San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) new Time of Use (TOU) pricing plans are giving residents more choices and control over their energy bills. These plans offer savings for customers who can shift some of their energy use outside the higher cost on-peak hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
As folks get home from work in the late afternoon hours and power from renewable energy production drops, energy demand across California increases, driving up prices. TOU plans offer our customers two ways to save – by shifting electricity use to lower cost hours of the day, before 4 p.m. or after 9 p.m., and/or by reducing overall usage. Over a 24-hour period, customers can take advantage of 19 hours of off-peak, lower prices. TOU plans also encourage a cleaner power grid by using energy when renewable resources, like solar power, are readily available.
Speaking with Scott Crider, SDG&E’s Vice President of Customer Services he explains, “We are not asking our customers to make major changes in their lives, but what we are really asking our customers is to think about energy a little differently and see if they can make some minor shifts in their major appliances.”
According to Crider, a couple of small changes could be, “running your dishwasher at 9pm, when off peak hours begin.” In the summertime, “maybe turning on your air conditioner at 2 or 3 pm to cool your house down, prior to peak time.”
SDG&E is offering a 12-month risk-free trial period for eligible customers who choose a TOU plan. The customer can opt out of these two new plans at any time and SDG&E will credit them back the difference if they would have saved more on the standard plan.
The plan is to transition “roughly 100,000” customers beginning in March and then move customers in batches over the next 12 months.
If you have not received any information regarding TOU yet be on the lookout for either emails or information which will be included in your monthly mailed statement.
Logging in (or registering if you do not have an online account at www.sdge.com) and researching your own SDG&E account online as well as the TOU pricing options is highly encouraged. For more information and videos about these programs, visit www.sdge.com/whenmatters.
Time of Use (TOU-DR1)
- The TOU-DR1 plan breaks your day into three periods: on-peak, off-peak and super off-peak.
- Prices are lower before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m.
- You can switch to another available pricing plan at any time.
- The off-peak and super off-peak hours change by weekdays, weekends and holidays to give you more super off-peak prices.
- There is no High Usage Charge with the TOU-DR1 plan.
- The TOU-DR1 plan comes with bill protection. Try this plan for up to one year. If you end up spending more than you would have on your previous plan, we’ll credit you the difference.
- Save by keeping your energy use below 130% of your total Baseline Allowance and shifting your energy use to off-peak hours.
Time of Use (TOU-DR2) Big title above graphic
- The TOU-DR2 plan breaks your day into two periods: on-peak and off-peak.
- Prices are lower before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m.
- You can switch to another available pricing plan at any time.
- The on-peak and off-peak hours stay the same every day of the week.
- There is no High Usage Charge with the TOU-DR2 plan.
- The TOU-DR2 plan comes with bill protection. Try this plan for up to one year. If you end up spending more than you would have on your previous plan, we’ll credit you the difference.
- Save by keeping your energy use below 130% of your Baseline Allowance and shifting your energy use to off-peak hours.
Graphics from sdge.com/whenmatters
