I have been looking at electricity rate plans since I installed solar panels on my house. Each time, the Edison comparison tool shows the tiered rate plan as the least expensive option. I think this is due the power use and solar generation between the A/C and my electric vehicle. Since my net usage during the day is offset by the solar panel output, going to a time-of-use (TOU) plan is more expensive.
Up to now, if I wanted to switch to a TOU rate plan, I had to opt-in to a specific plan. Yesterday, I got a letter to Edison saying they would switch everyone over to a TOU plan unless you opt-out. In the letter, it also has an analysis of costs. Once again, TOU would be more expensive for me:
Not sure what period the $962 covers but it is slightly different from what I paid in June for 12 months. Maybe it is from January to December. Anyway, I signed the attached opt-out form and will mail it back to them. No reason to pay an extra $200.
Likely Edison wants everyone to switch to a TOU rate plan so they can influence people’s usage patterns in the future. Every summer there are rumors of rolling blackouts since California ISO cannot match peak demand with supply. After most people switch to TOU plan, Edison can increase the price difference to reduce demand during peak hours. I do not think this is a bad thing, but after the “get a free smart thermostat so we can shut off your A/C whenever we want” campaign, there is not much trust.
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In case you think my electricity bill is super low, we also have gas for heating, cooking, and drying clothes. Additionally, the $900 annual bill is after I installed a 3.64 kW solar system that cost $15k before tax credits.
Life with chronic diseases 