How Time-of-Use Charging Can Cut Your EV Electricity Bill in Half

If you're plugging in your EV the moment you get home, you're probably charging during the most expensive hours of the day. Time-of-use (TOU) pricing rewards you for shifting that same charging session to late night, when electricity is cheapest and the grid has spare capacity.

How TOU Pricing Works

Electricity costs more to generate and deliver during peak demand. Utilities pass that cost difference to customers through TOU rates. A typical TOU schedule looks like this:

How to Set It Up

Step 1: Switch to a TOU rate plan

Call your utility and ask to switch to a time-of-use plan. Most utilities offer this for free. Some have EV-specific TOU plans with even deeper off-peak discounts. The switch usually takes one billing cycle.

Step 2: Schedule your charging

You have two options for scheduling:

• Smart charger scheduling: Set your start time in the charger's app (ChargePoint, JuiceBox, Wallbox). The charger waits until off-peak hours to begin
• Vehicle scheduling: Most EVs have built-in departure time or scheduled charging features. Set it in your car's app or touchscreen

Step 3: Verify it's working

Check your first TOU billing statement. Compare the kWh used during off-peak vs peak. If you're seeing significant peak usage, your scheduling isn't working properly, adjust the start time.

Potential Downside of TOU Plans

TOU plans make all your home electricity usage time-dependent, not just EV charging. If you run your AC heavily during peak hours (4-9pm on hot summer days), your non-EV electricity costs could increase. Run the numbers on your full household usage, not just EV charging.

Want to see exactly how much TOU savings would mean for your driving habits? Use our Charging Cost Calculator to compare peak vs off-peak costs for your specific situation.