How to Find the Best Electricity Rates for EV Charging
Discover strategies to find the cheapest electricity rates for your EV, potentially saving hundreds of dollars annually on charging costs.
Last updated: October 2025
The best electricity rate for EV charging is usually a Time-of-Use (TOU) or EV-specific plan if you can shift most charging into the off-peak window. If you can't shift reliably, a simple flat/fixed rate with a fair all-day price may be cheaper overall.
- Check which plans you can actually enroll in (utility default, EV/TOU add-ons, or retail choice in your area).
- Find the off-peak hours and price, the peak price, and whether weekends/holidays are off-peak.
- Estimate your off-peak share (what % of EV kWh will land off-peak using scheduled charging).
- Add any base fees or minimum-usage charges to the math.
- Recalculate once per season; TOU windows and prices can change.
- •Off-peak price (¢/kWh) and window (hours, weekends/holidays included?).
- •Peak price (¢/kWh) and shoulder price (if any).
- •Base/customer charge, minimum-usage credit/penalty, seasonal rates, taxes/riders.
- •Contract term, early-termination rules (retail choice markets).
- •EV credits/rebates, "free nights" style promos (check daytime price trade-offs).
- •Solar/export credit policy (net billing vs retail NEM).
- •Demand charges: rare for residential; verify they don't apply to your plan.
- •Monthly EV kWh ≈ (miles/month ÷ mi/kWh) ÷ 0.90 (assumes ~10% AC losses).
- •Flat plan monthly cost ≈ EV kWh × flat price.
- •TOU effective price ≈ (off-peak share × off-peak price) + (1 − share) × peak price + (base fee ÷ total kWh).
Break-even off-peak share
For a TOU plan with 12¢ off-peak and 34¢ peak to beat an 18¢ flat rate:
12·s + 34·(1−s) < 18 → s > 16/22 → s ≈ 73% off-peak needed.
1,000 miles/month, 3.5 mi/kWh, 0.90 efficiency:
- •Flat 18¢: kWh = 1,000 ÷ 3.5 ÷ 0.90 ≈ 317 kWh → $57/mo.
- •TOU 12¢ off-peak / 34¢ peak:
– If 75% off-peak: 0.75·12 + 0.25·34 = 17.5¢ → $55/mo (beats 18¢ flat).
– If 50% off-peak: 0.5·12 + 0.5·34 = 23¢ → $73/mo (worse than flat). - •"Free nights" style: nights $0.00, days 32¢. If only 60% lands at night, effective ≈ 12.8¢ → $41/mo; but at 40% nights it jumps to 19.2¢ → $61/mo.
| Rate Type | Peak Rate | Off-Peak Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Flat Rate | $0.18-0.25/kWh | $0.18-0.25/kWh | Unpredictable charging |
| Time-of-Use (TOU) | $0.25-0.35/kWh | $0.08-0.15/kWh | Overnight charging |
| EV-Specific Rate | $0.20-0.28/kWh | $0.10-0.12/kWh | High EV usage |
| Renewable Energy | $0.15-0.22/kWh | $0.12-0.18/kWh | Eco-conscious drivers |
Standard Flat Rate
Time-of-Use (TOU)
EV-Specific Rate
Renewable Energy
Your utility's rate page/tariff sheets, state regulator pages, and (in retail-choice states) official marketplaces. Search "[utility] EV rate" or "[state] power choice" to see current options.
- •Intro prices that expire quickly.
- •Minimum-usage credits that penalize low consumption.
- •"Free nights" with very high daytime prices.
- •Per-minute pricing at public chargers (not a home rate, but affects your blended cost).
- •Forgetting base fees/taxes in your comparisons.
Use scheduled charging to finish before departure while maximizing off-peak hours; revisit the plan if your driving pattern changes.
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