan rebate
- Avoid charging electric vehicles
- Check out our EV charger rebates
- Turn off pool pumps and unplug unused appliances and electrical devices
- Check out our pool pump rebate
During non-peak hours
- Use oven, dishwasher, and laundry machines
- Lower the thermostat to pre-cool your home
- Run pool pumps
- Charge electric vehicles
- Charge mobile devices, laptops, and other electrical devices
Stay informed
Staying informed is critical.
Our goal is to communicate early and often with residents and businesses alike, so everyone remains as prepared as possible. Review the information below to learn about the resources available to ensure you are receiving information from Roseville Electric Utility.
There are also steps you can take now to make sure you are prepared for a power outage if one should happen.
Our goal is to communicate early and often with residents and businesses alike, so everyone remains as prepared as possible. Review the information below to learn about the resources available to ensure you are receiving information from Roseville Electric Utility.
There are also steps you can take now to make sure you are prepared for a power outage if one should happen.
- Update your contact information (including e-mail addresses and mobile numbers) with Roseville Electric at roseville.ca.gov/billpay or please call us at (916) 774-5300.
- Sign up for outage notifications. Get real-time information about outages impacting your service. When you sign up for notifications, we’ll let you know the cause and when power is restored.
- To sign up or view our outage map, visit roseville.ca.gov/outages.
- Follow us on social media:
- Additional steps to prepare include
- Identifying backup charging methods for phones and other electronic devices
- Keeping emergency, family, and other important phone numbers accessible in hard copy
- Building or restocking your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies, cash, and food that will last up to five days.
- Know how to manually open your garage door
FAQs
WHAT ARE PEAK ALERTS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
Peak Alerts are issued when high temperatures could result in a high demand for electricity. Customers will be notified through local media, social media, online, and email. Peak Alerts are issued when we are directed by our balancing authority, The Balancing Authority of Northern California (BANC), to reduce the electric load. Although Roseville Electric Utility typically has a sufficient portfolio of resources to meet our customers’ electric needs at peak demand, when a Peak Alert is issued we ask that customers reduce their electric usage to help us manage load conditions on the grid.
IS A FLEX ALERT DIFFERENT FROM A PEAK ALERT?
Flex Alerts are part of a statewide program run by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) which manages the power grid in California. Much like Roseville Electric’s Peak Alert, the purpose of a Flex Alert is to encourage customers to conserve as much energy as they can during a designated period. The ISO typically calls a Flex Alert when statewide forecasts are trending higher than average. As a member of BANC, our utility does not receive emergency direction from CAISO.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IN THE EVENT OF A PEAK ALERT?
During Peak Alerts, use energy-saving tips to help manage your energy use. This includes:
Yes, we account for energy savings from some of our larger customers who partner with Roseville Electric to save when we need it the most. We employ Demand Response programs to conserve power during periods of high demand.
WHAT IS A STAGE 3 EMERGENCY AND WHY DOES IT RESULT IN CUSTOMERS LOSING POWER?
Rotating outages (Stage 3 Emergencies) become necessary when Roseville Electric’s balancing authority is unable to meet minimum contingency reserve requirements and load interruption is imminent or in progress. BANC declares these emergencies. In these scenarios, BANC will call for member utilities to reduce electrical load by turning off certain service immediately, in order to prevent larger outages on the grid. Due to the emergency nature of these outages, we are not able to provide advance warning to customers.
IF ROTATING OUTAGES ARE CALLED, HOW WILL CUSTOMERS KNOW IF/WHEN IT’S THEIR TURN? HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
If we are in a situation that requires officials at BANC to call for rotating outages, Roseville Electric Utility will communicate to customers through local media, social media and email to alert them of the situation. Due to the emergency nature of these outages, we will not be able to give advance warning to customers. Customers are being asked to conserve power and plan for the possibility of losing power for a brief period, should a Stage 3 emergency be declared. A rotating outage typically lasts one to two hours. We manage and rotate the outage across groups of customers throughout the service territory to protect the integrity of our electric system, while limiting the inconvenience to any one customer. HOW DOES
ROSEVILLE DETERMINE WHICH CUSTOMERS LOSE POWER IN THE EVENT OF A STAGE 3 EMERGENCY?
In the event of a Stage 3 Emergency, BANC will communicate to member utilities the amount of energy "load," in MWs, that needs to be taken offline. Roseville Electric then targets circuit blocks to meet the required energy total provided by BANC.
ARE THESE OUTAGES PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF?
No. These rotating outages called for by BANC are not Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. PSPS events are used by neighboring investor-owned utilities because of extreme weather that makes it necessary to temporarily turn off power to reduce the risk of wildfire.
Peak Alerts are issued when high temperatures could result in a high demand for electricity. Customers will be notified through local media, social media, online, and email. Peak Alerts are issued when we are directed by our balancing authority, The Balancing Authority of Northern California (BANC), to reduce the electric load. Although Roseville Electric Utility typically has a sufficient portfolio of resources to meet our customers’ electric needs at peak demand, when a Peak Alert is issued we ask that customers reduce their electric usage to help us manage load conditions on the grid.
IS A FLEX ALERT DIFFERENT FROM A PEAK ALERT?
Flex Alerts are part of a statewide program run by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) which manages the power grid in California. Much like Roseville Electric’s Peak Alert, the purpose of a Flex Alert is to encourage customers to conserve as much energy as they can during a designated period. The ISO typically calls a Flex Alert when statewide forecasts are trending higher than average. As a member of BANC, our utility does not receive emergency direction from CAISO.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IN THE EVENT OF A PEAK ALERT?
During Peak Alerts, use energy-saving tips to help manage your energy use. This includes:
- Set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits.
- Don’t use major appliances, like the dishwasher or clothes washer/dryer.
- Turn off unnecessary lights.
- Close blinds and drapes.
- Use fans when possible to keep cool.
- DO NOT charge electric vehicles.
- Turn off pool pumps.
- Additional energy-saving tips are located at roseville.ca.gov/lowermybill.
Yes, we account for energy savings from some of our larger customers who partner with Roseville Electric to save when we need it the most. We employ Demand Response programs to conserve power during periods of high demand.
WHAT IS A STAGE 3 EMERGENCY AND WHY DOES IT RESULT IN CUSTOMERS LOSING POWER?
Rotating outages (Stage 3 Emergencies) become necessary when Roseville Electric’s balancing authority is unable to meet minimum contingency reserve requirements and load interruption is imminent or in progress. BANC declares these emergencies. In these scenarios, BANC will call for member utilities to reduce electrical load by turning off certain service immediately, in order to prevent larger outages on the grid. Due to the emergency nature of these outages, we are not able to provide advance warning to customers.
IF ROTATING OUTAGES ARE CALLED, HOW WILL CUSTOMERS KNOW IF/WHEN IT’S THEIR TURN? HOW LONG DO THEY LAST?
If we are in a situation that requires officials at BANC to call for rotating outages, Roseville Electric Utility will communicate to customers through local media, social media and email to alert them of the situation. Due to the emergency nature of these outages, we will not be able to give advance warning to customers. Customers are being asked to conserve power and plan for the possibility of losing power for a brief period, should a Stage 3 emergency be declared. A rotating outage typically lasts one to two hours. We manage and rotate the outage across groups of customers throughout the service territory to protect the integrity of our electric system, while limiting the inconvenience to any one customer. HOW DOES
ROSEVILLE DETERMINE WHICH CUSTOMERS LOSE POWER IN THE EVENT OF A STAGE 3 EMERGENCY?
In the event of a Stage 3 Emergency, BANC will communicate to member utilities the amount of energy "load," in MWs, that needs to be taken offline. Roseville Electric then targets circuit blocks to meet the required energy total provided by BANC.
ARE THESE OUTAGES PART OF PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF?
No. These rotating outages called for by BANC are not Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. PSPS events are used by neighboring investor-owned utilities because of extreme weather that makes it necessary to temporarily turn off power to reduce the risk of wildfire.