Making sense of the rates

How our EV rates work

You can lower your energy costs by enrolling in one of our EV rates plans.

We offer two EV rate plans for residential customers.

Home Charging EV2-A: Combines your vehicle's electricity costs with your home’s electricity usage.
EV-B: Separates your vehicle's electricity costs from those of your home and involves the installation of second meter.

Both EV rates are Time of Use (TOU). This means there are different prices for electricity depending on the time of day its used. In general, these types of rates are set up to encourage customers to avoid using electricity during the early evening when the cost of electricity is highest. These rates don’t limit how much electricity you can at any time.

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Here are a few things to consider when deciding if an EV rate is right for you.

Understand your home energy consumption

What time of day does your household use the most energy?
Can you shift your energy use to a time when costs and demand are lower, for example, to the early morning or afternoon?

If you can shift your household’s energy usage to off-peak hours, you may benefit from enrolling in an EV rate to help lower your monthly bill and support a healthier environment.

Learn tips for saving energy and money on a TOU rate plan.

Consider your driving habits

Do you charge primarily at home?
Are you able to charge your vehicle between 12am – 3pm?
Can your current EV charger fill your battery overnight or provide enough charge to support your daily commute?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, then an EV rate could be right for you. If you can shift your EV’s charging to off-peak hours, consider switching to an EV rate for potential savings on your monthly bill. The off-peak periods on our EV rates provide enough time for you to fully charge your EV when the cost of energy is cheapest.

Compare residential rates to find the best plan for you

See if an EV rate plan can save you money with the PG&E’s EV Savings Calculator’s rate tool.

You can do a rate comparison by logging in to your PG&E account to determine which non-EV rate is best for you.

If you don't have an online account, register now.

What is the EV2-A rate?

Our Home Charging EV2-A rate applies to both your home energy and your vehicle's electricity use. It offers lower prices during certain times of the day when the cost to produce energy is cheapest.

This rate plan works for those who have an electric vehicle (EV) and/or battery storage and/or an electric heat pump and can charge them during off-peak hours.

Most EVs and home charging stations allow you to program when you want to charge them. You can set the charging time to be during the lowest TOU price periods.

Time-of-Use (TOU) periods and costs

The Home Charging EV2-A rate is a Time of Use (TOU) rate. This means there are different prices for electricity depending on the time of day. Costs on the EV2-A rate are lowest from 12 midnight to 3 p.m., every day, including weekends and holidays when demand is lowest. This is the best time to charge your vehicle and to use your larger household appliances, like your AC, washer, dryer, or dishwasher.

Remember:

Off-peak hours are 12 midnight to 3 p.m.
Electricity is more expensive during peak hours (4 - 9 p.m.) and partial-peak (3 - 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. - 12 midnight) periods.

The cost to charge your EV during off-peak hours is about the same as paying $2.21 per gallon at the pump. Learn more about eGallon.

The EV2-A rate is also eligible for the CARE and FERA monthly discounts. For customers enrolled in CARE and the EV2-A rate, the cost to charge your EV during off-peak hours is the same as paying $1.44 per gallon at the pump. Learn more about these discount programs.

Download EV2-A full schedule and rates (PDF, 314 KB)

EV2-A Summer (Jun. - Sep.)

Summer Lowest costs - ideal charging times 12 midnight - 3 p.m. Higher cost - avoid or limit charging: 3 p.m. - 12 midnight

EV2-A Winter (Oct. - May)

Winter Lowest costs - ideal charging times 12 midnight - 3 p.m. Higher cost - avoid or limit charging: 3 p.m. - 12 midnight

NOTE: Daily peak period is (4 - 9 p.m.), partial peak is (3 - 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. - 12 midnight) and off-peak period is (all other hours). Costs shown above are per kWh. Customers with high energy usage (over 800% baseline allowance) over the last 12 months are not eligible for this rate. Learn more about baseline allowances.

What is the EV-B rate?

EV-B rate separates your vehicle’s electricity costs from those of your home. It requires the installation of a second meter. The price for charging varies based on the time of day. Your home energy use is measured separately through its own rate.

The EV-B rate is best for those who want to track their EV charging separately from their home energy usage and/or are not able to shift their home electric use to off-peak hours.

Remember: you can maximize your saving by reducing usage from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Time-of-use (TOU) periods and costs

The EV-B rate is a Time of Use (TOU) rate. This means there are different prices for electricity depending on the time of day. Costs on EV-B are lowest from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. when energy demand is lowest. This is the best time to charge your vehicle.

Electricity is more expensive during peak (2 - 9 p.m.) and partial-peak (7 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 9 - 11 p.m.) periods.

The cost to charge your EV during off-peak hours is the about the same as paying $2.16 per gallon. Learn more about eGallon.

The EV-B rate is not eligible for the CARE and FERA monthly discounts.

Download EV-B full schedule and rates (PDF, 430 KB)

EV-B Summer (May - Oct.)

Summer Lowest costs - ideal charging times 11 p.m. - 7 a.m. Higher cost - avoid or limit charging: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.

EV-B Winter (Nov. - Apr.)

Winter Lowest costs - ideal charging times 11 p.m. - 7 a.m. Higher cost - avoid or limit charging: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.

NOTE: Weekends and holidays only include the peak period of (3 - 7 p.m.) and the off-peak (all other hours) period. Costs shown above are per kWh. Customers with high energy usage (over 800% baseline allowance) over the last 12 months are not eligible for this rate. Learn more about baseline allowances.

What does off-peak mean?

TOU rates are designed to encourage customers to use energy when the cost of production is lowest. It helps spread electric usage to times of the day when there is less strain on the grid. These hours are referred to as ‘off-peak’ and vary depending on which TOU rate a customer is enrolled in.

Charging at home allows EV owners to take advantage of these lower rates. By shifting energy usage to off-peak hours, you could also reduce your utility bill.

How to charge your EV during off-peak hours?

You will need to set up a charging schedule on your charging station directly. You can also do this through the charging network app or through the vehicle itself. There are different ways you can learn how to do this:

Check your charging station’s manual or search online by looking up your ‘(EVSE brand name) set your charging schedule’.
Check your vehicle’s user manual or search online by looking up your ‘EV make/model set up charging schedule’

PLEASE NOTE:

You are allowed to change your rate schedule twice in the first 12 months but after the second rate change you must remain on the new rate for 12 months.
If you decide to install a second meter dedicated to your electric vehicle (EV), you are only eligible for EV-B on that meter. Your house will be eligible for other PG&E rate plans (except for the Home Charging EV2-A rate).
EV2-A customers are eligible to participate in SmartRate™.
EV-B customers are ineligible for the following programs: SmartRate™, Medical Baseline, CARE and FERA.