TL;DR: PG&E peak hours are 4 to 9 p.m. every day on E-TOU-C, EV2-A and E-ELEC, and 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays only on E-TOU-D. On PG&E rates effective June 1, 2026, summer peak costs 47.7 to 55.2 cents per kWh and off-peak costs 22.6 to 39.9 cents. Most homes also pay a $24 monthly Base Services Charge. For a 750 kWh home, the right plan saves up to $81 a month in summer.
Key takeaways
- E-TOU-D has the shortest peak (3 weekday hours) and beats E-TOU-C in summer for most homes.
- EV2-A sells PG&E’s cheapest power: 22.6 cents per kWh from midnight to 3 p.m., all year.
- New NEM 3.0 solar customers must take E-ELEC, so battery sizing matters more than plan choice.
- A PG&E solar export earns about 3.9 cents per kWh on average, plus a 0.88 cent bonus for 2026 applicants. Your peak kWh cost 55.2 cents.
- A CPUC vote on November 19, 2026 could raise PG&E rates starting January 1, 2027. Nothing is final.
Here is what we hear on almost every PG&E consultation in San Jose and the East Bay: “I already avoid peak hours.” Then we pull the bill, and the home is on a plan where 6 p.m. on Saturday costs 52 cents. PG&E’s four main home plans put the expensive hours in different places and price the cheap hours very differently. Only one pays a baseline credit. At 750 kWh a month, the gap between the best and worst plan is $81 in summer. This page shows you which plan wins for your usage, with the math visible so you can check it.
What are PG&E’s peak hours in 2026?
PG&E peak hours are 4 to 9 p.m. every day, weekends and holidays included, on E-TOU-C, EV2-A and E-ELEC. On E-TOU-D, peak is 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday only. Summer runs June 1 through September 30. Winter runs October 1 through May 31.
PG&E peak, partial-peak and off-peak hours by rate plan (2026)
| Plan | Peak | Partial-peak | Off-peak | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-TOU-C | 4 to 9 p.m. daily | None | All other hours | Peak still applies |
| E-TOU-D | 5 to 8 p.m. weekdays | None | All other hours | Off-peak all day |
| EV2-A | 4 to 9 p.m. daily | 3 to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight | Midnight to 3 p.m. | Peak still applies |
| E-ELEC | 4 to 9 p.m. daily | 3 to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight | Midnight to 3 p.m. | Peak still applies |
| EV-B (second meter) | 2 to 9 p.m. weekdays | 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. weekdays | 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. | Peak 3 to 7 p.m. only, rest off-peak |
Source: PG&E tariff sheets for E-TOU-C, E-TOU-D, EV2-A and E-ELEC; EV-B hours from PG&E’s EV rate plans page.
A dishwasher started at 8:30 p.m., or dinner cooked at 6 p.m. on a Saturday, is billed at peak on E-TOU-C and off-peak on E-TOU-D.
Takeaway: on a summer weekday, EV2-A is the cheapest plan for 15 of 24 hours, E-TOU-D is cheapest from 3 p.m. to midnight, and E-ELEC is the most expensive plan from 4 to 9 p.m.
Are PG&E peak hours different on weekends and holidays?
Only on E-TOU-D. Its 5 to 8 p.m. peak applies Monday through Friday, and weekends plus 8 holidays are off-peak all day. E-TOU-C, EV2-A and E-ELEC charge peak from 4 to 9 p.m. seven days a week, holidays included.
The E-TOU-D holidays, per its tariff: New Year’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is about 110 peak-free days a year. If laundry, the pool pump and EV top-ups can wait for Saturday, E-TOU-D rewards it.
What does each PG&E rate plan cost per kWh?
On PG&E rates effective June 1, 2026 (Advice 7921-E), summer peak runs from 47.7 cents per kWh on E-TOU-D to 55.2 cents on E-ELEC, and off-peak runs from 22.6 cents on EV2-A to 39.9 cents on E-TOU-C.
PG&E time-of-use rate plans: prices in cents per kWh (effective June 1, 2026)
| Plan | Summer peak / partial / off-peak | Winter peak / partial / off-peak | Who can enroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-TOU-C | 52.2 / none / 39.9 | 39.8 / none / 36.8 | Any residential customer; 8.14 cent credit on baseline kWh |
| E-TOU-D | 47.7 / none / 34.2 | 38.7 / none / 34.9 | Any residential customer; no baseline credit |
| EV2-A | 53.8 / 42.8 / 22.6 | 41.1 / 39.4 / 22.6 | Homes with an EV, battery or heat pump; usage under 800% of baseline |
| E-ELEC | 55.2 / 39.0 / 33.4 | 32.1 / 29.9 / 28.5 | Homes with an EV, battery or heat pump; required for NEM 3.0 solar |
| EV-B | 62 / 38 / 26 | 44 / 31 / 24 | EV charging on a separate, second meter only |
Source: PG&E tariff sheets for E-TOU-C, E-TOU-D, EV2-A and E-ELEC, Sheet 2, effective June 1, 2026. EV-B from PG&E’s Residential Rate Plan Pricing sheet, rounded to the nearest cent. PG&E’s pricing sheet lists the other plans at the same prices, rounded: for example E-TOU-C summer 52 cents peak and 40 cents off-peak.
Watch the seasonal flip. E-ELEC is the priciest plan at summer peak and the second cheapest in winter. The tiered E-1 plan still exists at 32.6 cents (Tier 1) and 40.7 cents (Tier 2) per the E-1 tariff. These are bundled rates. If Ava Community Energy, San José Clean Energy or MCE supplies your generation, your total price differs a little, but the peak windows are identical.
How PG&E itself shows E-TOU-C. PG&E’s pricing sheet prints two E-TOU-C prices for each hour: above and below your baseline allowance. In summer that is 52 cents (above) and 44 cents (below) at peak, and 40 cents (above) and 32 cents (below) off-peak. In winter it is 40 and 32 cents at peak, 37 and 29 cents off-peak. The gap is the 8.14 cent baseline credit, so the first kWh you use each month are the cheapest you buy on this plan.
EV-B is the plan almost nobody should pick. It prices EV charging on its own second meter: 26 cents overnight in summer and 24 in winter, but 62 cents from 2 to 9 p.m. on summer weekdays. Installing a second meter and panel work usually costs more than the savings, and EV2-A already gives your whole home 22.6 cent power from midnight to 3 p.m. EV-B also excludes CARE, FERA and Medical Baseline customers, per PG&E’s EV rate plans page.
What is PG&E’s Base Services Charge?
PG&E’s Base Services Charge is $0.79343 per day for most homes, about $24.12 a month. FERA homes pay $0.39688 a day (about $12) and CARE homes pay $0.19713 a day (about $6). It started in March 2026 and is identical on every plan above.
Per PG&E’s Base Services Charge page, it replaced the Minimum Electric Charge, per-kWh prices dropped at the same time, and solar customers pay it too. It never changes which plan wins, and no amount of solar removes it. More in our post on California’s new fixed charge.
Which PG&E rate plan is cheapest at 400 to 1,200 kWh?
If you qualify, EV2-A is cheapest at every usage level in both seasons. Among the two plans anyone can join, E-TOU-D wins in summer, and E-TOU-C with a baseline credit wins in winter up to about 900 kWh.
Our usage assumptions, applied to every row:
- E-TOU-C, EV2-A, E-ELEC: 22% of monthly kWh falls 4 to 9 p.m. (peak), 12% falls 3 to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight (partial-peak), 66% falls in all other hours. E-TOU-C has no partial-peak, so its off-peak share is 78%.
- E-TOU-D: 14% of daily use falls 5 to 8 p.m., and 71% of days are weekdays, so 10% of monthly kWh is billed at peak and 90% at off-peak.
- Every bill adds the $24.12 Base Services Charge. E-TOU-C appears twice: with no credit, and with the Territory X baseline credit (9.8 kWh a day in summer, 9.7 in winter, from the E-1 baseline table), worth about $24 a month. Taxes and city fees are excluded.
Estimated PG&E summer monthly bill by rate plan (June to September 2026)
| Monthly kWh | E-TOU-C (no credit) | E-TOU-C (Territory X credit) | E-TOU-D | EV2-A | E-ELEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | $195 | $170 | $166 | $152 | $180 |
| 600 | $280 | $256 | $237 | $215 | $257 |
| 750 | $344 | $320 | $291 | $263 | $315 |
| 900 | $408 | $384 | $344 | $311 | $374 |
| 1,200 | $536 | $512 | $451 | $406 | $490 |
Source: NRG calculation from PG&E tariff Sheet 2 rates effective June 1, 2026 and the Base Services Charge; usage split stated above.
Estimated PG&E winter monthly bill by rate plan (October 2026 to May 2027, at current rates)
| Monthly kWh | E-TOU-C (no credit) | E-TOU-C (Territory X credit) | E-TOU-D | EV2-A | E-ELEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | $174 | $150 | $165 | $139 | $142 |
| 600 | $249 | $225 | $236 | $196 | $201 |
| 750 | $305 | $281 | $289 | $239 | $245 |
| 900 | $361 | $337 | $342 | $282 | $289 |
| 1,200 | $473 | $449 | $447 | $368 | $377 |
Source: same as above.
How we got the 750 kWh summer row (check our math)
| Plan | Peak kWh x price | Partial-peak kWh x price | Off-peak kWh x price | + Base charge | Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-TOU-C | 165 x $0.52240 = $86.20 | none | 585 x $0.39940 = $233.65 | $24.12 | $343.97 |
| E-TOU-C, Territory X | same, minus 297.9 baseline kWh x $0.08140 = $24.25 credit | $319.72 | |||
| E-TOU-D | 75 x $0.47708 = $35.78 | none | 675 x $0.34212 = $230.93 | $24.12 | $290.83 |
| EV2-A | 165 x $0.53809 = $88.78 | 90 x $0.42760 = $38.48 | 495 x $0.22558 = $111.66 | $24.12 | $263.04 |
| E-ELEC | 165 x $0.55214 = $91.10 | 90 x $0.39026 = $35.12 | 495 x $0.33358 = $165.12 | $24.12 | $315.46 |
Source: PG&E tariff Sheet 2 rates effective June 1, 2026; baseline from Schedule E-1, Territory X summer (9.8 kWh x 30.4 days).
What the tables tell you:
- The baseline credit is the swing factor. In Territory X it is worth about $24 a month. In Territory R (17.7 kWh a day summer allowance) it reaches about $44, which pulls E-TOU-C level with E-TOU-D at 600 kWh in summer. Your territory letter is printed on your bill.
- E-ELEC wins on the calendar. It costs $13 to $39 more than E-TOU-D in summer but $23 to $70 less in winter. At 750 kWh, that nets out to about $252 a year in E-ELEC’s favor (4 summer months, 8 winter months).
- EV2-A wins on its 22.6 cent off-peak price, where two-thirds of our split lands.
How do you run this math for your own home?
Take your monthly kWh from your bill, multiply by each period’s share and price, then add $24.12.
- Find your usage. Your PG&E bill shows monthly kWh and, in your online account, the hourly split.
- Estimate your peak share. Our tables assume 22% of kWh in 4 to 9 p.m. Homes with central AC or an EV that charges after work run higher.
- Multiply each slice by the matching price from the rate table above.
- Subtract the baseline credit if you are pricing E-TOU-C: your territory’s daily allowance x 30.4 x $0.0814.
- Add $24.12 (or about $12 for FERA, $6 for CARE).
Worked example: 900 kWh home with an EV. Say 600 kWh is house load on our split, and 300 kWh is EV charging after midnight. In summer that home pays about $283 on EV2-A, $340 on E-TOU-D, $357 on E-ELEC and $400 on E-TOU-C before any baseline credit. EV2-A saves $57 a month over the next best plan. In winter the gap to the runner-up (E-ELEC, $286) narrows to about $22. More in our EV charging cost guide and EV savings calculator.
Which PG&E plan should you pick with solar or a battery under NEM 3.0?
If you go solar on PG&E’s Solar Billing Plan (the Net Billing Tariff, or NEM 3.0), PG&E’s NBT tariff requires E-ELEC. Your real decision is battery size, and the target is the 4 to 9 p.m. peak, where E-ELEC charges 55.2 cents in summer.
Under NBT, imports and exports are not netted. Exports earn hourly credits from the CPUC’s Avoided Cost Calculator that vary by hour, day type and month, per PG&E’s Solar Billing Plan page. Here is what a PG&E export is worth for a system that applies for interconnection in 2026:
PG&E export credit for 2026 interconnection applicants (cents per kWh)
| Component | Standard residential | Income-qualified (CARE, FERA and other eligible homes) | Lock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base export credit (annual average, 2024 ACC price sheets) | about 3.9 | about 3.9 | 9 years from PTO |
| ACC Plus bonus adder | 0.88 | 3.60 | 9 years from PTO |
| Total average export value | about 4.8 | about 7.5 | |
| What you pay at E-ELEC summer peak | 55.2 |
Source: ACC Plus adder from PG&E Schedule NBT, Sheet 11, Section D ($0.0088 standard, $0.0360 low income, 2026 interconnection year). Base average from PG&E’s Energy Export Credit price sheets for 2025 and 2026 vintages (2024 Avoided Cost Calculator), linked from the Solar Billing Plan page. Hourly values range well above and below the average.
The bonus steps down 20% a year by interconnection year: 2.2 cents in 2023 down to 0.44 cents in 2027, then zero for new systems from 2028. Apply in 2026 and you lock 0.88 cents for 9 years. The math is blunt: a kWh exported at noon earns about 4.8 cents, and the same kWh stored and used at 6 p.m. saves 55.2 cents. That is an 11x difference, and it is why storage is the first thing we model on every PG&E Solar Billing Plan quote.
Solar plus battery strategy by PG&E rate plan
| Plan | Who it applies to | What to do | Peak vs off-peak spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-ELEC | Required for new NEM 3.0 solar | Size battery for 4 to 9 p.m. plus partial-peak | 21.9 cents summer, 3.6 winter |
| EV2-A | Battery-only or EV homes without NBT solar; some legacy NEM | Charge midnight to 3 p.m. at 22.6 cents | 31.2 cents summer, 18.5 winter |
| E-TOU-C | Legacy NEM 1.0 and 2.0 | Keep only with a large baseline credit | 12.3 cents summer, 3.0 winter |
| E-TOU-D | Legacy NEM and non-solar homes | Weakest plan for a battery | 13.5 cents summer, 3.9 winter |
Source: NRG analysis of PG&E tariff Sheet 2 rates effective June 1, 2026, and Schedule NBT.
Worked example: 750 kWh NEM 3.0 home on E-ELEC. Our split puts 165 kWh a month (5.4 a day) in peak and 90 kWh (3.0 a day) in partial-peak. About 10 kWh of usable battery, charged from midday solar, covers it with margin. In summer that displaces about $126 a month of grid purchases ($91 peak plus $35 partial-peak). Charging it takes about 283 kWh of solar a month at 90% round-trip efficiency, which would have earned about $14 as exports at 4.8 cents. Net: about $112 a month in summer and $66 in winter, roughly $980 a year. See our solar battery cost guide for installed 2026 pricing.
Battery without solar on EV2-A. Take a 900 kWh home on our split: 10.1 kWh a day falls in peak and partial-peak. A battery that charges at 22.6 cents overnight and covers that load, at 90% round-trip efficiency, saves about $2.50 a day in summer and $1.55 a day in winter. That is roughly $680 a year before any program payments.
Legacy NEM 2.0 customers: talk to your installer before adding panels, because some expansions affect legacy status. Our NEM 3.0 explainer covers the rules, and our battery backup page shows the systems we install.
What is PG&E’s Hourly Flex Pricing pilot?
Hourly Flex Pricing is a PG&E pilot that bills some usage at a price set for each hour, published a day ahead, and it runs through December 31, 2027. Residential customers must be on E-ELEC or EV2-A to join.
Per PG&E’s Hourly Flex Pricing page, you get a usage subscription based on last year’s bill, pay the hourly price only on usage above it, and earn credits for usage below it. PG&E says you will not pay more than on your current plan over the first 12 months. Net metering solar customers are not being enrolled. It suits homes with a smart EV charger or battery that chases cheap hours automatically.
What is the proposed PG&E rate increase for January 1, 2027? (Pending)
PENDING, NOT APPROVED: a CPUC proposed decision in PG&E’s 2027 General Rate Case (A.25-05-009) would let PG&E collect up to $456 million in interim revenue starting January 1, 2027. The CPUC vote is set for November 19, 2026.
It appeared as Item 49 on CPUC Public Agenda 3589 before being held. Interim recovery is a cap, not a final number. For scale, the CPUC fact sheet on PG&E’s 2027 GRC shows PG&E asked for $1.237 billion (8%) for 2027, which would raise a typical non-CARE combined gas and electric bill (500 kWh, 31 therms) by $10.64 a month, or 3.6%, versus 2025.
GRC increases are usually spread across all residential schedules, so we do not expect the plan ranking to flip, only every number to move. PG&E has not published 2027 per-kWh rates. We will update this page after the vote. Full history lives in our PG&E rate increase guide.
How do you switch PG&E rate plans?
Switch in your PG&E online account or call 1-800-743-5000. PG&E’s rate analysis uses your last 12 months of smart meter data, which beats any model, including ours. Check three things first:
- Your territory letter and baseline allowance, which set the value of the E-TOU-C credit.
- Eligibility for EV2-A or E-ELEC. Both need an EV, home battery or heat pump, and EV2-A drops homes above 800% of baseline back to E-TOU-D for 12 months.
- Your summer peak habit. If you cannot move loads out of 4 to 9 p.m., E-TOU-D’s 3-hour weekday window is the most forgiving.
SCE customers: see our SCE time-of-use rate guide. Bay Area readers: see our San Jose electricity rates guide and our San Jose solar page.
Frequently asked questions
PG&E charges more per kWh during set hours when the grid is most stressed. On E-TOU-C, EV2-A and E-ELEC, peak is 4 to 9 p.m. every day. On E-TOU-D, it is 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays. In summer 2026, peak costs 12.3 to 31.2 cents more per kWh than the cheapest hours on the same plan.
EV2-A, if you qualify: 22.6 cents per kWh from midnight to 3 p.m., all year. Without an EV, battery or heat pump, E-TOU-D usually beats E-TOU-C in summer, while E-TOU-C with its baseline credit often wins in winter.
Midnight to 3 p.m. on EV2-A (22.6 cents) and E-ELEC (33.4 cents summer, 28.5 winter). On E-TOU-C, every hour outside 4 to 9 p.m. costs the same. On E-TOU-D, everything outside 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays is off-peak.
Yes on E-TOU-C, EV2-A and E-ELEC, which keep the 4 to 9 p.m. peak seven days a week. No on E-TOU-D, where weekends and 8 holidays are off-peak all day.
Legacy NEM 1.0 and 2.0 customers generally can. New Solar Billing Plan (NEM 3.0) customers must take E-ELEC under PG&E’s NBT tariff.
Move EV charging, laundry and dishwashers out of 4 to 9 p.m., run PG&E’s rate analysis on your smart meter data, check CARE or FERA (Base Services Charge drops to about $6 or $12), and size solar plus a battery to cover your evening peak.
Ready to stop paying 55 cents for your evenings?
Your plan sets the price of each hour. Solar and a battery decide how many of those hours you buy from PG&E at all. Send us your last 12 months of PG&E usage and our solar installation team will show you the exact battery size that covers your 4 to 9 p.m. load, with the export math included. Get a quote in 2 minutes or book a virtual consultation. No door knocking, no pressure.