EV Charging Cost by Utility TOU Rate Plan 2026

Annual savings range $340 to $2,200 depending on utility + driving pattern. Top savings: PG&E EV-B (CA, separate EV meter) saves $2,200/year for an average driver. SDG&E EV-TOU2 saves $1,620/year. PG&E EV2-A saves $1,080. Lowest: utilities in low-base-rate states (Seattle, Austin) save $340-$410. The savings come from off-peak rates being 30-65% lower than flat rates AND avoiding peak rates that are 50-100% HIGHER than flat. Critical: you must actually schedule charging to off-peak windows — most TOU customers without scheduling miss 60-80% of available savings.

Almost always YES if you have an EV. Math: average household uses ~10K kWh/year baseline; EV adds ~4K kWh/year. The 4K kWh of EV charging shifted to off-peak captures most savings. Risk: peak-rate hours are 50-100% MORE expensive on TOU than flat rate, so non-charging usage during peak (running A/C 4-9pm summer) costs more. Mitigation: shift dishwasher, dryer, A/C pre-cooling to off-peak too. Most EV TOU customers come out 5-15% cheaper overall on total electric bill, not just EV portion. Apply via your utility website; switch is free; can usually switch back within 12 months if it doesn't work out.

For PG&E EV-B, yes — install separate sub-panel + meter $1,500-$3,000. Other utilities (PG&E EV2-A, SDG&E EV-TOU2, ConEd EV1) offer whole-home TOU without separate meter — just need to pick the EV rate. The separate-meter EV-B at PG&E offers $0.16/kWh off-peak vs $0.31 for whole-home EV2-A — the $0.15/kWh delta covers 4,000 kWh/year × $0.15 = $600/year savings vs whole-home. Payback on $2,500 sub-meter install: ~4 years. Worth it if: high-mileage driver (>15K mi/yr), planning to keep home 5+ years, comfortable with electrical permit + separate billing complexity.

Most utilities define off-peak as 11pm-7am or midnight-6am — overnight when grid demand is lowest. Some utilities (PG&E EV2-A) include weekend daytime as off-peak. ComEd uses real-time pricing where off-peak is variable (typically overnight but check daily forecast). Critical detail: SUMMER vs WINTER schedules differ at many utilities (Tampa Electric, Xcel) — summer peak is 12pm-9pm (cooling); winter peak is 6am-10am (heating). Set your EV schedule to charge 11pm-7am as a safe default that works at virtually all utilities. Then optimize based on your specific utility's exact off-peak window.

Yes if you set the schedule. Tesla: Charging menu → Schedule → set off-peak start time + end time. Ford Lightning: FordPass app → Charging Schedule. Hyundai/Kia: in-vehicle charging schedule menu OR Bluelink app. GM (Chevy / GMC): myChevrolet / myGMC app schedule. Most EVs default to "charge immediately when plugged in" which is the wrong setting for TOU customers. Spending 5 minutes setting up schedule on first day captures 90% of available savings. ALSO: many smart Level 2 chargers (Tesla Wall Connector, ChargePoint Home Flex, JuiceBox, Wallbox Pulsar) have their own scheduling that works regardless of vehicle.

No — peak charging on TOU is significantly MORE expensive than flat rate. Math: PG&E EV2-A peak rate $0.62/kWh vs flat $0.385/kWh = 61% MORE for peak charging. If you charge during peak hours regularly, you LOSE money on TOU vs flat. The breakeven: you need to charge 60%+ of your kWh during off-peak to come out ahead. Most TOU customers achieve 85-95% off-peak. If you have unpredictable schedule + can't commit to overnight charging, stay on flat rate. If you can guarantee 80%+ overnight charging via scheduling, switch to TOU.

No financial penalty. Outage during scheduled off-peak charging means your EV simply doesn't charge that night. You wake up to lower battery; charge at next off-peak window OR plug into faster L2 / DCFC if needed. Utilities don't double-charge you for missed off-peak. The risk: if outage is during low-battery emergency, you may need to use peak charging for a critical drive — once-a-year scenario; not a meaningful TOU economics issue. Most TOU customers experience 0-2 power outages per year that affect EV charging.

Yes — most major utilities offer $500-$1,500 rebates on smart EV chargers that auto-optimize for TOU. PG&E: $700 rebate on Wallbox Pulsar Plus. ConEd: $500 rebate on certified chargers. SCE (Southern California Edison): Up to $1,000 + smart charger free on EV pilot programs. Xcel CO: $700 rebate. Duke Energy: $500-$1,000 rebate + reduced installation cost via partner electrician. Charger plus installation typically $2,000-$3,500; net cost after utility rebate $1,000-$2,500. Federal §30C alternative fuel refueling tax credit additionally provides 30% (up to $1,000) — STACKABLE with utility rebate. Income-eligible households can stack federal HEEHRA point-of-sale rebate too.