Best Time-of-Use Rate Plans for EV Owners in 2026

Last updated: February 2026

If you drive an electric vehicle and haven't switched to a time-of-use (TOU) electricity rate, you're almost certainly leaving money on the table — often $600–$1,500 per year.

TOU rates charge different prices for electricity depending on the time of day. The logic is straightforward: electricity costs the grid less to produce at 2 AM than at 6 PM when everyone gets home from work and turns on their air conditioning. Utilities pass those real-time cost differences on to customers willing to shift their usage to cheaper hours.

For EV owners, this is a perfect match. Your car sits idle while you sleep. Plugging it in at midnight and setting a charge schedule through your EV's app — something every major EV supports today — means your transportation fuel costs a fraction of what daytime drivers pay.

Here's exactly how it works, which plans are worth switching to, and how to calculate your savings.

How Time-of-Use Pricing Works

A TOU rate plan divides the day into pricing periods, typically:

• Peak hours: High demand periods, usually weekday afternoons and evenings (4 PM–9 PM is most common). Rates can reach $0.40–0.65/kWh in California.
• Off-peak hours: Nights and early mornings, typically 9 PM–6 AM. Rates range from $0.07–0.16/kWh depending on utility.
• Super off-peak (some utilities): Very late night or early morning hours with the lowest possible rates — as low as $0.05–0.09/kWh.
• Mid-peak (some utilities): Shoulder periods between peak and off-peak with moderate rates.

The critical insight for EV owners: you don't have to reduce your total electricity use — you just have to shift when you use it. All modern EVs have built-in charge scheduling. Set your car to begin charging at 11 PM and stop by 6 AM, and you automatically capture off-peak rates every night.

Why the Math Works in EV Owners' Favor

Let's look at a concrete example using the Tesla Model 3 Long Range (consumption: approximately 26 kWh per 100 miles) and a driver who travels 1,200 miles per month:

Monthly energy needed: 1,200 miles ÷ 100 × 26 kWh = 312 kWh/month

On a flat residential rate (e.g., 14.5¢/kWh national average per EIA February 2026): 312 kWh × $0.145 = $45.24/month

On a TOU plan, charging exclusively off-peak (e.g., 9¢/kWh off-peak rate): 312 kWh × $0.09 = $28.08/month

Monthly savings: $17.16 | Annual savings: $205.92

That example uses the national average flat rate, which isn't particularly high. In California, where flat residential rates average 28¢/kWh (EIA February 2026) and PG&E's EV-A off-peak rate is approximately 9¢/kWh, the savings multiply dramatically:

Flat rate scenario: 312 kWh × $0.28 = $87.36/month → $1,048/year TOU off-peak scenario: 312 kWh × $0.09 = $28.08/month → $337/year Annual savings from TOU switch (California): $711/year just on EV charging

Best TOU Plans by State and Utility

California

California has the most developed TOU rate landscape in the country — and also the most consequential, given that the state has the highest residential electricity rates in the continental U.S.

PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) — EV-A Plan

• Off-peak rate: ~$0.09/kWh (9 PM – 9 AM weekdays; all day weekends)
• Peak rate: ~$0.59/kWh (4 PM – 9 PM weekdays)
• Super off-peak: ~$0.07/kWh (midnight – 3 AM)
• Best for: Bay Area EV owners who charge overnight and avoid peak hours entirely

SCE (Southern California Edison) — TOU-EV-1 Plan

• Off-peak rate: ~$0.13/kWh (9 PM – 8 AM)
• On-peak rate: ~$0.47/kWh (4 PM – 9 PM, weekdays)
• Best for: LA area homeowners with consistent overnight charging habits

SDG&E (San Diego Gas & Electric) — EV-TOU Plan

• Super off-peak rate: ~$0.08/kWh (midnight – 5 AM)
• Off-peak rate: ~$0.22/kWh (5 AM – 4 PM, 9 PM – midnight)
• On-peak rate: ~$0.61/kWh (4 PM – 9 PM weekdays)
• Best for: San Diego homeowners with very late-night charging capability

The California example illustrates how high peak rates can be — $0.59–0.61/kWh is extraordinary. This is a feature, not a bug, for overnight chargers: the spread between peak and off-peak is so large that TOU plans become almost mandatory for EV owners.

Texas (Deregulated Market)

Texas has a deregulated electricity market, which means TOU plans are offered by retail electric providers (REPs) rather than regulated utilities. The landscape changes frequently, but several REPs consistently offer competitive EV-friendly TOU rates.

Griddy (reconstituted) and similar pass-through REPs: Some Texas providers now offer wholesale-pass-through rates where you pay the real-time market price. During low-demand nights, ERCOT wholesale prices often drop below 2–3¢/kWh. This is powerful for heavy EV users willing to monitor and automate charging, but carries risk during high-demand events.

TXU Energy, Reliant, and Green Mountain Energy all offer EV-specific flat overnight rates in the range of 7–10¢/kWh for a defined overnight window (typically 10 PM – 6 AM). Given Texas's daytime flat rates of approximately 12–14¢/kWh, these plans offer modest but real savings.

Colorado

Xcel Energy — EV Accelerate at Home

• Off-peak rate: ~$0.075/kWh (9 PM – 9 AM weekdays; all day weekends)
• On-peak rate: ~$0.23/kWh (3 PM – 9 PM weekdays)
• Program benefit: Xcel also offers a $500 rebate for qualifying Level 2 EVSE installation under the EV Accelerate program
• Best for: Denver-area homeowners — particularly strong value given Colorado's 15% state solar credit if combining with home solar

Black Hills Energy offers a simpler overnight rate in southern Colorado of approximately $0.055/kWh for off-peak hours (midnight–6 AM), one of the lowest off-peak EV rates in the country.

Georgia

Georgia Power — EV Time-of-Use Plan

• Off-peak rate: ~$0.06/kWh (11 PM – 7 AM weekdays; all day weekends/holidays)
• On-peak rate: ~$0.26/kWh (2 PM – 7 PM weekdays, June–September)
• Shoulder rate: ~$0.09/kWh (all other hours)
• Best for: Atlanta EV owners — Georgia Power's off-peak rate of $0.06/kWh is among the lowest in the country for a major urban utility

North Carolina

Duke Energy Carolinas — Time-of-Use Optional Home Plan

• Off-peak rate: ~$0.08/kWh (9 PM – 9 AM weekdays; all day weekends)
• On-peak rate: ~$0.19/kWh (1 PM – 9 PM weekdays, June–September; 6 AM–9 AM and 5 PM–9 PM, October–May)
• Best for: Charlotte and Raleigh EV owners — modest savings but straightforward plan structure

Pacific Northwest (Washington / Oregon)

Washington and Oregon have the cheapest average electricity rates in the country — PSE and PGE customers pay 10–11¢/kWh flat. TOU savings are smaller here in absolute terms, but plans are still worth considering:

Puget Sound Energy (WA) — EV Discount Rate:

• Off-peak rate: ~$0.09/kWh (10 PM – 6 AM)
• Standard rate: ~$0.10/kWh (all other hours)
• The spread is minimal, but PSE also offers a $200 EV charger rebate for enrolling in the program

How to Calculate Your Optimal Charging Schedule

Step 1: Identify Your Utility's TOU Periods

Look up your utility's TOU rate structure on their website or call their customer service line. You're looking for: (a) when are peak hours, (b) what's the peak rate, and (c) what's the off-peak rate.

Step 2: Check If Your Rate Works for Your Schedule

If peak hours run 4 PM–9 PM (as most do), and you typically arrive home at 6 PM and plug in, you need to either delay the start time (easy with a charge schedule) or ensure your EV doesn't start charging until after 9 PM.

Step 3: Consider Your Whole-Home Usage

EV charging is often the biggest single load shift you can make, but look at your overall usage too. Running your dishwasher, laundry, and other major appliances after 9 PM can further reduce your peak demand exposure on more advanced rate plans.

Step 4: Calculate Your Savings

Assumes 26 kWh/100 miles (Tesla Model 3 LR), CA flat rate 28¢/kWh, off-peak 9¢/kWh; national avg flat rate 14.5¢/kWh, off-peak 9¢/kWh

The Whole-Home Consideration: When TOU Plans Can Hurt

Not every household benefits from switching to TOU. If your household has large daytime energy loads — a pool pump, electric water heater running midday, someone working from home with heavy AC use — TOU plans can backfire by exposing more of your usage to peak rates than the EV savings offset.

A rough rule: If more than 25–30% of your electricity use happens during peak hours and you can't shift it, compare your total bill carefully before switching. The Rate Optimizer calculator below can model both scenarios using your actual usage profile.

The households that benefit most from TOU are those with predictable overnight EV charging needs and flexible daytime loads. For the typical working family that charges an EV overnight, runs appliances in evenings, and can easily shift to post-9 PM — the switch is almost always worth it.

Getting Started With a TOU Switch

Most utilities allow you to switch to a TOU plan online within a few minutes. The switch typically takes effect at the start of the next billing cycle. Most utilities also allow a 12-month trial period where you can switch back to a flat rate if TOU doesn't save you money — though in practice, EV-owning households with overnight charging habits almost universally come out ahead.

Steps to switch:

1. Log into your utility's online account portal
2. Navigate to "Rate Plans" or "Pricing Options"
3. Compare available TOU plans — some utilities offer multiple structures
4. Enroll (usually effective next billing cycle)
5. Set a charging schedule on your EV app (most important step)
6. Review your first two bills to confirm savings

The Rate Optimizer and EV Charging Cost calculators below can help you model your specific situation before switching — and verify your savings after the first month.

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Data sources: PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Xcel Energy, Georgia Power, Duke Energy published tariff schedules, February 2026; EIA Electric Power Monthly February 2026; NREL Vehicle Charging and Grid Integration research