E-ELEC and EV2-A use the same hours but differ in price, eligibility and limits. EV2-A costs less off-peak and at the summer peak; E-ELEC costs less at the winter peak and part-peak. EV2-A is built around an EV and has an 800%-of-baseline cap; E-ELEC also takes batteries and heat pumps and is the plan for Solar Billing Plan homes.
Prices checked October 25, 2026, from PG&E tariffs effective June 1, 2026. Rate comparisons show what different plans would have cost for past usage. Rate eligibility and future savings may vary.
How do the hours and seasons of E-ELEC and EV2-A compare?
They are identical. Both plans use the same hours every day, including weekends and holidays: peak 4 to 9 pm, part-peak 3 to 4 pm and 9 pm to midnight, and off-peak midnight to 3 pm. Summer runs June 1 to September 30; winter runs October 1 to May 31.
- Peak: 4 pm to 9 pm.
- Part-peak: 3 pm to 4 pm, and 9 pm to midnight.
- Off-peak: midnight to 3 pm (15 hours).
Source: PG&E Schedule E-ELEC and Schedule EV2, Special Conditions 1 and 2 (effective March 1, 2026)
How do the 2026 prices of E-ELEC and EV2-A compare?
EV2-A is cheaper off-peak in both seasons and at the summer peak. E-ELEC is cheaper at the winter peak and part-peak, and at the summer part-peak. The gaps run from 1.4¢ to 10.8¢ per kWh, so which plan costs less depends on how many kWh fall in each band.
Cents per kWh, from PG&E tariffs effective June 1, 2026, checked October 25, 2026. Prices exclude the Base Services Charge, taxes and discounts.
| Season and time band | E-ELEC | EV2-A | Cheaper plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer peak (4–9 pm) | 55.214¢ | 53.809¢ | EV2-A, by 1.405¢ |
| Summer part-peak | 39.026¢ | 42.760¢ | E-ELEC, by 3.734¢ |
| Summer off-peak (midnight–3 pm) | 33.358¢ | 22.558¢ | EV2-A, by 10.800¢ |
| Winter peak (4–9 pm) | 32.063¢ | 41.099¢ | E-ELEC, by 9.036¢ |
| Winter part-peak | 29.854¢ | 39.428¢ | E-ELEC, by 9.574¢ |
| Winter off-peak (midnight–3 pm) | 28.468¢ | 22.558¢ | EV2-A, by 5.910¢ |
Source: PG&E Schedule E-ELEC and Schedule EV2, sheet 2 (Advice 7921-E, effective June 1, 2026)
What else is different between E-ELEC and EV2-A?
Beyond price, the plans differ in who can enroll, in a usage cap, and in how solar customers are treated. The table sets out each difference as the tariffs state it. Neither plan has a baseline credit, and both carry the same Base Services Charge.
| Feature | E-ELEC | EV2-A |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | A registered plug-in vehicle, energy storage, or an electric heat pump as the primary means of water heating or of heating and cooling | A registered plug-in vehicle; battery storage on a pilot capped at 30,000 storage-only customers; or an electric heat pump as above |
| Usage cap | None in the tariff | Over 800% of annual baseline for 12 consecutive months: removed, placed on E-TOU-D, no EV rate for 12 months (E-ELEC stays open) |
| Solar Billing Plan (Net Billing Tariff) | Required plan, no qualifying technology needed | Not the plan for these homes |
| Net Energy Metering solar | Allowed with a qualifying technology | Allowed if the home qualifies |
| Baseline credit | None | None |
| Base Services Charge | Same on both plans | Same on both plans |
Which is cheaper for a home that charges an EV overnight?
It depends on how much of the home's use falls outside midnight to 3 pm. In winter, E-ELEC comes out lower once roughly four in ten kWh or more fall between 3 pm and midnight, split evenly between part-peak and peak; below that, EV2-A does. In the summer example, EV2-A is lower even with evening-heavy use.
Assumptions: a home using 1,000 kWh in a month, with the kWh split across the bands as shown. Energy charges only, before the Base Services Charge, taxes and discounts, which would add the same to each plan.
Example 1, winter, mostly overnight use (including overnight EV charging):
| Band | kWh | EV2-A | E-ELEC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-peak | 700 | $157.91 | $199.28 |
| Part-peak | 150 | $59.14 | $44.78 |
| Peak | 150 | $61.65 | $48.09 |
| Total | 1,000 | $278.70 | $292.15 |
On these assumptions EV2-A would have cost about $13 less for the month.
Example 2, winter, evening-heavy use:
| Band | kWh | EV2-A | E-ELEC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-peak | 400 | $90.23 | $113.87 |
| Part-peak | 250 | $98.57 | $74.64 |
| Peak | 350 | $143.85 | $112.22 |
| Total | 1,000 | $332.65 | $300.73 |
On these assumptions E-ELEC would have cost about $32 less for the month.
Example 3, summer, the same evening-heavy use as Example 2:
| Band | kWh | EV2-A | E-ELEC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-peak | 400 | $90.23 | $133.43 |
| Part-peak | 250 | $106.90 | $97.57 |
| Peak | 350 | $188.33 | $193.25 |
| Total | 1,000 | $385.46 | $424.25 |
On these assumptions EV2-A would have cost about $39 less, because its summer peak and off-peak prices are lower. These are illustrations, not predictions for any home. Only your own hourly usage settles it, and WattPayoff can price that usage on both plans.
Does the Base Services Charge change which plan is cheaper?
Almost never. E-ELEC and EV2-A carry the same Base Services Charge, $0.79343 per day for most customers (about $24 a month), $0.39688 for the middle income tier and $0.19713 for the lowest. A charge that is identical on both plans adds the same amount to each and does not change which is cheaper.
What the Base Services Charge is, and which plans carry it
How do E-ELEC and EV2-A treat solar customers differently?
Homes billed on PG&E's Net Billing Tariff, the Solar Billing Plan, must be served on E-ELEC, so for them the choice is made. Net Energy Metering homes can use E-ELEC with a qualifying technology, and EV2-A if they qualify. Export credits and true-up rules are separate from the prices above.
Source: PG&E Schedule E-ELEC, sheet 1 (effective August 28, 2026)
Can I switch, and is there a trial period?
You can ask PG&E to change plans if you qualify. Residential customers can change rate plans up to two times in a rolling 12 months (business customers once), so the timing of a switch matters. We found no trial period or bill protection in the E-ELEC or EV2 tariffs or on PG&E's Electric Home page.
We found no refund of the difference if a plan you choose costs more.
If you have rooftop solar on Net Energy Metering, PG&E states that switching plans prompts a true-up and starts a new 12-month true-up cycle.
Could a different PG&E plan be cheaper than both?
Yes. E-TOU-C, E-TOU-D, E-1 and, for a separately metered charger, EV-B can cost less than E-ELEC or EV2-A for some homes, depending on when and how much electricity is used. The EV rate plans page compares them side by side.
EV rate plans compared: EV2-A, E-ELEC, E-TOU-C and EV-B
Which plan is meant for which kind of home?
EV2-A tends to suit homes whose use is mostly between midnight and 3 pm; E-ELEC tends to suit homes with heavy winter evening use, or homes with a heat pump or battery and no EV. Each plan has its own page on who it is for, with an example and the cases where it is probably the wrong plan.
Who is PG&E's E-ELEC plan for?
How do I find out which plan is cheaper for my home?
Doing this by hand means pricing every hour of your usage on each plan, in every season. WattPayoff does it for you: it pulls your new usage every day, re-prices your last 365 days on every current PG&E plan every month, and tells you which would have cost least. Any switch is yours to make, with PG&E.
WattPayoff is free to download, with a 14-day free trial of every feature, then $4.99 a month. The subscription renews monthly until cancelled, and you can cancel any time in your Apple Account or Google Play subscription settings.
How comparing plans on your own usage works
Try it free for 14 days. If your current plan is already the cheapest, the app tells you that too, and you can cancel before you pay anything.
Rate comparisons show what different plans would have cost for past usage. Rate eligibility and future savings may vary.