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Electricity prices on TOU rate plans are based on the time of day and the season. Prices are lower during the day when clean, inexpensive solar power is abundant. TOU rates encourage you to use energy when it is cleanest and least expensive, and to reduce energy use when it is most costly, on weekdays between the hours of 4pm and 9pm when the sun has gone down and more polluting fossil-fuel generation is used.
With a TOU rate plan you are in control. Take advantage of lower electricity prices in the morning, midday, and late at night. The more you can shift your energy usage to when rates are lower, the more you’ll save.
This rate plan benefits households who can lower their energy usage between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. For example, if you stay up late, try using major appliances like your dishwasher after 8 p.m.
The renewable energy on California’s electric grid is most readily available and least expensive during the day when a large amount of solar energy is being produced. From 4PM to 9PM, as the sun goes down and solar energy is decreasing, demand for energy is peaking as people return home from their daily activities and turn on lights, televisions, appliances, and other electricity-consuming items. Greenhouse-gas emitting fossil fuel power plants are switched on to make up for the decrease in solar energy and increase in energy demand. As a result, energy is more expensive and more polluting during these hours.
By making electricity most expensive from 4PM to 9PM or 5pm to 8PM, TOU rate plans encourage people to use less energy during these hours. When customers shift their energy usage to morning and midday hours, they tap into an abundance of energy on California’s electric grid coming from cleaner, renewable resources and help keep California golden.
Yes, CPA and SCE offer three TOU options for residential customers. Plans include TOU 5 - 8 p.m., TOU 4 - 9 p.m., and a TOU “Prime” rate plan specifically for customers with plug-in EVs, residential batteries or other clean energy technologies. This Rate Plan Comparison Tool can help you compare options, while this Appliance Energy Use Cost Calculator will help you estimate customer savings from shifting appliance use to off-peak hours.
Yes, SCE will notify eligible CPA customers by U.S. Mail 90 days and 30 days before switching their plans. Customers who provided SCE with their email address and agreed to be contacted via email may be notified electronically as well.
Based on your past energy usage, you will be placed on the TOU rate which is best for your household, either TOU-D-4-9 p.m. or TOU-D-5-8 p.m. The notification will include a comparison of what you currently pay each year, and what you would pay under TOU rates. No action is necessary to automatically transition to your optimum TOU rate plan. CARE or FERA program discounts will carry over to a TOU rate plan.
Most residential customers who are currently on the Domestic flat or tiered rate will be switched to a default Time-of-Use rate. You will not be switched to Time-of-Use rates if you:
CPA residential customers can opt out of Time-of-Use rates before their scheduled transition date by returning the reply card included with your notification letter, completing the online form at sce.com/toutransition, or calling SCE’s dedicated TOU line at 877-287-2140. You can also switch back to a flat/tiered rate at a later date by calling SCE at 877-287-2140.
We encourage customers to try out the new TOU rates to see if they are right for you and your household, especially given the one year of bill protection being offered during this transition. TOU rate plans benefit customers who can shift electricity usage away from times of day when electricity costs more to deliver. TOU rates also help our environment. Remember, customers are always welcome to contact CPA at 888-585-3788 or customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org to ask questions and learn more about your options.
Yes, you can save money on Time-of-Use Rates by using less power between 4-9 p.m. when the price of electricity is at its highest. Adjusting your thermostat between 4-9 p.m., running your washing machine earlier in the day or on the weekend, and charging your electric vehicle overnight are examples of how you can take advantage of lower electricity prices – and cleaner energy – during off-peak hours.
Money Saving Tips for the “peak” electricity usage hours of 4-9 p.m.
Some customers may have already chosen a Time-of-Use rate before the default TOU transition began. If you are already on a TOU 4-9PM, TOU 5-8PM, or TOU Prime rate, nothing will change on your account.
As required by the state, SCE is discontinuing certain older TOU rates, including TOU-D-A, TOU-D-B, and TOU-D-T, to better align with California’s clean energy goals. If you are on one of these rates, you should receive a letter from SCE by mail notifying you that your account will be transitioned to a TOU 4-9 p.m., TOU 5-8 p.m., or TOU Prime rate, whichever is lowest cost based on your past usage, 60-90 days before the transition takes place. You can switch to one of the other current TOU rates or to a flat/tiered rate by contacting SCE at 866-678-7964. For more information visit sce.com/discontinued-rate-plans.
Customers who were already on a Time-of-Use rate prior to November 1, 2021 are not eligible for CPA’s Bill Protection program.