How to save power during a Flex Alert

California’s sultry summer days come with an increased risk of power outages and wildfires. But there’s a way you can help: by decreasing how much power you’re using during a Flex Alert.

A Flex Alert is a notice by California’s Independent System Operator, which oversees our state’s power grid. Basically, it is a request for people to consider unplugging devices, turning up the thermostat a few degrees, and holding off on running large appliances until the power demand is lower later in the evening. Flex Alerts tend to be set from late afternoon through the evening, when people are starting to return from school and work and everyone’s flipping on the air conditioning.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times.