Off-Peak EV Charging Savings 2026: TOU Rate Plans by State

How time-of-use (TOU) rate plans work for EV owners

Time-of-use (TOU) electricity pricing charges different rates based on the time of day, reflecting the actual cost of power generation. Peak hours (typically 3 PM to 7 PM weekdays) carry the highest rates, because demand is highest and utilities must fire up expensive peaker plants. Off-peak hours (typically 11 PM to 7 AM) carry the lowest rates, because demand is low and baseload generation is cheap. Super off-peak hours (usually midday on weekends in solar-heavy grids) can be even cheaper or free. For EV owners, TOU is the single most effective tool for cutting charging cost, because EVs can charge overnight when rates are lowest. A typical TOU plan cuts the overnight rate by 30-50% compared to a flat residential rate, saving $300-600 per year for a 15,000-mile driver. Most utilities offer EV-specific TOU plans with deeper overnight discounts in exchange for higher peak rates, which works well if your household can shift laundry, dishwashing, and air conditioning away from peak hours.

The best TOU plans by state in 2026

California's PG&E EV2-A plan is the most widely used EV-specific TOU plan, charging $0.17/kWh overnight (midnight to 3 PM), $0.41/kWh peak (3 PM to 4 PM and 9 PM to midnight), and $0.52/kWh super peak (4 PM to 9 PM). For an EV charged exclusively overnight, the effective rate is $0.17/kWh versus the standard residential rate of $0.31/kWh, saving $590 per year at 15,000 miles. Southern California Edison's TOU-D-PRIME plan offers similar overnight rates. New York's Con Edison offers $0.12-0.16/kWh overnight versus $0.27/kWh peak. Texas's ERCOT variable plans drop overnight rates to $0.06-0.09/kWh thanks to abundant wind generation, the cheapest overnight EV charging in the country. Xcel Energy in Colorado offers $0.07/kWh overnight for EV owners. Florida Power and Light offers an EV rate of $0.08/kWh overnight. Check your utility's EV program page, because most major utilities now offer an EV-specific TOU plan, and the savings can be substantial.

How much you save with overnight EV charging

The savings from overnight EV charging depend on the gap between your utility's peak and off-peak rates and how much you drive. For a 15,000-mile-per-year driver in a 3.5 mi/kWh EV consuming about 4,286 kWh annually, the difference between flat-rate and TOU charging is significant. At PG&E's flat residential rate of $0.31/kWh, annual charging costs $1,329. At the EV2-A overnight rate of $0.17/kWh, annual charging costs $729, saving $600. At a Texas ERCOT overnight rate of $0.08/kWh, annual charging costs $343, saving $986 versus the flat rate. The key requirement: you must charge exclusively during off-peak hours (typically 11 PM to 7 AM), which requires either scheduling your vehicle or charger to start at 11 PM or using a smart charger with TOU-aware scheduling. Most EVs have built-in scheduling, and Level 2 chargers from JuiceBox, ChargePoint Home, and Wallbox all support TOU scheduling. Use our <a href="/calculators/ev-charging-cost/">EV charging cost calculator</a> to model your savings.

The peak-rate trap: when TOU costs more

TOU plans are not automatically cheaper. They shift the cost structure: off-peak rates drop, but peak rates rise, sometimes sharply. If your household consumes a lot of electricity during peak hours (3 PM to 9 PM) for air conditioning, cooking, and laundry, you may pay more on a TOU plan than on a flat rate, even with cheap overnight EV charging. Before enrolling, audit your hourly electricity usage. Most utilities provide an online tool that compares your actual usage under flat-rate versus TOU pricing. PG&E estimates that households that can shift more than 30% of their consumption to off-peak hours save money on TOU; those that cannot may lose. The fix: install a separate EV-only meter, which some utilities offer, so your household stays on flat-rate pricing while the EV charger gets TOU pricing. This eliminates the peak-rate risk but may carry a monthly meter fee of $10-25 that eats into savings. Calculate the break-even before committing.

Smart chargers and scheduling for maximum savings

To capture TOU savings reliably, you need a smart charger that starts and stops charging based on the off-peak window. The best Level 2 smart chargers for TOU in 2026 include the JuiceBox Pro (supports TOU scheduling and integrates with utility demand response programs), ChargePoint Home Flex (app-based scheduling and energy tracking), Wallbox Pulsar Plus (compact with dynamic load balancing), and Tesla Wall Connector (integrates seamlessly with Tesla vehicles and supports scheduling via the Tesla app). Prices range from $400 to $800 before the federal 30C tax credit (30% up to $1,000, available through June 30, 2026). Most EVs also support scheduled charging natively: set the departure time and the vehicle charges during the cheapest hours automatically. The combination of a TOU rate plan and a smart charger can cut effective charging cost to $0.04-0.06 per mile, roughly a quarter of gasoline cost per mile. See our <a href="/calculators/ev-charging-cost/">EV charging cost calculator</a> for the full math.

Solar and TOU: the near-zero charging cost combo

Homeowners with solar panels can combine solar generation with TOU rates for near-zero EV charging cost. The strategy: charge the EV during the day using excess solar production (which is free once the system is paid off), or use solar to offset household consumption so the off-peak overnight EV charging draws from the grid at the cheapest rate. With net metering, daytime solar production credits offset nighttime grid consumption, so the effective cost of overnight EV charging can approach zero. A 6 kW solar system generating 9,000 kWh per year covers about 30,000 miles of EV driving, more than double the U.S. average annual mileage. After the 30% federal residential clean energy credit (which survived into 2026 under separate legislation from the repealed IRA EV credits), a solar system pays back in 6-9 years while powering both home and EV. Pair solar with a TOU rate and a Level 2 smart charger for the lowest possible EV fuel cost. Use our <a href="/calculators/solar-ev-savings/">solar EV savings calculator</a> to model the payback.

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