Here, you can find responses to the most commonly asked questions we receive. Use the drop-down menu below to select a category, then click the “plus” icon next to any question to read more.
The GridSmart Battery Program provides eligible customers with rebates and interest-free, on-bill repayment for the installation of a home battery backup system. In exchange, participants agree to allow PSE&G to activate their battery during periods of high electricity demand, enabling the battery to serve a portion of the home’s energy needs and reduce demand on the electric grid.
By participating in the GridSmart Battery Program, customers help make the grid more reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective for everyone.
The GridSmart Battery Program is regulated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and is currently limited in the total number of participants that can be enrolled.
Customers who work with a participating contractor may be eligible for up to $5,000 in instant rebates for the purchase and installation of a compatible home battery backup system. Additionally, you may qualify for interest-free, on-bill repayment for your remaining project costs, up to $25,000.
GridSmart Events are planned periods of time when PSE&G will signal participants’ home batteries to charge or discharge in a specific way to help meet the demands of the energy grid. Specifically, GridSmart Events are meant to reduce stress on the grid at times of peak electricity demand.
GridSmart Events will not be called during an outage, allowing your home battery backup system to power your home in emergencies.
PSE&G may call up to 100 GridSmart Events per year, and each event can last up to four hours. Event frequency and duration may vary by season and grid conditions. PSE&G will notify you ahead of time via email when an event is scheduled, and you are able to opt out if you desire.
During GridSmart Events, PSE&G will signal your battery to power your home, instead of your home drawing energy directly from the electric grid, helping to reduce the demand placed on the grid as a whole.
GridSmart Events require no action on your part—you can continue using power in your home as usual and let your battery do the work behind the scenes. If your home battery’s state of charge (the amount of energy left in the battery) is reduced down to 20% during the event, your home will seamlessly begin drawing power from the grid again to ensure you still have an energy reserve for emergencies.
After the GridSmart Event ends, your home’s battery backup system will recharge according to the settings you have configured.
Residential batteries are charged by the electric grid or rooftop solar panels. They allow customers to store electricity until it is needed to power their homes during outages and when dispatched by PSE&G during peak demand events.
The GridSmart Battery Program is designed to offer backup power in emergency situations. The program will not inherently help you save energy or money on your energy bills.
Participants who enroll in our new time of use rate can see additional savings by charging their home battery systems during off-peak hours and discharging the battery during on-peak or mid-peak hours.
Find additional ways to save energy and money through our other residential energy efficiency programs.
The GridSmart Battery Program is compatible with both Tesla Powerwall 3 and Enphase home batteries. Your participating contractor can help you select the qualifying hardware that best suits the needs of your home.
Only new installations are eligible for enrollment into the GridSmart Battery Program at this time.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) is evaluating ways for customers with pre-existing installations to participate in this program or similar offerings in the future.
All PSE&G residential electric customers are eligible to participate, regardless of their use rate. Participants who enroll in our new time of use rate can see additional savings by charging their home battery systems during off-peak hours and discharging the battery during on-peak or mid-peak hours.
No. Rebates through the GridSmart Battery Program can only be credited directly as a deduction on the participating contractor’s invoice for your battery hardware and installation.
To participate, you must meet the following requirements:
Get started by reaching out to one of our participating contractors. The installation contractor you work with will apply to the program on your behalf.
You will be pre-enrolled into the program at the time of installation, but your installed batteries must undergo a final inspection process before you can participate in GridSmart Events.
Once your installation passes its inspection, your enrollment is finalized and you will receive notifications whenever GridSmart Events are scheduled.
Yes. All battery backup systems must be inspected following installation to ensure device functionality and eligibility.
In the event that your installation does not meet inspection requirements, we will notify your participating contractor, who must work with you to correct any issues before your program enrollment can be accepted and finalized.
The GridSmart Battery Program permits battery installations with or without solar panels. However, solar panel hardware is not covered under the rebates or on-bill repayment offered by the program.
A home battery backup may enable you to obtain the most benefit of a home solar system. Speak with a participating contractor if you have questions about the impacts of your specific project.
Yes, modern home battery systems have the capability to power the needs of most residences for approximately 11 hours.
The specific length of time that a battery system can power your home on its own depends on a variety of factors, including the system’s total storage capacity and the energy demands placed on it.
A participating contractor can help you identify the necessary hardware required to meet the needs of your home.
Yes, to be eligible for the program offers and to ensure consistent quality and customer experience, you must work with one of our approved participating contractors.
Yes, you should be home during installation to oversee the work being performed and to answer any questions about your home throughout the installation process.
No, the New Jersey Administrative Code does not permit residential battery storage systems to export power back to the grid. Your battery backup system will only be used to power your home.
PSE&G does not trigger events specifically in response to anticipated outages. Rather, GridSmart Events are held to relieve stress on the energy grid during predicted periods of peak electric demand, such as on days with extremely high temperatures.
By default, GridSmart Events will not drain your battery below 20% of its storage capacity. If an unexpected power outage occurs during or soon after an event, your home will continue to draw power from the battery backup system until its storage is exhausted.
Yes, whenever you’re notified of an upcoming event, you may elect to opt out of it through the app used to manage your battery system.
The GridSmart Battery Program requires a wireless internet connection to send signals to your battery storage device. If a device is offline or disconnected, it can miss event signals and may not perform as expected.
PSE&G requires GridSmart Battery Program participants to use reasonable efforts to maintain their battery’s connection to the internet throughout the enrollment term. If we are unable to maintain a connection to your device, or if your battery is disconnected from the internet for 90 consecutive days, you may be unenrolled from the program, and any remaining on-bill repayment balance will become immediately due and must be paid within 30 days.
Our customer support at 1-855-846-2895 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.) can help troubleshoot and restore your device connectivity if a working internet connection is established.
Your internet service provider can help troubleshoot issues related to your internet connectivity.
Participants in the GridSmart Battery Program may also enroll (or remain enrolled) in our FlexPower Program.
Enrollment in the SmartFlex Program is not compatible with participation in the GridSmart Battery Program. If you’re already a SmartFlex participant, you will be unenrolled from SmartFlex once your GridSmart Battery Program enrollment is complete.
The GridSmart Battery Program requires battery telemetry data, such as its current charge state, and may use meter data to validate performance. This data supports program operations, customer support, performance evaluation, and regulatory reporting.
Yes, if you wish to unenroll from the GridSmart Battery Program, please email PSEGHomeEnergy@icf.com or contact our customer support toll-free at 1-855-846-2895 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.).
If you unenroll, any remaining on-bill repayment balance will become immediately due and must be paid within 30 days.
Please email PSEGHomeEnergy@icf.com or contact our customer support toll-free at 1-855-846-2895 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.).