Smart Home Flex

Enroll smart thermostats and water heaters to earn rewards and reduce energy use during hours of high demand.

Use Your Smart Devices to Offset Your Energy Use​​

Smart Home Flex is a pilot program that allows Community Power to temporarily adjust the settings of enrolled smart device(s), like thermostats or connected water heaters, to reduce energy use during times of high energy demand, when electricity costs are higher. These adjustments reduce strain on the energy grid and can help lower your energy bill while keeping your home comfortable and supplied with hot water.

You are always in control of your comfort and can override the automatic adjustments at any time.

Connected water heater enrollment is now open.

Smarter Devices. Stronger Grid.

Whether you are enrolling a smart thermostat or connected water heater, Smart Home Flex offers:

Upfront rewards: Get a $50 incentive for each approved smart device you enroll.
Ongoing savings: Earn participation incentives for allowing your smart devices to adjust during Smart Flex Events when energy is most expensive.
Comfort and control: You can always override your smart device settings during Smart Flex Events if needed.
Stronger energy grid: Reduce energy use during hours of high demand and help make electricity more reliable for everyone.
Cleaner communities: Use less energy from the grid when it relies most on fossil fuels, reducing air pollution and supporting a clean energy future.

Smart Thermostat Incentives

Receive $50 for each approved smart thermostat you enroll and up to $25 each year for participating in Smart Flex Events. If you unenroll, you will no longer be eligible for participation incentives.

Device Type
Upfront Incentive
Participation Incentive
Smart Thermostat
$50
Up to $25 annually

Smart Water Heater Incentives

Receive $50 for each approved connected water heater you enroll and up to $60 per year for participating. Incentives are earned monthly (up to $5 a month) and paid out twice a year. If you unenroll, you will no longer be eligible for ongoing participation incentives.

Device Type
Upfront Incentive
Participation Incentive
Connected Water Heater
$50
Up to $60 annually

Eligibility

Eligible Smart Thermostat Models

ecobee

Google Nest

Device Name
Model Number
Device Name
Model Number
ecobee3 Lite
EB-STATE3LT
ecobee4
EB-STATE4
Smart Thermostat
with Voice Control
EB-STATE5
Google Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen
T3007ES
T3016US
T3017US
T3018US
T3019US
T3021US
T3032US
T3008US
ecobee3
EB-STATE3
Google Nest Learning Thermostat 4th Gen
GA05169-US
GA05560-US
GA05171-US
GA05551-US
ecobee Smart
Thermostat Premium
EB-STATE6-01
Google Nest Thermostat
T4000ES
T4001ES
T4008ES
Smart Thermostat
with Voice Control
EB-STATE6L-01
Google Nest Thermostat
GA02081-US
GA02082-US
GA02083-US
GA01334-US
GA02180-US
GA03000-US

*Enrollment for smart thermostats is closed at this time.

Eligible Connected Water Heater Models

How It Works

  • When you enroll in Smart Home Flex, your smart device(s) will automatically adjust its system settings when a Smart Flex Event is called.
  • A Smart Flex Event occurs when high energy use is expected to put a strain on energy resources and increase electricity costs.
  • When a Smart Flex Event is called, your smart device(s) receive a signal to temporarily adjust their settings to help prevent your system from turning on and using energy.
  • Learn more below about how each technology type currently eligible for Smart Home Flex reduces or shifts energy usage.

  • During the summer when electricity demand is high, Community Power may call a Smart Flex Event. When this happens, your thermostat will receive a signal to temporarily adjust its temperature settings to reduce turning on your air conditioning system.
  • To keep your home more comfortable during a Smart Flex Event, your thermostat may receive a signal to pre-cool your home up to an hour before an Event begins.
  • Smart Flex Events for thermostats may occur from June through October, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. up to five times per week. You’ll receive a notification when a Smart Flex Event is scheduled.
  • Smart Flex Events will not occur on weekends and federal holidays unless state officials call a Flex Alert or other critical grid event. No more than 20 events will be scheduled per season.
  • Throughout the year, your connected heat pump water heater will receive a signal twice a day – typically in the morning and evenings – to heat water above its standard temperature. This is called superheating or advance load up.
  • This process helps shift energy usage to times when energy is less in demand and more affordable while ensuring you have hot water when you need it.
  • For safety purposes, a thermostatic mixing valve must be professionally installed on your water heater. This valve mixes cold water with superheated water to ensure the water temperature at your faucet is at a safe temperature for you and your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to our most frequently asked questions can be found below. You can view all questions here.

When you enroll in Smart Home Flex, your enrolled smart device(s) will automatically adjust its system settings when a Smart Flex Event is called.

A Smart Flex Event occurs when high energy use is expected to put a strain on energy resources and increase electricity costs.

When a Smart Flex Event is called, your smart device(s) receive a signal to temporarily adjust their settings to help prevent your system from turning on and using energy during peak demand times when energy is most expensive.

To help ensure that you are as comfortable as possible during a Smart Flex Event during the summer, we may send a signal to the thermostat to pre-cool or pre-heat your home to help maintain a comfortable temperature.

You are always in control of your comfort and can override the automatic adjustments at any time. Adjusting the temperature during a Smart Flex Event will automatically opt you out of the Event.

Yes, you can opt out of a Smart Flex Event at any time. Since Smart Flex Events are called when electricity demand and costs are high, we encourage you to not opt out unless it’s for comfort, safety, or urgent reasons.

Smart Flex Events occurs when high energy use is expected to put a strain on energy resources and increase electricity costs or a grid emergency is called by state officials to reduce energy usage. A signal is sent to your smart device(s) to temporarily adjust their settings to help prevent your system from turning on and using energy.

Enrollment incentives will be sent via email once Community Power has approved your enrollment application. It may take up to 10 business days to process an application. 

Participation incentives will be sent via email in November for smart thermostats. Connected water heater customers will have participation incentives sent via email in November and June. It may take up to 20 business days to process and send participation incentives.

Enrollment and participation incentives are digital prepaid reward cards sent via email to the email address provided during enrollment.

Enrollment Incentives: Community Power is offering a one-time enrollment incentive of $50 per device.

Participation Incentives: Participation Incentives may be given at the end of each season.

  • Smart thermostats: $25 per thermostat per year
  • Connected water heaters: Up to $60 per year by participating with your connected water heater. Incentives are earned monthly (up to $5 a month) and paid out twice a year.

Unenrolling ends your eligibility for all ongoing incentives.

Contact Community Power by emailing us at CustomerService@SDCommunityPower.org or calling our Contact Center at 888-382-0169 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Yes, you can enroll multiple devices like smart thermostats and connected water heaters. Each is eligible for its own enrollment incentive.

You can unenroll from Smart Home Flex at any time by contacting Community Power and requesting to be unenrolled. Unenrolling from the program forfeits all ongoing incentives. 

Thermostat enrollment in Smart Home Flex was open to the first 2,000 devices. At this time, new applications are not being accepted.

For connected water heaters, enroll today using the water heater enrollment form.

Smart Home Flex by San Diego Community Power is a pilot program that allows Community Power to adjust the settings of your enrolled smart device(s), like thermostats or connected water heaters, to reduce energy use during times of the day when energy is in high demand and electricity costs are higher. These adjustments help reduce strain on the energy grid and can help lower your energy bill while keeping your home comfortable and supplied with hot water.

Terms & Conditions

The full pilot program terms and conditions can be reviewed here.