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Peak Hours for Electricity by Utility
Peak hours are when your utility charges the most for electricity on a time-of-use plan. At 14 of the 15 large utilities we checked, summer peak hours fall between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and at 8 of them entirely inside 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The exception is Con Ed (8 a.m.–midnight every day).
Hours and prices checked by hand against each utility's own rate pages and tariffs on . Each utility page links its sources and says what its prices include.
Peak hours at 15 large utilities
| Utility | Plan | Peak hours | Peak price | Cheapest price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG&E California | Time-of-Use (Peak Pricing 4–9 p.m. Every Day) | 4 p.m.–9 p.m. every day | 52.24¢ | 39.94¢ |
| SDG&E California | Time-of-Use Plan | 4 p.m.–9 p.m. every day | 50.8¢ | 33¢ |
| SRP Arizona | Conserve 6-9pm and Save | 6 p.m.–9 p.m. weekdays | 40.2¢ | 6.61¢ |
| Santee Cooper South Carolina | Residential Time-of-Use | 3 p.m.–6 p.m. every day (April–October); 6 a.m.–9 a.m. every day (November–March) | 33.8¢ | 7.92¢ |
| SCE California | Time-of-Use 4 p.m.–9 p.m. | 4 p.m.–9 p.m. weekdays (June–September) | 59¢ | 33¢ |
| DTE Michigan | Time of Day 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. | 3 p.m.–7 p.m. weekdays | 24.13¢ | 18.44¢ |
| SMUD California | Time-of-Day (5-8 p.m.) Rate | 5 p.m.–8 p.m. weekdays | 37.65¢ | 15.5¢ |
| APS Arizona | Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays | 4 p.m.–7 p.m. weekdays | 34.4¢ | 12.35¢ |
| Duke Energy North Carolina | Residential Time of Use | 6 p.m.–9 p.m. weekdays (May–September); 6 a.m.–9 a.m. weekdays (October–April) | — | — |
| Consumers Energy Michigan | Summer Rate | 2 p.m.–7 p.m. weekdays (June 1–September 30) | 24.5¢ | 19.7¢ |
| Xcel Energy Colorado | Residential Time of Use | 5 p.m.–9 p.m. weekdays | 21.28¢ | 7.88¢ |
| Georgia Power Georgia | Nights & Weekends | 2 p.m.–7 p.m. weekdays (June–September) | 30.35¢ | 7.77¢ |
| Con Ed New York | Residential Time-of-Use Rate | 8 a.m.–midnight every day | 27.86¢ | 5.22¢ |
| ComEd Illinois | Delivery Time-of-Day Pricing | 1 p.m.–7 p.m. every day | 10.71¢ | 2.98¢ |
| Ameren Missouri Missouri | Smart Savers | 3 p.m.–7 p.m. weekdays (June–September); 6 a.m.–8 a.m. and 6 p.m.–8 p.m. weekdays (October–May) | 40.5¢ | 7.7¢ |
Prices are per kWh in the season with the highest peak price, and they are not all measured the same way: some are the full price, some leave out fuel or supply charges, and Con Edison and ComEd show delivery charges only. Open a utility to see exactly what its prices include. Duke Energy does not publish prices alongside its hours.
Questions about peak hours
What are peak hours for electricity?
Peak hours are the hours when a utility charges the most for electricity on a time-of-use plan, because that is when demand on the grid is highest. At 14 of the 15 large utilities we checked, summer peak hours fall between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and at 8 of them entirely inside 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The exception is Con Ed (8 a.m.–midnight every day).
What time is electricity cheapest?
Usually overnight, and in sunny states also late morning to early afternoon, when solar power floods the grid. SDG&E, SCE and SRP all have a midday "super off-peak" window (10 a.m.–2 p.m., 8 a.m.–4 p.m. in winter, and 8 a.m.–3 p.m. respectively), while Georgia Power's Overnight Advantage plan charges 2.23¢ per kWh from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Are weekends off-peak?
At 10 of the 15, yes: weekends have no peak price (SCE and Ameren Missouri still charge a mid-peak price on weekends). At PG&E, SDG&E, Santee Cooper, Con Ed and ComEd, peak hours apply every day of the week.
Do peak hours change with the seasons?
At most utilities the hours stay the same all year and only the price rises in summer. Duke Energy, Santee Cooper and Ameren Missouri move the peak to the morning in winter, and Georgia Power and Consumers Energy have no peak hours at all outside summer.
Shift your use, cut your bill
The easiest savings come from big loads you can time: run the dishwasher and laundry after peak hours, set an electric car to charge overnight, and pre-cool the house before peak starts. See what each appliance uses on our appliance usage pages, or estimate a whole bill with the bill estimator.