Best EV Utility Rate Plans 2026: PG&E vs SCE vs SDG&E vs Con Ed vs Georgia Power

By Petra Halvorsen, Energy & E-Mobility Cost Analyst · Updated 20 June 2026

The single fact most EV buyers underrate is this: the utility you charge with shapes your running cost more than the car you drive. Two identical EVs, parked in two different states and plugged in at the same midnight hour, can cost their owners three, five, even thirty times as much per kilowatt-hour — purely because of the rate plan on the meter. The headline contrast of 2026 makes the point on its own. Georgia Power's overnight EV rate is 2.19¢/kWh; SDG&E's summer peak can hit $0.80/kWh [6][3]. That is the same electron, priced more than thirty-fold apart depending on where and when you charge.

This guide compares the major US residential EV time-of-use (TOU) plans for 2026 — PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Con Edison, Xcel and Georgia Power — on the only metrics that move your bill: the off-peak rate, the peak spread, and the annual saving each plan delivers against a flat rate. If you only take one thing away: get on your utility's EV rate, and move your charging into the cheap overnight window.

What a TOU rate actually is — and why the spread is everything

A time-of-use rate charges different prices at different times of day. Off-peak (usually overnight) is cheap because demand on the grid is low; on-peak (typically late afternoon into early evening, when air conditioning and home demand collide) is expensive. EV rate plans are built around this rhythm: they widen the gap deliberately, so a driver who charges at 2 AM pays a fraction of what a neighbour pays running their dryer at 6 PM.

The number that matters is the spread between peak and off-peak. A plan with a tiny spread barely rewards overnight charging; a plan with a brutal peak and a deep off-peak rewards it enormously. That is why SDG&E, with the most extreme spread in the country, produces the largest annual savings even though its off-peak rate is not the lowest — the saving comes from how much you avoid by not charging on peak. Georgia Power wins the opposite way: its off-peak rate is so low in absolute terms that overnight charging is cheap regardless of what the peak does.

PG&E (California): EV2-A is the default, EV-B is the legacy option

PG&E's flagship EV rate is EV2-A, a whole-home plan and the one most California PG&E customers land on. Off-peak runs about 23¢/kWh across a generous window — midnight to 3 PM every day — with a summer peak of roughly 54¢/kWh from 4 to 9 PM [1]. The wide off-peak window is the appeal: you can charge overnight and through the morning and midday without touching the expensive band. Our calculation puts annual savings versus a flat rate at $235–$340 for a typical 12,000-mile driver charging off-peak.

PG&E also keeps the older EV-B plan alive, which uses a dedicated second meter just for the car: off-peak around 26¢/kWh (11 PM–7 AM) and a steep peak near 62¢/kWh [1]. EV-B's narrower window and second-meter installation cost make it the worse choice for almost everyone today; unless you already have the separate meter, EV2-A is the plan to be on.

SCE (Southern California Edison): TOU-D-PRIME and a deep super-off-peak

Southern California Edison's EV plan is TOU-D-PRIME, and it leans harder into the overnight discount than PG&E does. The super-off-peak rate sits around 12–15¢/kWh from 9 PM to 8 AM — roughly half PG&E's off-peak — against an on-peak of about 54–59¢/kWh from 4 to 9 PM [2]. The trade-off is a basic charge of about $24/month, a fixed fee you pay regardless of usage, which eats into the saving for low-mileage drivers but is easily outrun by anyone charging an EV regularly.

The deep super-off-peak rate is what makes TOU-D-PRIME strong: our calculation puts annual savings at $540–$645, second only to SDG&E. If you charge overnight on SCE, you are buying power at close to a third of the on-peak price. SCE pairs the rate with charger rebates worth claiming alongside it — see our guide to the SCE Charge Ready home rebate and its 2026 deadline before you wire up a Level 2 charger.

SDG&E (San Diego): the highest savings in the US, by a mile

San Diego Gas & Electric's EV-TOU-5 is the highest-saving EV plan in the country, and the reason is its violent peak. Super-off-peak is about 12.4¢/kWh from midnight to 6 AM; the summer on-peak, 4–9 PM, runs $0.53 to $0.80 per kWh — the most extreme peak-to-off-peak spread in the US [3]. Charge at the wrong hour in August and you can pay more than six times the overnight rate for the same energy.

That spread is exactly why disciplined overnight charging pays off so hard here. Our calculation puts annual savings at $940–$1,060 versus a flat rate — the highest in this comparison, and enough to cover a meaningful share of an EV's total running cost on its own [3].

One source note: some references cite an 18¢ super-off-peak for EV-TOU-5, but the official January 2026 SDG&E tariff is about 12.4¢, which is the figure used throughout this article. If you see the higher number quoted elsewhere, it is likely an older or blended rate; confirm against SDG&E's current tariff before you plan around it [3].

Utility / Plan	Off-peak rate	On-peak rate	Est. annual savings
Georgia Power — TOU-OA-14 (Overnight Advantage)	2.19¢ (11 PM–7 AM)	29.79¢ (Jun–Sep, M–F 2–7 PM)	varies (lowest nominal rate)
SDG&E — EV-TOU-5	~12.4¢ (midnight–6 AM)	$0.53–$0.80 (4–9 PM summer)	$940–$1,060
SCE — TOU-D-PRIME	~12–15¢ (9 PM–8 AM)	~54–59¢ (4–9 PM)	$540–$645
Con Edison — SmartCharge NY	10¢ reward (midnight–8 AM)	$35/mo summer peak reward	$370–$470
Xcel Energy — TOU (Colorado)	~6.8–7.9¢	~21.3¢ (5–9 PM weekdays)	$305–$340
PG&E — EV2-A	~23¢ (midnight–3 PM)	~54¢ (4–9 PM summer)	$235–$340
PG&E — EV-B (2nd meter)	~26¢ (11 PM–7 AM)	~62¢	see EV2-A

Con Edison (New York): a rewards program, not a classic rate

Con Edison takes a different shape from the West Coast plans. Its SmartCharge New York program pays you a reward rather than simply discounting a rate: a 10¢/kWh off-peak reward (7¢/kWh for Orange & Rockland customers) for charging between midnight and 8 AM, paid out monthly, plus a $25 one-time enrollment bonus [4]. In summer (June–September) there is an additional $35/month reward for avoiding charging during the 2–6 PM peak window. Our calculation puts the effective annual benefit at $370–$470.

There is a structural catch worth flagging: Con Edison's TOU Rate III customers cannot also earn SmartCharge rewards — you must pick one path [4]. For most home chargers the SmartCharge rewards are the simpler win, but if you are already on a TOU rate, do the arithmetic on both before committing; you cannot stack them.

Xcel Energy (Colorado): mandatory TOU, and a rate increase pending

Colorado is the leading edge of where US utility pricing is heading. Xcel Energy made residential TOU mandatory in Colorado in late 2025, so EV owners there now get off-peak pricing automatically rather than having to opt in [5]. Off-peak runs about 6.8–7.9¢/kWh — among the lowest in the country after Georgia Power — against an on-peak near 21.3¢/kWh from 5 to 9 PM on weekdays [5]. The modest peak means the spread is gentler than California's, so annual savings land at $305–$340 by our calculation.

Two things to watch on Xcel. First, because TOU is mandatory, charging during the early-evening peak is now actively penalised whether you meant to opt in or not — overnight charging is no longer optional advice, it is how you avoid overpaying. Second, a 9.9% rate increase is pending for August 2026, which will lift both the off-peak and on-peak numbers; treat the rates above as a 2026 snapshot, not a fixed floor [5].

Georgia Power: the lowest overnight rate in the US

Georgia Power's TOU-OA-14 (Overnight Advantage) carries the headline number of this entire comparison: a super-off-peak rate of 2.19¢/kWh from 11 PM to 7 AM, every day — the lowest nominal overnight EV rate in the US [6]. At that price, charging an EV overnight costs almost nothing; the energy to drive a full year can run to a few tens of dollars rather than a few hundred. The on-peak is 29.79¢/kWh in summer (June–September, weekdays 2–7 PM), so the plan still punishes daytime charging, but the off-peak is so cheap that the absolute cost stays tiny [6].

The catch is setup, not price: Overnight Advantage requires a smart meter, about $30 in setup, and a one-year contract [6]. For anyone who can reliably charge overnight, those are trivial barriers against a rate this low. Georgia Power is the clearest case in this guide of the utility mattering more than the car — no efficiency tweak on any EV comes close to the saving from a 2.19¢ overnight rate.

The 2026 shift: mandatory TOU is arriving

The biggest structural story in US EV electricity pricing this year is that time-of-use is moving from opt-in to default. Xcel Energy made residential TOU mandatory in Colorado in late 2025 [5]. And from 1 June 2026, PSE&G in New Jersey becomes the first US utility to mandate TOU for all residential customers — not just EV owners, everyone [7]. For drivers, mandatory TOU is quietly good news: you get the off-peak rate automatically, without research or paperwork, and overnight charging simply becomes the cheap default. The risk is the mirror image — charge at the wrong hour and you now overpay by design, with no flat-rate fallback.

If you live under PSE&G or Xcel, the practical move is the same: shift everything you can overnight, and let the mandatory structure work for you instead of against you.

How much does this actually save you?

Put the plans side by side and the spread between them is the whole argument for caring about your rate. The chart below shows estimated annual TOU savings versus a flat rate, by utility, for a typical 12,000-mile driver charging overnight.

SDG&E leads at roughly $1,000 a year, SCE follows near $595, Con Edison around $420, with Dominion, Xcel and PG&E clustered in the $290–$360 band and Duke at the lower end near $190 (our calculation from utility tariffs) [3][2][4][5][1]. The same picture in raw off-peak rates is even starker — Georgia Power's 2.19¢ against PG&E's 23¢ is a tenfold gap before you even reach SDG&E's peak.

To see where your numbers land — your mileage, your car's efficiency, your utility's off-peak rate — run them through the calculator below.

The takeaway from the arithmetic is consistent across every plan: the saving comes almost entirely from when you charge, not from squeezing a few extra miles per kilowatt-hour out of the car. A driver on SDG&E who charges at 7 PM throws away most of a four-figure annual saving; the same driver charging at 1 AM captures all of it.

Which plan is best for you?

There is no single winner, because "best" depends on what your utility offers and how you charge. If you want the lowest possible cost per kilowatt-hour and you can charge overnight, Georgia Power's 2.19¢ Overnight Advantage is unmatched. If you want the largest saving relative to a flat rate, SDG&E's EV-TOU-5 tops the table at $940–$1,060 a year — but only if you are disciplined about avoiding its brutal peak. If your utility made TOU mandatory, like Xcel in Colorado or PSE&G in New Jersey, the decision is made for you; your only job is to charge overnight.

For most drivers the honest answer is simpler than the comparison suggests: get on whatever EV time-of-use rate your utility publishes, set your car or charger to start after the off-peak window opens, and you will capture the bulk of the available saving. The plan matters, but the habit — charging in the cheap window — matters more. For a fuller picture of how your state stacks up on total ownership cost, see our best and worst states for EV ownership cost in 2026, and for the full off-peak rate table across utilities, our 2026 EV charging tariff rate table.

Common questions

What is the best EV utility rate plan in 2026? It depends on what you optimise for. Georgia Power's Overnight Advantage has the lowest nominal overnight rate in the US at 2.19¢/kWh [6]. SDG&E's EV-TOU-5 delivers the highest annual savings versus a flat rate — $940–$1,060 — because its peak is so expensive that shifting off it saves the most [3]. For most drivers the "best" plan is simply the EV time-of-use rate your own utility offers, charged overnight.

Does my utility matter more than my car for EV running cost? Often, yes. The gap between Georgia Power's 2.19¢ overnight rate and SDG&E's up-to-$0.80 summer peak is more than thirty-fold on the same energy [6][3]. A small efficiency difference between two cars rarely moves your bill that much. Your utility and the off-peak window it gives you shape the cost of every kilowatt-hour for years.

What is a time-of-use (TOU) rate? A TOU rate charges different prices at different times of day — cheap off-peak (usually overnight), expensive on-peak (typically late afternoon and early evening). EV plans are built around this so you charge overnight at the low rate. The bigger the gap between peak and off-peak, the more an overnight charger saves [1][3].

Is time-of-use pricing mandatory anywhere in 2026? Yes, and it is spreading. Xcel Energy made residential TOU mandatory in Colorado in late 2025, and PSE&G in New Jersey becomes the first US utility to mandate TOU for all residential customers from 1 June 2026 [5][7]. EV owners in those territories get the off-peak benefit automatically without opting in.

Do I need a second meter for an EV rate plan? Usually not. Most modern plans — PG&E's EV2-A, SCE's TOU-D-PRIME, SDG&E's EV-TOU-5 — apply to your whole house on a single meter [1][2][3]. PG&E's older EV-B uses a dedicated second meter just for the car, which adds installation cost; most drivers are better off on the whole-home EV rate.

Why is SDG&E's peak rate so high? San Diego has the most extreme peak-to-off-peak spread in the US — a super-off-peak around 12.4¢ against a summer on-peak of $0.53 to $0.80 per kWh, 4–9 PM [3]. That spread punishes anyone charging in the early evening, but it rewards disciplined overnight charging more than any other US plan, which is why its annual savings top the table.

About the author

Petra Halvorsen — Energy & E-Mobility Cost Analyst. Petra analyses European and North American retail power markets and electric-vehicle running costs for ChargeCostLab, reconciling regulator data, utility tariffs, installer pricing and manufacturer specifications into figures drivers can act on. She does not accept payment from charging networks, charger manufacturers or energy suppliers, and every calculation in this article is reproducible from the primary sources listed below.

Sources

1. PG&E — Electric vehicle rate plans (EV2-A / EV-B). https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/find-your-best-rate-plan/electric-vehicle-rate-plans.html
2. Southern California Edison — Electric car rate plans (TOU-D-PRIME). https://www.sce.com/residential/rates/electric-car-plans
3. San Diego Gas & Electric — Electric vehicle pricing plans (EV-TOU-5). https://www.sdge.com/residential/pricing-plans/about-our-pricing-plans/electric-vehicle-plans
4. Con Edison — SmartCharge New York and EV rewards. https://www.coned.com/en/save-money/rebates-incentives-tax-credits/rebates-incentives-tax-credits-for-residential-customers/electric-vehicle-rewards
5. Xcel Energy — Time-of-use pricing (Colorado). https://www.xcelenergy.com/billing_and_payment/understanding_your_bill/time_of_use_pricing
6. Georgia Power — Pricing and rate plans (Overnight Advantage). https://www.georgiapower.com/residential/billing-and-rate-plans/pricing-and-rate-plans.html
7. PSE&G — Residential time-of-use rates. https://nj.pseg.com/
8. US Energy Information Administration — Average retail price of electricity to residential customers. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a

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© 2026 ChargeCostLab. Independent EV cost analysis. Utility rates, charging windows and program rules change without notice and vary by season and climate zone — several were under regulatory review during 2026. Verify with your utility before switching plans. Informational only, not financial advice. Last reviewed 20 June 2026.