Puget Sound Energy (PSE) - time-of-use pilot

[Marcboy]

My understanding is that for EVs, it calculates your payment based on the amount of time the system is curtailing your charging, combined with the charge rate of your setup. If they curtail you for two hours on an 11 kW home charging setup (like mine), expect payment for 22 kWh ($11). Perhaps its more complex than that.

I think that seems too easy.

The same system exists today, they just Added EV chargers/cars as devices they can "control".
Until now my only device was my Nest thermostats. And at surge time, they would show me a message on it that would alert me, and lower my temperature.

I expect them to do the same with my car.
-Ask the car to not charge.
- compare HOUSE usage from last 4 days (out of 5)
- delta in KWH is credited to your account.


This is my dashboard until now

 

[Spaghett]

One thing I was curious about was what permissions Optiwatt (who handles the charging management on behalf of PSE) would require. The available permissions are:

I originally tried just "Charging Management", but it looks like Optiwatt at least wants "Charging Management" and "Vehicle Information".

I'm not a huge fan of sharing that information (especially since it includes location), but I'll tolerate it at least long enough to get the $100.

 

[Spaghett]

Also, I got a reply from PSE Flex on how they calculate things:

For the PSE Flex EV program we look at your average kilowatt-hour usage from the charger during the time of the Flex event. We use your average kilowatt usage during that time of day as a baseline and compare it to your energy usage during a Flex event. If we see that you use less kilowatts during the Flex event compared to your baseline usage then you are rewarded accordingly ($0.50 per Kilowatt- hour) during the Flex event.

 

[Marcboy]

Thanks from following up with them.

So now I am seeing something strange. Flex events normally pay back $1 per KWH saved (flex event faq).

So, if they are going to monitor the charger/car and only pay $.50, then we are better off NOT registering our car (after we get the $100 ) and use the "regular savings" rate of $1 per kwh. The EV charging will be mingled with everything else, at $1 per kwh.

Unless they are going to create special events ONLY for EVs, which actually would make sense because this is definitively a high usage of electricity.

I'll see the first events. You would think they thought of all of this, but no. Looks like it is run by interns who can't yet think things through.

 

[cwerdna]

Holy *sugar* those peak rates are high.

You should be glad you're not in Pacific Gouge & Extort land in California.

EV2-A (see page 2 of https://www.pge.com/tariffs/assets/pdf/tariffbook/ELEC_SCHEDS_EV2 (Sch).pdf) is the EV TOU plan for those w/o a separate meter for their EVSE.

Currently, off-peak is 34.578 cents per kWh. Rest of day is 51.4 to 65.8 cents per kWh depending on when.

 

[Big Earl]

I just removed our 2018 Model X from OptiWatt because the service was waking the car up repeatedly. Both Model 3s seem fine.

If you're enrolled in this program, keep an eye on your state of charge with the vehicle unplugged and see if you're getting phantom drain.

 

[Marcboy]

Actually it make sense now that you mention it.

They have to map your usage to detect if you charge less. It is probably less an issue on a connected charger.
Also, not sure how much of an issue is the wake up. It doesn't do much except a couple of calls, no ?

All the peeps with external tesla apps like TeslaFi do that 10x more.

But yeah, I don't love it, so Optiwhat will lose my car after I card my gift card.

 

[blue y]

You should be glad you're not in Pacific Gouge & Extort land in California.

EV2-A (see page 2 of https://www.pge.com/tariffs/assets/pdf/tariffbook/ELEC_SCHEDS_EV2 (Sch).pdf) is the EV TOU plan for those w/o a separate meter for their EVSE.

Currently, off-peak is 34.578 cents per kWh. Rest of day is 51.4 to 65.8 cents per kWh depending on when.

Well yes, that's Cali and they have their own problems no doubt. There is zero reason anyone in King County should ever be paying rates that high right now though imo. It amazes how electric rates seem to correlate more with cost of housing and taxes in that particular area than they do with any actual maintenance or delivery costs. Many PUDs in WA still have flat rates under $.10/kWh (and not just like Chelan County which is still <$.05 IIRC). Sadly SnoPUD isn't one of them anymore but it's still barely over the "off-peak" rate posted here.

 

[BarryL]

PSE needs to make this simple. How about charge between 10PM-6AM for $.05/kWH, I’d set my EVs to charge then.

 

[Marcboy]

That is (almost) the case.

It is 0.08/kwh at these hours.

I think the price is confusing because usually I feel that you look for the cheap slot in your day when you have some TOU program. Here, you actually have the look for the high peak. Again 2/3 of the day is low peak

 

[BarryL]

Anyone going to enroll in FLEX EV?

Flex EV

www.pse.com

 

[Marcboy]

I did.

I received my $100 enrollment gift card today.

I am waiting to see how the Flex EV event will happen. If they are at the same time as the regular flex events, I'll cancel the EV program as it is less beneficial.

 

[oldgoat1968]

If I had solar panels this plan might be very attractive but just using grid power the peak rate is much too high.

I do have solar, and hence I am on Net Metering. When I called PSE to volunteer to participate in their TOE program, I was advised that it is incompatible with Net Metering. I think that is absurd. I was on both Net Metering and TOE in my previous residence (Bay County, Florid) ten years ago. Nothing about net metering should affect Time of Use billing.

 

[oldgoat1968]

I signed up for FLEX today; I got an email from PSE suggesting I take the "Flex Survey." Since I had never heard of Flex, or of the affiliated company OptiWatt, I signed up to access to the program. I gave OptiWatt permission to access my TEsla app and got it all set up, then tried to charge at 240 V, 40A (9.6KVA) which is the way I always charge at home. But nothing happened! It is currently about 121;30AM (clearly not a low time of use) and the charge is proceeeding exactly as if I did not have Flex or OptiWatt. Can anyone educate me a little on this?

 

[oldgoat1968]

The time on my post should have read "currently 11:30 AM' Sorry for the typo.

 

[Seattle]

Anyone going to enroll in FLEX EV?

I looked at Flex EV, I was excited I could join it based on my l2 charger (so as not to share everything about my cars, and also Rivian is not in their listed vehicle types), but they don't support the tesla chargers. I hope they add Tesla, that's got to be one of the most common chargers. I already am enrolled for a nest, a couple of times last winter we got notified about a request to reduce usage.