Time-of-use rate plans for your business

Why does my time-of-use rate vary?
Time-of-use rate plans better align the price of energy with the cost of energy at the time it is produced. Lower rates during partial-peak and off-peak hours offer an incentive for customers to shift energy use away from more expensive peak hours, which can help you save money and reduce strain on the electric grid.

Because the growth in renewable energy has shifted peak demand time from afternoons to evenings, peak hours are changing. See sections below for full details.

How can I save money on a time-of-use rate plan?
On a time-of-use rate, you can lower your bill by shifting when you use energy to partial-peak and off-peak hours. Rates during partial-peak and off-peak hours of the day are lower than rates during on-peak hours. This puts you in the driver's seat so you can have more control over your bills. PG&E can help you identify ways to shift energy use away from peak hours and conserve energy in your business with rebates for making energy efficiency upgrades.

What are the rate plan changes?
Beginning in March 2021, businesses moved to new time-of-use rate plans with later peak hours. The new on-peak hours, when rates are higher, are 4-9 p.m. every day of the year. In addition, these new rate plans only have partial-peak periods during summer months (2-4 p.m. and 9-11 p.m. every day, June through September), and a super off-peak period, when prices will are lower, during spring months (9 a.m. – 2 p.m. every day, March through May).

Beginning in March 2021, most agriculture customers transitioned to rate plans that have a June through September summer season with on-peak hours from 5-8 p.m. 365 days a year. These plans will bill customers based on measured demand rather than self-reported connected load. Qualifying agriculture customers will transition in March 2022 rather than March 2021, but can choose to enroll early in these new rate plans.

What are my rate plan options and can I switch to a different rate plan?
You can change to another time-of-use rate plan up to once a year. Find more information about the different rate plan options at PG&E's Tariffs webpage. PG&E also has two business storage rate options (B1-ST and Option S). To compare available rate options and select a different rate plan, log in to your PG&E online account.

Who do I contact if I have a question about my bill?
Call our Business Customer Service Center at 1-800-468-4743 to speak to a PG&E Representative about bill inquiries. Our staff can help you navigate your new bill or connect you with a Customer Relationship Manager who can walk you through an energy survey over the phone. They can see if your business might qualify for potential rebates and other savings programs. Plus, you can also schedule a free, comprehensive facility assessment.

How is PG&E supporting the State’s ongoing commitment to clean energy?
California is working towards creating a cleaner and more reliable energy grid by encouraging energy usage when demand is lower and renewable energy is more plentiful—while balancing the need to keep customer rates affordable

Time-of-use rate plans are one of the best ways to do this. That’s why they’ve been adopted by most electricity providers in the state. Most business customers across California have already been on time-of-use rate plans for several years.

With a time-of-use rate plan, the cost of electricity varies based on the time of day and season in which it is used.

We do not make more money as a result of changes in the time-of-use hours. In fact, PG&E does not make more money when our customers use more gas or electricity. Instead, the amount of money PG&E makes is subject to regulation by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

What is the Demand Charge on my bill?
To help keep the supply of electricity reliable in California, some time-of-use rate plans, like Business Medium Use (B10), include a Demand Charge to encourage businesses to spread their electricity use throughout the day. This Demand Charge is calculated by using the 15-minute interval during each billing month when your business uses its maximum amount of electricity. As a benefit to this type of rate plan, regular electricity usage charges are approximately 30% lower than for a comparable rate plan without a Demand Charge--giving you the opportunity to save on your bill if you can lower your highest usage 15-minute interval.

Why does my Demand Charge vary from month to month?
The Demand Charge reflects the maximum amount of electricity you used during any 15-minute interval over the course of a billing period, and can vary depending on how and when you use your equipment from month to month. One way to lower your monthly Demand Charge is to stagger times at which you use equipment, rather than using all your equipment at the same time, thereby minimizing spikes in your electricity use. Depending on your business type, it may be possible to spread your electricity use throughout the day to lower your Demand Charge.

Battery Storage with Net Energy Metering (NEM2)
PG&E's NEM2 program, when paired with battery storage, provides a way to optimize energy by storing power to use later. It's a great way to get the most out of your investment in renewable energy.

For a limited period of years, qualifying solar customers will be eligible for delayed transition, which retains their legacy Time-of-Use hours and seasons. This will help preserve the economics of the original decision to go solar.

It's easy to go green with Solar Choice
Residential customers have the option to enroll and receive 100% of their electricity from solar power generated within California, without needing to install their own rooftop solar panels. The Business customer portion of the program is fully subscribed.