SDG&E EV and panel programs: what is available and what is not

San Diego County homeowners ask the same thing as SCE customers: where is the rebate? The answer for 2026 is shorter than most online lists suggest. This page separates what SDG&E’s own pages list from what only contractor sites claim.

Home charger and panel rebates

SCE has Charge Ready Home for panels and circuits. SDG&E lists no equivalent. Contractor blogs list home charger rebates of $200, $500 and $1,000 for SDG&E customers, but they contradict each other and none matched an SDG&E page. A September 2026 program comparison table lists SDG&E with no active residential Level 2 charger rebate. Treat any figure you see as unverified until SDG&E gives it to you in writing.

The federal 30C charger credit is listed by the U.S. Department of Energy as expired on June 30, 2026, so it is not a fallback either. The federal tax credits guide tracks that.

Apartments and condos

Power Your Drive for apartments and condos offered equipment rebates to property owners. SDG&E’s page now says the program is fully subscribed and is no longer accepting applications. It never applied to a single-family home. Property managers and HOA boards can ask SDG&E whether a new round is planned.

What SDG&E does offer: a faster service-upgrade path

The Express Program is the practical benefit for a homeowner who needs a bigger panel.

• It covers a residential service or panel upgrade up to 400 amps that adds no new load.
• The electrician files it in the Builder Services Portal as “Service Upgrade - No Added Load,” puts “Express Program” in the description and attaches photos of the existing panel.
• The meter panel needs a clear, level work space of 3 feet by 3 feet.
• Any relocation must stay overhead on the same wall. Required underground relocations do not qualify.
• Projects that add load or upsize the service line go through SDG&E My Project Center.

SDG&E’s home electrification page also lists meter socket adapters and load management as ways to add a charger or electric appliance without a full panel upgrade. For homes switching from gas to electric, it describes common facility cost treatment, which can reduce service-upgrade costs for mixed-fuel homes. Ask the electrician to check which applies. The timeline guide shows how the utility and the city steps fit together, and load management explains how to skip the upgrade in some homes.

EV rate

EV-TOU-5 is SDG&E’s plan for customers with a registered EV who can charge overnight. The rates table shows three periods, a 4 to 9 p.m. peak, a low overnight super off-peak price and a daily base services charge. Per-kWh prices change several times a year, and many San Diego County cities buy their power from San Diego Community Power or Clean Energy Alliance, which affects the generation part of the bill. Read the table with the latest effective date when you sign up. SDG&E also lists a whole-home plan, so ask whether it is open to new customers. More in time-of-use rates for EV owners.

Batteries

The main SGIP ratepayer budgets closed to new submissions on December 31, 2025, and waitlisted applications without reserved funds were cancelled. The income-qualified Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget still takes reservations, with $1,100 per kWh for storage listed on the CPUC page. The SGIP program metrics page, as of October 29, 2026, shows a waitlist for the SDG&E area, so a new application may wait for funds. Do not buy a battery on the assumption that this money will arrive.

Heat pumps and electrification

TECH Clean California reported its heat pump water heater and HVAC incentives reserved statewide as of November 14, 2025. Income-qualified HEEHRA rebates were fully reserved statewide as of February 24, 2026, and later requests are waitlisted. A waitlisted project qualifies only if the heat pump is installed after the reservation is approved. The page does not list per-unit amounts. The electrification order of operations guide covers how to sequence a panel with other upgrades.

Medical Baseline

SDG&E customers who rely on life support equipment or have certain conditions can apply for Medical Baseline through the utility. It gives extra electricity at the lowest rate, with no income test, per the CPUC.

What to do next

• Ask your electrician if the job qualifies for the Express Program.
• Compare a load calculation against a full upgrade.
• Check SDG&E’s pages on the day you sign, since amounts and funding change.
• For local detail, see the San Diego County hub, the San Diego page and the Escondido page.