Residential customers may have an array of smart-meter options. They might range from simple devices that provide a color-coded light signal to curtail power during peak hours to sophisticated ones that tie in major appliances so that customers could volunteer to allow Peco to remotely manage their use during peak hours.PECO give you a discount of a few bucks a month in exchange for ceding control of your major appliances to them.
I recall seeing something like that in Vermont (Rutland) about 25 years ago.
I think the utility could send an “Off” command to the electric baseboard heating system, but the occupant could override if they desired (at great cost - 20 cents per kwh vs 3 cents normally).