Time-of-use rates for EV owners

Time-of-use (TOU) pricing is simple in idea. Power costs more when everyone is home and less when they are not. An EV can wait, so it is the easiest big load to shift. This page names the plans as of October 2026. It does not print price per kWh, because those change several times a year and differ if a community choice program supplies your generation.

SCE: TOU-D-PRIME

TOU-D-PRIME is an optional SCE plan for customers who attest to an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, a home battery or an electric heat pump. SCE says it carries a higher daily charge, no baseline credit and lower per-kWh prices than its other TOU plans. The peak window is 4 to 9 p.m. every day. SCE suggests charging between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., which suits solar homes, and avoiding the peak.

There is also an EV meter credit. Customers who have or add a second meter for EV charging can get a monthly credit on the bill to offset the second meter’s basic charges. The credit exists, but you still pay for the meter, the permit and any panel work. If you are considering it, ask an electrician what it would take on your service.

Customers whose generation comes from a community choice program, such as Clean Power Alliance or OC Power Authority, see different generation prices on the same delivery structure.

SDG&E: EV-TOU-5

EV-TOU-5 is for SDG&E households with a DMV-registered EV. It has three periods: a peak window from 4 to 9 p.m., an off-peak period, and a low overnight super off-peak. It also has a daily base services charge. SDG&E posts several tariff tables a year, each with an effective date, and prices change at least once a year. Read the table with the latest effective date before you compare plans. SDG&E lists other EV and whole-home plans too, so check the current menu. Customers on Clean Energy Alliance or San Diego Community Power pay that program’s generation charge.

LADWP: discount on a separate EV meter

LADWP has no stand-alone EV rate. Its time-of-use plan, R-1B, has a high peak from 1 to 4:59 p.m. on weekdays, a low peak from 10 a.m. to 12:59 p.m. and 5 to 7:59 p.m. on weekdays, and base pricing the rest of the time, including all weekend. Its EV discount is $0.025 per kWh off base-period charges, and it applies only to base-period use, and only when the charger sits on its own meter that is on a time-of-use plan, so overnight charging matters. That EV meter has a $10 monthly minimum and no service charge. LADWP also pays a $250 rebate for installing the dedicated meter, and a charger rebate of up to $1,000 for qualifying customers. LADWP asks customers to book a service assessment before installing a charger. If you want the discount, plan for the second meter from the start.

Municipal utilities

Cities with their own utility set their own plans. Anaheim Public Utilities lists a Domestic Time-of-Use option and pays a higher charger rebate when the customer joins a time-based rate ($600 instead of $300). Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and Riverside have their own programs, listed in the city utility guide. If you are not sure who serves you, the rebate finder can look it up by address.

How to choose

1. Find your annual kWh from a utility bill and your charger’s schedule.
2. Look at the utility’s own plan comparison tool, with your 12 months of usage.
3. Prefer a plan that lets you shift the charge window without changing how you live.
4. Re-check after a billing cycle. Rate tables change.

Set the schedule

Most EVs and Level 2 chargers can start at a set time. Set it in the vehicle app or the charger app. The circuit is the same whatever time it runs, so the schedule does not change the load calculation. For the electrical side, see the panel question and the EV charger hub.

Common mistakes

• Signing up without reading the peak window. SCE and SDG&E treat 4 to 9 p.m. as the expensive period on their EV-friendly plans, and LADWP treats weekday afternoons from 1 to 4:59 p.m. as its high peak. Charging on arrival at 6 p.m. defeats the point at SCE and SDG&E.
• Using an old rate table. Tariff tables carry effective dates, and SDG&E posts more than one a year. An online search may show an old table. Use the one with the latest date.
• Forgetting the daily charge. TOU-D-PRIME and EV-TOU-5 both have daily base charges. A low-use household may do better on another plan, so compare with real usage rather than a guess.
• Assuming a second meter is free. It adds permit work, meter equipment and sometimes panel space. The credit or discount has to be larger than that cost over the years you will stay.
• Skipping the attestation. SCE asks you to attest to your EV, battery or heat pump when you enroll. Keep your registration handy.

When you plan a charger install, ask the electrician whether the circuit leaves room for a second meter later. The SCE rebate guide, the SDG&E guide and the LADWP guide cover what each utility pays for the install itself.