Common problems during natural disasters like the wildfires currently raging in Los Angeles County are outages of both power and the internet. While an internet outage can be resolved by using a Wi-Fi hotspot, especially for Spectrum customers, power outages may be more of a challenge. Your best option is use a portable power station, which can provide power for your devices off the grid and on the road.
Southern California Edison is offering a $150 rebate for eligible residential customers who purchase a qualifying portable power station, but there are some requirements to qualify.
Here’s what you need to know about these rebates. And if you aren’t affected by the wildfires, here are some ways to help support relief efforts in Southern California.
Who qualifies for the SCE portable power station rebate?
- An existing SCE customer with an active, individually metered SCE service account
- Purchasing a qualifying portable power station
- Receive electric service from circuits in a High Fire Risk Area (HFRA) Tier 2 or 3, defined by the California Public Utilities Commission HFRA map.
- May apply only on or after Jan. 1, 2024
- Each SCE service address may only apply for a maximum of five rebates for qualifying portable power stations.
- Show proof of purchase of a qualifying portable power station no more than 90 days after the date of purchase.
Once approved, the $150 rebate will be paid by check to the service account owner.
What portable power stations qualify for the rebate?
The portable power station must also meet certain minimum requirements to qualify:
- At least one electrical outlet/port (110 volts)
- Must plug into an electrical outlet to recharge
- Must use lithium battery storage only
- Must include surge protection
- Must be portable or easy to transport in an emergency
You can verify if the portable power station qualifies for the rebate on SCE’s site and by clicking the Product Rebate (Quick Link) button in the top right corner to quickly check a portable power station by searching its name or model number. Note, that while we couldn’t always find the same model on the site, that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t qualify for the rebate. SCE says if you don’t see the product, you can contact it at [email protected] to confirm.
We’ve also analyzed our tested list of the best portable power stations and confirmed that the following picks do appear on the site:
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Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus: This is our best-tested portable power station. It has a telescoping handle, durable wheels, two separate 240-volt outlets and the ability to expand to up to five additional batteries, giving you plenty of power. It’ll run you $1,999 on Amazon.
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Anker Solix F3800: The best extra-large portable power station we’ve tested. It’s big, but it gives you a 6,000-watt power output, 120/240 split-phase output, and NEMA 14-50 and L14-30 receptacles to charge EVs, RVs and large appliances. It also supports up to six expansion batteries. It currently costs $2,699 from Anker.
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EcoFlow: The EcoFlow Delta Mini, our best portable power station for camping, doesn’t appear on the site for the rebate, but many other EcoFlow power stations do show up, including the EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus, Delta 3, River 3, Delta Pro, River Mini, River 2 and others.
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Bluetti: We couldn’t find the Bluetti AC70 (our best budget portable power station) or the AC200 Max (our best value portable power station) on the SCE site, but other affordable Bluetti power stations like the AC2P 300W are present.
Who doesn’t qualify for the rebate?
Only residential SCE customers qualify for the rebate. Business customers, multifamily dwelling operators, commercial entities, commercial businesses, nonprofits, industrial customers, public entities and farmland customers do not qualify.
What types of power stations don’t qualify?
- Permanent power stations (home backup)
- Power stations that provide power only through USB ports
- Power banks that provide power only through USB ports
- USB power banks
- Power inverters that draw power from vehicles
- Gasoline-powered power stations
- Gasoline-powered inverters
- Gasoline-powered generators
- Propane-powered generators
- Diesel-powered generators
- Natural-gas-powered generators
- Power stations designed to power commercial equipment
What other rebates are available?
A $200 rebate is available for residential and small business customers who purchase a qualifying portable power generator and receive electrical service in an HFRA Tier 2 or 3 area.
SCE is also offering a $600 rebate for residential customers enrolled in SCE’s California Alternate Rates for Energy, Family Electric Rate Assistance or Medical Baseline Allowance. The requirements are purchasing a qualifying portable generator and receiving electric service in an HFRA Tier 2 or 3 area.
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