Glossary

BGE Smart Energy Savers Program℠:  A family of smart choices offered by BGE that will help you save energy, money and improve the environment.
Learn more about BGE's Smart Energy Savers Program.℠

Compressor:  An air conditioning system is comprised of two parts; an air handler or fan located in the home and a compressor outside the home. The compressor transfers the heat and humidity from inside your home to the outside, while the fan or air handler circulates the conditioned air throughout your home.

Cycling:  Cycling refers to how many times per hour that your air conditioning (A/C) compressor and air handler are switched off and on. Both the A/C compressor and air handler only cycle on whenever the thermostat calls for cooling; so neither of them is running for all 60 minutes of an hour. They will shut off whenever the thermostat is satisfied. So, cycling refers to how many times per hour that your compressor and air handler are switched off and on.

Cycling Events:  During periods of high electricity use throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, a radio signal may be sent to your switch or your thermostat to interrupt the flow of electricity to the compressor on your air conditioner or heat pump for a period of time each half-hour. Your indoor fan will continue to run if it is on, while electricity to the compressor is adjusted. Cycling reduces the peak demand for electricity, helping to maintain reliable service and keep down the cost of electricity.

Cycling Participation Levels:  The percentage of time that you select from among three different incentive levels that yield a summertime incentive credit to your utility bill. It defines how long your A/C compressor will stay off during each hourly period of a BGE cycling event. Click here to learn about the three specific strategies PeakRewards℠ offers.

Demand Response Infrastructure:  Through PeakRewards℠, BGE offers participating customers their choice of either a free programmable thermostat or an air conditioner load control switch that will help reduce energy consumption and costs. These technologies allow BGE to cycle air conditioning/heat pump use during periods of very high electricity demand.

Electric Delivery Infrastructure:  Consists of power generation plants and delivery including transmission and distribution lines.

Emergency Event:  When regional demand for electricity is so high that the ability to supply it could be surpassed, PeakRewards℠ participants will be cycled to avoid any interruption in service. Customers cannot override their program participation during an emergency event.

Event:  There are a few different types of events that can occur. As a participant in the program, you can schedule or request to decline participation in a non-emergency event up to two times during a season.

Non-Emergency Event:  On occasion, BGE may activate its PeakRewards℠ program when the wholesale price of electricity is very high. By doing so, electricity prices will decrease. Customers may choose to override participation during this type of event, up to two times per season by calling the PeakRewards℠ Hotline at: 1-888-309-PEAK (7325). In the future, you will also be able to schedule your overrides via a link on this site. Participants will be notified once that feature is available.

Peak Demand:  "Demand" is the amount of electricity needed at any given time. Power usage fluctuates hourly due to weather conditions, business hours of commercial and industrial companies and residential electric usage loads. When this combined demand is at its highest, it is called the "peak."

PeakRewards℠:  One program offered in the suite of BGE Smart Energy Savers Programs℠. PeakRewards℠ is a voluntary demand response infrastructure program that gives BGE residential customers with central air conditioning financial rewards for using less energy on days when regional power grids are at peak demand. The program saves customers money, while providing environmental benefits to the state of Maryland.

PJM:  PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization (RTO) that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM’s role as a federally regulated RTO means that it acts independently and impartially in managing the regional transmission system and the wholesale electricity market.

Regional Power Grids:  The power grid that supplies the electric current coming into your home or business. It is designed to maintain a dynamic balance between the consumer demand for electricity and the amount being supplied by generators.

Reliability:  Reliability is defined as the ability of a system to perform its required functions under certain conditions for a specified period of time. Reliability, in terms of electricity delivery, has to do with total electric interruptions - complete loss of voltage, not just deformations of the electric sine wave. Measures of change in reliability typically consider such aspects as the number of customers being serviced; the connected load; the length of time of any interruption measured in seconds, minutes, hours, or days; the amount of power (kVA) interrupted; and the frequency of interruptions. More simply put, power reliability can be defined by the ability to deliver electricity to customers within accepted standards and in the amount desired.

Signal:  This is a radio signal sent from BGE to the switch on the A/C compressor outside your home or to your thermostat that interrupts the flow of electricity to the compressor on your A/C or heat pump for a period of time each half-hour.

Smart Switch:  The Smart Switch, with its small radio receiver, is mounted near your outdoor air conditioning unit, typically on your house. It's used to help reduce your peak demand for energy, helping BGE to keep down the cost of electricity and ensure reliability.

Web Portal:  In the case of this website, the portal is an Internet-based conduit for customers to set their thermostat preferences to select to override participation in a cycling event and where you can change settings for your thermostat. The link to the web portal on this site is to be used by customers who have already enrolled in PeakRewards℠ when they want to manage their account online. The ability to use this Internet interface is a feature that will be available in the future on this website.