Best or Peak Charging Times:
Peak charging times are periods where your electric company will charge more for electric use in your home or at a commercial car charging station. Typically, you’ll end up paying the most during the afternoons and early evenings, and the least during the nights/early mornings. Utility companies do this to save money and capitalize on when electricity demand is at its highest. Understanding peak charging times is crucial to consider when deciding on at-home charging options for your vehicle.
When you combine solar with at-home car charging, you can combat peak charging times by relying on energy from your solar panels, saving tons of money on EV charging. According to Kelly Blue Book, in May of 2021, it cost the average U.S. household about $25.20 a month to charge an EV. Adding solar into the picture can drastically lower this cost and save you money on home EV charging. Get started charging your electric vehicle, receive a FREE solar quote today!
source: https://www.sdge.com/residential/pricing-plans/about-our-pricing-plans/whenmatters
Understanding SDGE Time of Use Plans
SDGE offers EV time-of-use pricing plans, that allow EV owners to get the absolute best charging rates for their vehicle and home. While these are optional, they are ideal if you’d like to get the most out of your charge. Depending on the time of day and time of year, you’ll be charged different rates for your electric use. There are Off-Peak times (cheap electric rates), Super Off-Peak times (cheapest electric rates), and On-Peak times (most expensive rates). There are 3 different plans that you can choose from, each with its own unique benefits; EV-TOU-2, EV-TOU-5, and EV-TOU.
EV-TOU-2 pricing plan
The EV-TOU-2 pricing plan is an all-inclusive plan that bundles home electric use and EV charging as an incentive to get customers to use electricity during off-peak hours. When you sign up for the EV-TOU-2 pricing plan you receive set electric rates during different times of the day, and even different times of the year. The greatest benefit of the EV-TOU-2 plan is that it gives you set electric rates for both your home and EV.
EV-TOU-5 pricing plan
EV-TOU-5 is a unique pricing plan in that you receive an exclusive rate of 9¢/kWh whenever you charge during Super-Off-Peak hours. In order to secure this plan, you do have to pay a $16 monthly fee. Similar to EV-TOU-2, this plan bundles your home and EV.
EV-TOU pricing plan
Lastly, the EV-TOU pricing plan offers you rates similar to that of EV-TOU-2, however, this plan does not bundle home and EV. Instead, this plan requires you to install a separate meter, at your expense, for your EV.
Each plan has different rates that you’ll receive throughout the year, with the summer months being a bit more pricey than the winter months as we’re using more energy to cool our homes. Depending on your energy use and need, it may benefit you to sign up for one plan over the other, but it’s important that you speak to an energy analyst to help you make the right decision for your home!