HEATSMART

PSNH's HEATSMART Program provides qualifying residential and small business customers with a discounted kilowatt-hour rate for their separately metered electric space heating (and cooling if using a heat pump) and electric water heating. The discount is applied to the distribution charge, the transmission charge, and the stranded cost recovery charge components of the rate per kWh. The system benefits charge, electricity consumption tax and energy service charge components are not discounted. Based on the rates in effect as of August 1, 2009 the discount is approximately 20% as compared to the general residential rate (lights, appliances etc…) per kWh.

How to Qualify

To qualify, customers must have permanently installed electric heat (such as electric resistance baseboard, electric radiant heating, electric boiler, electric air source heat pump, or a geothermal/ground source heat pump) and an approved permanently installed backup heating source sized to adequately heat the area of the premises served by the interruptible electric heat.

Approved backup heating sources are limited to electric thermal storage (ETS) devices as approved by the Company or a wood, wood pellet or coal stove. Wood-fired, direct vent fireplaces are acceptable if a manufacturer's spec sheet listing the unit's Btu output rating is submitted with the HEATSMART Program Application and is shown to meet the sizing requirements listed above.

Emergency generators are not an eligible backup heating source nor are fossil fueled fireplaces (although they may both be present in the premises). Additionally, fossil fuel based heating systems such as: oil, kerosene, propane, or natural gas do not qualify as an approved backup heating source and can not be present in the section of the premises to be served by the HEATSMART rate.

Pardon the Interruption

In exchange for the lower rate, customers agree to allow PSNH to briefly interrupt service to their heating circuits during periods of high demand for electricity. PSNH can interrupt the separately metered circuits for a total of eight hours in any 24-hour period. However, no single interruption would exceed four hours in duration and the time between consecutive interruptions would be no less than 2 hours. Interruptions will not occur more than five times in a month and no more than 26 times in a year.

During periods of interruption, customers would rely on their backup heating system to provide heat. A backup heating system should be sized to meet the home's heating needs during an interruption. Power to lights and appliances would not be interrupted. Based on data since 1994, HEATSMART customers have had a total of thirty interruptions. All interruptions to date, with the exception of one, have occurred in the summer months; even so, a backup heating system is still required.

Customers who choose to take advantage of the HEATSMART rate option, are responsible for 1) the cost of hiring a licensed electrician to install a separate electrical panel and for the wiring of the electric heating circuits to this panel and 2) the cost associated with, if not already present, the back-up heating source.

More Info

For more information on PSNH's HEATSMART Program and for a Program Application click on the downloadable .pdf files below. If you need further assistance please call our customer service representatives at 1-800-662-7764.

• HEATSMART Program Q&A
• HEATSMART Program Application
• HEATSMART Personnel Contact List