Free tool · No email required
TOU Bill Shift Estimator
Pick your SCE, SDG&E, or LADWP time-of-use plan, set your typical evening usage, and see how much of it lands in peak hours — and what shifting it could be worth.
Most Southern California homes are now billed by when they use power, and the evening peak — right when solar production fades and everyone gets home — is priced highest. New to time-of-use billing? Start with our guide to California TOU rates and peak hours for the full picture of how the plans work.
This estimator does the math side: it measures how much of your evening usage falls inside your plan's peak window, then prices the shift opportunity using the rates from your own bill — nothing pre-filled, nothing assumed.
Find your peak-hour exposure
Pick your plan, set your evening usage. No email required.
Your typical evening window
The hours your home is busiest — cooking, A/C, laundry, EV charging.
Not sure? A typical SoCal home uses roughly a third of its daily energy in the evening — check the hourly usage chart in your utility account for your real number.
Laundry, dishwasher, EV charging, and pool pumps shift easily. A home battery can cover the rest automatically — without changing your routine.
Optional: add rates from your bill
We don't pre-fill prices — utility rates change several times a year. Type the $/kWh printed on your own bill and we'll turn kWh into dollars. The grey placeholders are formatting examples only, not current rates.
Your peak-hour picture
SCE TOU-D-4-9PM — priciest hours
4–9 PM, every day
4–9 PM is the priciest window all year: it bills as On-Peak on summer weekdays (June–September) and as Mid-Peak on summer weekends and in winter (October–May, when 8 AM–4 PM is Super-Off-Peak).
Window per SCE — Time-of-Use Residential Rate Plans, accessed July 22, 2026.
About 83% of your 4 PM–10 PM usage lands in the priciest window.
Averaged across the week (weekday-only windows count 5 of 7 days), assuming your evening usage is spread evenly across the window you set.
Peak-window usage
~202.9 kWh/mo
≈ 6.7 kWh on an average day
You could move out of peak
~101.5 kWh/mo
at your 50% shift setting
Add the peak and off-peak $/kWh from your bill (left) to see what shifting that usage — or covering it from a home battery — is worth in dollars.
The data behind the tool
Peak windows at a glance
The only utility data this tool publishes: which hours cost the most, from each utility's official page. Prices always come from your own bill.
| Plan | Priciest hours | Days | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCE TOU-D-4-9PM | 4 PM–9 PM | Every day | SCE — Time-of-Use Residential Rate Plans |
| SCE TOU-D-5-8PM | 5 PM–8 PM | Every day | SCE — Time-of-Use Residential Rate Plans |
| SDG&E TOU-DR1 | 4 PM–9 PM | Every day | SDG&E — When you use energy matters (TOU-DR1) |
| LADWP R-1B (Time-of-Use) | 1 PM–5 PMLow Peak 10 AM–1 PM & 5–8 PM, weekdays | Weekdays | LADWP — Residential Electric Rates (R-1B TOU schedule) |
Windows read from each utility's official page, accessed July 22, 2026. Utilities adjust plans over time — always confirm your exact plan on your bill.
What to do about it
Shift what you can. Store the rest.
Running the dishwasher, laundry, EV charger, and pool pump outside peak hours is free money — but dinner, A/C, and lights can't move. That immovable remainder is exactly what a home battery handles: it charges on cheap midday solar and powers your home through the peak window automatically.
In LADWP territory the calendar is different — High Peak hits 1–5 PM on weekdays, and net metering still works in your favor. See what that means for your home on our solar for LADWP customers page.
Next step
Get the exact numbers for your roof
A free OC Solar proposal models your actual usage, roof, and rate plan — solar, battery, and financing options side by side, with no obligation.
Get a Free Estimate →Estimator FAQ
Common questions
On SCE's common plans the priciest window is 4–9 PM every day (TOU-D-4-9PM) or 5–8 PM (TOU-D-5-8PM). SDG&E's TOU-DR1 bills On-Peak 4–9 PM every day, year-round. LADWP's R-1B High Peak runs 1–5 PM on weekdays, with Low Peak 10 AM–1 PM and 5–8 PM. Windows verified on each utility's official page; the estimator above shows the source for your plan.
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