Time-of-use rates: how to shift your biggest loads
Tifanny Liu · 2026-09-09 · 2 min read
Most residential customers in our area are on a time-of-use plan, whether they picked one or not. Electricity costs the most in the late afternoon and evening, exactly when everyone gets home and cranks the air conditioning, and the least overnight. On most PG&E time-of-use plans the expensive hours are 4 to 9 pm; SMUD's Time-of-Day rate peaks from 5 to 8 pm on weekdays. Check your own bill for your hours. The strategy is the same everywhere: move the big loads out of the peak without changing how you live.
When should I charge my EV?
After the peak, every time. The EV is the biggest load in most homes that have one, and the easiest to move. Every Level 2 charger we install can be scheduled from its app, and most cars can be scheduled from the dashboard. Set it to start after the peak window and the car is full by morning at the cheapest rate of the day. With solar, some chargers can soak up midday excess instead.
How do I cut what the pool pump costs?
A single-speed pool pump humming through the afternoon is one of the most expensive appliances in the house. A timer or smart switch moves it to off-peak hours with no change to water quality. A variable-speed pump goes further and can cut the running cost by more than half; we run the circuit and your pool company sets up the pump.
Can I shift air conditioning without being uncomfortable?
You cannot skip cooling, but you can time it. A smart thermostat pre-cools the house before the peak and lets the temperature drift up a couple of degrees during it. The house stays comfortable and most of the cooling is bought at the lower rate. We install the thermostat and add a C-wire or power adapter where old wiring lacks one.
What else can move out of the peak?
Dishwasher and laundry: use the delay-start button most modern machines already have.
Water heater: a heat pump water heater can be scheduled from its controls; a standard electric one can be put on a timer, which is a small job for an electrician.
Home battery: it can charge off-peak and run the house through the peak every day, the same idea as riding out a shutoff, just shorter.
Are there rebates for smart thermostats and chargers?
Sometimes. Utilities run smart thermostat and EV charger programs that come and go, so check your utility's current offers before you buy hardware, and ask us. We install a lot of it and know which programs tend to stick around.
Chief Total members get a yearly rate plan review: we look at your actual hourly usage and tell you whether a different plan or schedule would save money.
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