Smart thermostat + Peak Saver: how to actually maximize it

A smart thermostat is the cheapest way into BC Hydro's Peak Saver program — and the one device most people set up wrong. Enrolled and configured well, it quietly pays you every winter and shaves your heating bill. Enrolled and ignored, it leaves money and comfort on the table. Here's how to get it right.

What Peak Saver actually does with your thermostat

On a handful of the coldest, highest-demand evenings each winter, BC Hydro sends a signal that nudges your thermostat a couple of degrees for a short window — flattening the province-wide demand spike. In exchange, you get paid. You're never locked in: if you're uncomfortable during an event, you override it in the app and nothing happens to your rewards standing. It's a small, occasional trade for a steady seasonal cheque.

The money: enrollment vs. the thermostat rebate

There are two separate pots, and you can get both:

• Peak Saver enrollment reward — a $100 sign-up bonus plus $50 per winter season for keeping an eligible thermostat enrolled.
• The thermostat rebate — many ENERGY STAR smart thermostats carry their own rebate, and they're often bundled into a larger heat pump or retrofit project.

You enroll through BC Hydro's enroll smart home devices page once the device is installed and connected to Wi-Fi.

Which thermostat to buy

For Peak Saver, the device has to be on BC Hydro's eligible list and able to talk to the program — most mainstream connected thermostats (Nest, ecobee, Honeywell, Mysa) qualify, but the details differ. We compared them head-to-head, including which pairs best with a heat pump, in Nest vs. ecobee vs. Honeywell vs. Mysa, and rounded up the current options on our smart thermostats page.

Set it up to win (not just enroll)

The trick to Peak Saver is that a small nudge during an event only costs you comfort if your house can't coast. Set it up so it can:

1. Pre-heat before the window. Peak events cluster in the early-evening demand peak. A gentle pre-heat beforehand means the small setback during the event is barely noticeable.
2. Use a real schedule, not "hold." A setback overnight and when you're out is where most of the bill savings actually come from — the event rewards are a bonus on top.
3. Let it learn. Occupancy and adaptive-recovery features keep comfort steady while trimming runtime.
4. Mind the 14-day window. If you're stacking with a battery or other devices, the timing rules matter — here's the $3,500 mistake people make with Peak Saver timing.

It's better with a heat pump

A smart thermostat controls a heat pump far more precisely than an old furnace, so the two are natural partners — and the heat pump is where the big rebates live. If a heat pump is on your radar, start with the complete BC heat pump rebate guide.