Quick answer: Southern California Edison has 3 main residential time-of-use plans in 2026. TOU-D-4-9PM (the default) peaks 4 to 9 p.m. at 59 cents per kWh on summer weekdays. TOU-D-5-8PM peaks 5 to 8 p.m. at 72 cents. TOU-D-PRIME peaks 4 to 9 p.m. at 61 cents but has the cheapest off-peak power, 24 to 30 cents, and is open only to homes with an EV, battery or heat pump. Every plan adds a $24.15 monthly Base Services Charge.
Key takeaways
- SCE peak hours are 4 to 9 p.m. on TOU-D-4-9PM and TOU-D-PRIME, and 5 to 8 p.m. on TOU-D-5-8PM, every day of the year.
- In our bill model, TOU-D-PRIME beats the default plan at every usage level from 400 to 1,200 kWh, saving $1 to $40 per month in summer and $7 to $58 in winter.
- TOU-D-5-8PM only wins if you can keep the 5 to 8 p.m. window nearly empty. Otherwise its 72 cent peak hurts.
- The $24.15 Base Services Charge started in November 2025 and applies even at 0 kWh.
- With solar, summer midday exports earn about 6 cents while peak imports cost 59 to 72 cents. That spread is the whole case for a battery.
Most SCE customers have never chosen a rate plan. They were moved to TOU-D-4-9PM by default and stayed there. That is the first thing I would tell any homeowner in Southern California Edison territory in 2026: for a lot of households with an EV, a heat pump or a battery, the default is the wrong plan, and the gap reaches $58 a month for a 1,200 kWh home.
This guide uses the rates SCE publishes on its Time-Of-Use Residential Rate Plans page, which reflect the October 1, 2026 rate change. We rechecked every number on November 4, 2026.
What are SCE’s residential rate plans in 2026?
SCE offers 3 main residential time-of-use plans in 2026: TOU-D-4-9PM, TOU-D-5-8PM and TOU-D-PRIME. Rates range from 23 cents per kWh (super off-peak, after the baseline credit) to 72 cents per kWh (summer weekday peak on TOU-D-5-8PM). All 3 carry the same $24.15 monthly Base Services Charge.
The 2 “standard” plans include a baseline credit of 9 cents per kWh on your first block of usage each month. TOU-D-PRIME has no baseline credit but lower per-kWh prices. Summer runs June through September. Winter runs October through May.
Table 1: SCE time-of-use rates by plan and season (cents per kWh, effective October 1, 2026)
| Plan and season | On-peak | Mid-peak | Off-peak | Super off-peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOU-D-4-9PM, summer | 59 (50*) weekdays 4-9 p.m. | 44 (35*) weekends 4-9 p.m. | 33 (24*) | None |
| TOU-D-4-9PM, winter | None | 50 (41*) 4-9 p.m. | 36 (27*) 9 p.m.-8 a.m. | 32 (23*) 8 a.m.-4 p.m. |
| TOU-D-5-8PM, summer | 72 (63*) weekdays 5-8 p.m. | 51 (42*) weekends 5-8 p.m. | 34 (25*) | None |
| TOU-D-5-8PM, winter | None | 55 (46*) 5-8 p.m. | 37 (28*) 8 p.m.-8 a.m. | 32 (23*) 8 a.m.-5 p.m. |
| TOU-D-PRIME, summer | 61 weekdays 4-9 p.m. | 39 weekends 4-9 p.m. | 26 | None |
| TOU-D-PRIME, winter | None | 45 4-9 p.m. | 30 9 p.m.-8 a.m. | 24 8 a.m.-4 p.m. |
*Rate after the 9 cent baseline credit, which applies only to usage within your monthly baseline allocation. TOU-D-PRIME has no baseline credit.
Source: SCE, Time-Of-Use Residential Rate Plans, rates as of the October 1, 2026 change. Rates include SCE delivery and generation; customers of a community choice aggregator (such as Clean Power Alliance) pay generation to that provider instead.
What are SCE peak hours?
SCE peak hours are 4 to 9 p.m. on TOU-D-4-9PM and TOU-D-PRIME, and 5 to 8 p.m. on TOU-D-5-8PM. Those windows apply every day. On summer weekdays (June to September) they are billed as on-peak, the most expensive period. On summer weekends and all winter days they are billed as mid-peak.
SCE off-peak hours are every other hour in summer. In winter, the day splits 3 ways: super off-peak midday, mid-peak in the evening window, and off-peak overnight.
Table 2: SCE peak and off-peak hours by plan
| Plan | Summer weekday on-peak | Summer weekend mid-peak | Winter mid-peak | Winter super off-peak | Off-peak (rest of day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOU-D-4-9PM | 4-9 p.m. | 4-9 p.m. | 4-9 p.m. | 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | 9 p.m.-8 a.m. (winter); all other hours (summer) |
| TOU-D-5-8PM | 5-8 p.m. | 5-8 p.m. | 5-8 p.m. | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | 8 p.m.-8 a.m. (winter); all other hours (summer) |
| TOU-D-PRIME | 4-9 p.m. | 4-9 p.m. | 4-9 p.m. | 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | 9 p.m.-8 a.m. (winter); all other hours (summer) |
Source: SCE, Time-Of-Use Residential Rate Plans.
Takeaway: every SCE plan prices the evening as the expensive window, and in winter the cheapest power on every plan is midday, not overnight.
That last point answers one of the most common complaints we hear from SCE customers: “Why is my night rate higher than my day rate?” In winter, it is. On TOU-D-4-9PM, overnight off-peak is 36 cents and midday super off-peak is 32 cents. Midday is when the grid is flooded with solar.
What is TOU-D-4-9PM?
TOU-D-4-9PM is SCE’s default residential plan, with a summer weekday peak of 59 cents per kWh from 4 to 9 p.m. and off-peak at 33 cents. It includes a 9 cent baseline credit, which brings those to 50 and 24 cents on your first block of monthly usage.
It is the middle-of-the-road plan. The peak window is long (5 hours) but the peak price is the lowest of the 3. SCE’s own typical bill benchmark is a 500 kWh TOU-D-4-9PM customer, whose bill went from $185.85 to $188.64 on October 1, 2026, a 1.5% increase, according to the SCE rate advisory.
Who it fits: households with no EV, no battery and no heat pump (so not eligible for PRIME), and a lot of unavoidable 4 to 9 p.m. load.
What is TOU-D-5-8PM?
TOU-D-5-8PM has the shortest peak window, 5 to 8 p.m., and the highest peak price: 72 cents per kWh on summer weekdays (63 cents after the baseline credit). Off-peak is 34 cents in summer and 37 cents overnight in winter.
This plan is a trade. You get 2 fewer expensive hours each day, and the 4 to 5 p.m. and 8 to 9 p.m. hours become off-peak (summer) or super off-peak and off-peak (winter). In exchange, every kWh inside 5 to 8 p.m. costs 13 cents more than it would on TOU-D-4-9PM, and off-peak costs 1 cent more.
Who it fits: households that can genuinely empty the 5 to 8 p.m. window. If your evening load just shifts an hour rather than shrinking, this plan usually costs more, as the bill table below shows.
What is TOU-D-PRIME and who qualifies?
TOU-D-PRIME is SCE’s plan for electrified homes, with the lowest off-peak and super off-peak prices of any SCE plan: 26 cents off-peak in summer, 30 cents overnight in winter and 24 cents midday in winter. Its summer weekday peak, 4 to 9 p.m., is 61 cents. It has no baseline credit.
To enroll, SCE requires you to confirm that you own or lease at least 1 of these, per its rate plans page:
- An electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid
- A residential battery
- An electric heat pump for water heating or space heating
Customers already on TOU-D-A, TOU-D-B or TOU-D-T are exempt from that requirement. Solar customers who interconnect under the Solar Billing Plan (California’s NEM 3.0 tariff) are placed on TOU-D-PRIME.
Who it fits: almost every household that qualifies. PRIME used to carry a higher daily basic charge that penalized small users. Since November 2025, all 3 plans pay the same Base Services Charge, so that penalty is gone.
EV owners often complain that overnight charging keeps getting pricier. It has, but on PRIME winter overnight power is 30 cents versus 36 cents on TOU-D-4-9PM, and midday charging is 24 cents.
Which SCE rate plan is best for you?
For most households that qualify, TOU-D-PRIME is the cheapest SCE rate plan in 2026. In our model it beats TOU-D-4-9PM at every usage level from 400 to 1,200 kWh per month, by $1 to $40 in summer and $7 to $58 in winter. If you do not qualify for PRIME, TOU-D-4-9PM is usually the safer choice, and TOU-D-5-8PM wins only if you can cut your 5 to 8 p.m. use, not just move it.
Table 3: Which SCE plan fits which household
| Household | Best plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| EV, battery or heat pump owner | TOU-D-PRIME | Lowest off-peak (24-30 cents), same fixed charge |
| New solar customer (Solar Billing Plan) | TOU-D-PRIME | Required under the Solar Billing Plan |
| No qualifying equipment, heavy evening use | TOU-D-4-9PM | Lowest peak price (59 cents) |
| No qualifying equipment, empty 5-8 p.m. window | TOU-D-5-8PM | Shorter peak, cheaper 4-5 and 8-9 p.m. |
| Low usage, no qualifying equipment | TOU-D-4-9PM | 9 cent baseline credit covers a large share of use |
Source: NRG analysis of SCE time-of-use rates, October 2026.
What will your bill be on each SCE plan?
On a 750 kWh summer month, our model puts the bill at $303.15 on TOU-D-4-9PM, $304.57 on TOU-D-5-8PM and $284.70 on TOU-D-PRIME, including the $24.15 Base Services Charge. In winter, the same 750 kWh is $298.65, $294.45 and $269.40.
We model one household with one load shape, then price it on all 3 plans.
Usage split assumption (same home on every plan):
- Summer: 30% of monthly kWh falls between 4 and 9 p.m. (22% on weekdays, 8% on weekends). The other 70% is off-peak. On TOU-D-5-8PM, 3 of those 5 evening hours fall in the peak window, so 18% of use is in 5 to 8 p.m. (13% weekdays, 5% weekends) and 82% is off-peak.
- Winter: 30% between 4 and 9 p.m., 30% between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., 40% between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. On TOU-D-5-8PM that same home has 18% in 5 to 8 p.m., 36% in 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 46% in 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
- Baseline: 200 kWh per month, the example SCE uses (worth $18 at 9 cents). Your real allocation depends on your climate zone and season, and is often higher in hot inland areas.
- Fixed charge: $24.15 per month, standard (non-CARE, non-FERA) customer.
- Formula: energy charge (kWh in each period x rate) minus baseline credit, plus $24.15.
Worked example, 750 kWh in summer on TOU-D-4-9PM: 165 kWh weekday peak x 59 cents = $97.35. 60 kWh weekend mid-peak x 44 cents = $26.40. 525 kWh off-peak x 33 cents = $173.25. Energy total $297.00, minus $18.00 baseline credit, plus $24.15 = $303.15.
The same 750 kWh on TOU-D-PRIME: 165 x 61 cents = $100.65, 60 x 39 cents = $23.40, 525 x 26 cents = $136.50. Energy total $260.55, no baseline credit, plus $24.15 = $284.70.
Table 4: Estimated monthly SCE bill by plan, summer (June to September)
| Monthly kWh | TOU-D-4-9PM | TOU-D-5-8PM | TOU-D-PRIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | $164.55 | $165.31 | $163.11 |
| 600 | $243.75 | $244.89 | $232.59 |
| 750 | $303.15 | $304.57 | $284.70 |
| 900 | $362.55 | $364.26 | $336.81 |
| 1,200 | $481.35 | $483.63 | $441.03 |
Table 5: Estimated monthly SCE bill by plan, winter (October to May)
| Monthly kWh | TOU-D-4-9PM | TOU-D-5-8PM | TOU-D-PRIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | $162.15 | $159.91 | $154.95 |
| 600 | $240.15 | $236.79 | $220.35 |
| 750 | $298.65 | $294.45 | $269.40 |
| 900 | $357.15 | $352.11 | $318.45 |
| 1,200 | $474.15 | $467.43 | $416.55 |
Source: NRG calculation using SCE time-of-use rates effective October 1, 2026, the usage split and 200 kWh baseline stated above, and the $24.15 Base Services Charge. Excludes taxes, local fees and the California Climate Credit. Estimates, not quotes.
Takeaway: at 750 kWh, TOU-D-PRIME saves about $18 a month in summer and $29 in winter versus the default plan.
Three things stand out. First, TOU-D-5-8PM loses to the default in summer for this household, because the 13 cent higher peak price outweighs the 2 shorter hours. It wins in winter, when the 5 to 8 p.m. window is mid-peak and 4 to 5 p.m. becomes super off-peak. Second, PRIME’s advantage grows with usage, because the baseline credit is capped at $18 while PRIME’s lower rates apply to every kWh. Third, these numbers run above SCE’s $188.64 typical 500 kWh bill because we assume a heavy evening share and a small baseline.
What is the SCE Base Services Charge?
The SCE Base Services Charge is a fixed $24.15 per month on every residential bill, about $0.79 to $0.80 per day, regardless of how much electricity you use. CARE customers pay $6.00 and FERA customers pay $12.08, according to SCE’s Base Services Charge page.
The charge took effect in November 2025 and appears under Delivery Charges on your bill. In exchange, SCE lowered per-kWh rates by about 10%. It replaced the old minimum charge, so a home that uses 0 kWh still pays $24.15. For the policy background, see our explainer on California’s new fixed charge, and for the full timeline of increases, our tracker of SCE rate changes in 2026.
What it means for plan choice: the Base Services Charge is identical on all 3 plans, so it never changes which plan is cheapest. What it does change is solar math. Solar can offset kWh charges but not the $24.15, so the smallest bill a solar home can reach is now about $290 per year in fixed charges alone.
Takeaway: SCE’s average residential rate jumped from 31.2 to 35.3 cents per kWh on October 1, 2025, a 12.9% bill increase, and has held near 34.5 cents since.
Which SCE plan is best with solar and a battery?
If you install solar in SCE territory today, you will be on TOU-D-PRIME under the Solar Billing Plan, and the best setup is solar paired with a battery. The reason is one spread: SCE’s average summer export credit for 2026 is about 6 cents per kWh from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., while peak imports cost 61 cents on PRIME. Every kWh you store instead of export is worth roughly 10 times more.
Table 6: SCE 2026 average export credit vs import rate on TOU-D-PRIME (cents per kWh)
| Time window | Summer export credit | Summer import (PRIME, weekday) | Winter export credit | Winter import (PRIME) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m.-4 p.m. | 6 | 26 | 3 | 24 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) |
| 4-9 p.m. | 21 | 61 | 10 | 45 |
| 9 p.m.-6 a.m. | 12 | 26 | 10 | 30 |
Source: SCE Solar Billing Plan example average export values for 2026; SCE time-of-use rates. Actual export credits are hourly and locked for 9 years from your interconnection.
Here is the battery math on a summer weekday. Store 10 kWh of midday solar instead of exporting it, and you give up 10 x 6 cents = $0.60 in export credit. Discharge it at 4 to 9 p.m. at about 90% round-trip efficiency, and 9 kWh avoids 61 cent imports, worth $5.49. Net gain: $4.89 per day, or about $108 over 22 summer weekdays. See our breakdown of home battery cost for current installed prices, and our guide to how NEM 3.0 export credits work for the full export model.
Our recommendation by plan:
- TOU-D-PRIME (new solar, Solar Billing Plan): size solar to your daytime load plus battery charging, and size the battery to cover 4 to 9 p.m. Exporting midday is the worst use of a panel.
- TOU-D-4-9PM or 5-8PM (legacy NEM 1.0 or NEM 2.0 customers): you were grandfathered with near-retail export credit. Adding a battery helps less, mainly for backup.
- Battery only, no solar: a battery alone qualifies you for PRIME. Grid charging at 24 to 26 cents into a 61 cent peak can still pay, on a thinner spread.
Two more points. SCE also pays a bonus export credit that is locked in for 9 years based on the year your system connects. Under the CPUC’s NEM 3.0 decision it steps down each year: a system connected in 2026 locks in about 1.6 cents per kWh, or about 3.7 cents for income-qualified customers, and it ends for new systems in 2028. And the federal 25D homeowner tax credit ended for systems installed after December 31, 2025, so 2026 purchased-system payback rests on bill savings, not a federal credit.
Our page on solar in Los Angeles County covers local permitting, and our battery backup page covers the systems we install.
Frequently asked questions about SCE rate plans
In 2026, SCE residential rates range from 23 cents per kWh (super off-peak after the baseline credit) to 72 cents per kWh (summer weekday peak on TOU-D-5-8PM). SCE’s average residential rate is 34.5 cents per kWh after the October 1, 2026 change, per its rate advisory.
Yes. CARE cuts eligible households’ bills by 32.5% and FERA cuts them by 18%, according to SCE. CARE and FERA customers also pay a lower Base Services Charge: $6.00 and $12.08 per month instead of $24.15. Heat pump water heater owners on TOU-D-4-9PM or 5-8PM can get an extra baseline allocation.
For homes with an EV, battery, heat pump or new solar, TOU-D-PRIME is usually cheapest: in our model it beats the default by $18 to $29 per month at 750 kWh. Without qualifying equipment, TOU-D-4-9PM is the safer pick. TOU-D-5-8PM only pays if you can leave 5 to 8 p.m. nearly empty.
Move flexible load out of 4 to 9 p.m. (or 5 to 8 p.m.), check whether you qualify for TOU-D-PRIME, apply for CARE or FERA if eligible, and in winter run dishwashers, laundry and EV charging midday when super off-peak is 23 to 32 cents. Solar with a battery removes most peak imports entirely.
California’s average retail electricity price was 27.04 cents per kWh across all sectors in 2024, second highest in the US, according to the EIA California electricity profile. SCE’s rates are set by the CPUC through general rate case and fuel and power cost (ERRA) decisions, which fund grid and wildfire spending.
Yes. You can compare and switch plans in your sce.com account using SCE’s Rate Plan Comparison Tool, which prices your past usage on each plan. To switch to TOU-D-PRIME you must confirm you own or lease an EV, battery or electric heat pump.
Find the right SCE plan, then size your system to it
The best solar and battery system depends on which SCE plan you are on. We size every SCE system to your actual rate plan and 12 months of usage, with a best price guarantee and no door-to-door pressure. Get a quote in 2 minutes and see your numbers on TOU-D-PRIME with and without a battery.