PG&E EV2-A vs E-TOU-C: Which Rate Plan Wins for EV Owners?

PG&E EV2-A vs E-TOU-C is a time-of-use choice, not a default winner. EV2-A's off-peak rate is $0.22558 per kWh from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. E-TOU-C's summer off-peak total rate is $0.39940 per kWh outside 4-9 p.m. Which plan costs less depends on when you charge, and on whether you can stay out of EV2-A's peak and part-peak windows.

Key facts

Rates below are PG&E bundled Total Energy Rates from Electric Schedule EV2 (billed as EV2-A) and Electric Schedule E-TOU-C. They match the March 1, 2026 tariff book. Source: EV2 tariff PDF and E-TOU-C tariff PDF.

• EV2-A off-peak is $0.22558/kWh year-round, 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, including weekends and holidays.
• EV2-A peak is 4-9 p.m. every day: $0.53809/kWh in summer (June 1 through September 30) and $0.41099/kWh in winter (October 1 through May 31).
• EV2-A part-peak is 3-4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. every day: $0.42760/kWh in summer and $0.39428/kWh in winter.
• E-TOU-C has no part-peak period. Peak is 4-9 p.m. every day. All other hours are off-peak.
• E-TOU-C summer total rates: peak $0.52240/kWh, off-peak $0.39940/kWh. Winter total rates: peak $0.39757/kWh, off-peak $0.36757/kWh.
• E-TOU-C applies a baseline credit of $0.08140/kWh to usage within the allowance. EV2-A does not use baseline tiers.
• E-TOU-C territory-P default allowance is 7.2 kWh/day in summer and 10.2 kWh/day in winter. Other territories differ.
• Both plans charge the same Income Tier 3 Base Services Charge of $0.79343 per customer per day. That fixed charge does not decide the comparison.
• EV2-A is optional and has eligibility rules. E-TOU-C is the default residential time-of-use plan for many PG&E customers.

What is EV2-A?

EV2-A is PG&E's whole-house Home Charging schedule. Residential usage and EV charging share one meter. You do not need a second meter. Bills under Schedule EV2 show as EV2-A.

It is a three-period time-of-use plan. The cheap window is long (12 a.m. to 3 p.m.), but it is not "anytime overnight after you get home." Charging at 9 p.m. is part-peak. Charging between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. is peak.

What is E-TOU-C?

E-TOU-C is PG&E's default residential time-of-use plan: peak pricing 4-9 p.m. every day, including weekends. Everything else is off-peak. There is no middle (part-peak) period.

E-TOU-C is baseline-tiered. Usage within your daily allowance gets a $0.08140/kWh credit against the total rate. Usage above the allowance pays the total rate. That is the main structural difference from EV2-A, which has one rate per time period with no baseline credit.

For how the allowance is set by season and climate territory, see PG&E Baseline Allowance Explained.

EV2-A vs E-TOU-C side by side

	EV2-A	E-TOU-C
Peak hours	4-9 p.m. every day	4-9 p.m. every day
Part-peak hours	3-4 p.m. and 9 p.m.-12 a.m. every day	None (those hours are off-peak)
Off-peak hours	12 a.m.-3 p.m. every day	All hours outside 4-9 p.m.
Summer peak	$0.53809/kWh	$0.52240/kWh total
Summer part-peak	$0.42760/kWh	n/a (off-peak $0.39940/kWh total)
Summer off-peak	$0.22558/kWh	$0.39940/kWh total
Winter peak	$0.41099/kWh	$0.39757/kWh total
Winter part-peak	$0.39428/kWh	n/a (off-peak $0.36757/kWh total)
Winter off-peak	$0.22558/kWh	$0.36757/kWh total
Baseline credit	None	$0.08140/kWh within allowance
Eligibility	BEV, PHEV, qualifying battery storage, or qualifying heat pump; usage cap applies	Any residential customer on the schedule

Summer total rates on E-TOU-C drop by $0.08140/kWh inside the allowance. That makes summer off-peak $0.31800/kWh within baseline ($0.39940 minus $0.08140), which is still higher than EV2-A's $0.22558/kWh off-peak.

When EV2-A's cheaper window actually pays

The spread that favors EV2-A is off-peak: $0.22558/kWh versus E-TOU-C's $0.39940/kWh summer total (or $0.36757/kWh winter total). That is the window for EV charging, laundry, and other flexible loads, every day from midnight to 3 p.m.

The spread that favors E-TOU-C is everywhere EV2-A is not off-peak:

• 4-9 p.m.: EV2-A summer peak ($0.53809) is higher than E-TOU-C summer peak ($0.52240).
• 3-4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight: those hours are off-peak on E-TOU-C and part-peak on EV2-A. In summer that is $0.39940/kWh total on E-TOU-C versus $0.42760/kWh on EV2-A.

If the car starts charging when you plug in at 6 p.m., EV2-A bills that session at peak. If it starts at 9:30 p.m., EV2-A bills it at part-peak. The off-peak discount only applies if charging is scheduled into 12 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This article does not invent an annual household savings number. Two neighbors with the same monthly kWh can land on opposite plans depending on when those kWh land.

Who can enroll in EV2-A?

Electric Schedule EV2 is optional. PG&E's current tariff says it applies to residential customers who qualify for Schedule E-1 and who have a registered battery electric vehicle (BEV) or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) charged at the premises. Conventional hybrids that recharge only from the on-board generator do not qualify. Low-speed electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, and electric bicycles do not qualify.

The same schedule is also open to:

• Customers with installed battery storage, on a pilot limited to 30,000 storage-only customers (customers who have both an EV and storage do not count against that cap).
• Customers whose residence uses an electric heat pump as the primary means of water heating or of climate control (space heating and/or cooling).

There is a usage cap. Customers whose total usage over the last 12 months exceeds 800% of their annual baseline allowance are not eligible. If you go over that cap after 12 consecutive months on EV2, PG&E removes the account from EV2 and bars EV rate schedules for 12 months. Those customers are defaulted to E-TOU-D, and they can choose any other schedule they qualify for. E-ELEC remains available during that 12-month bar.

How often can you switch?

Residential customers may change PG&E rate plans two times in a 12-month period. After the second change, you stay on that rate for one year. Changes usually take effect on the next billing cycle. Source: PG&E help, "How often can I change my rate?" The EV rate-plans page states the same twice-in-12-months rule.

If the online switch option is missing (some multi-family accounts), call 1-800-743-5000.

CCA customers

The tables above are bundled Total Energy Rates: generation plus delivery on PG&E supply. If a community choice aggregator (MCE, PCE/WestLight, EBCE, and others) supplies your generation, your generation line follows the CCA, and PG&E still bills delivery. Use the bundled comparison as a map of when each plan is expensive, then check the generation vs delivery split on your bill. See Community Choice Aggregation Explained.

How to decide without guessing

1. Confirm eligibility for EV2-A before you enroll.
2. Look at when the car actually charges, not when you intend to charge. Most cars and chargers have a timer. Set it for 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. if you want the EV2-A off-peak rate.
3. Remember that 9 p.m. is not off-peak on EV2-A. On E-TOU-C it is.
4. Compare both plans against your own interval usage. My Big Bill does that from an uploaded PG&E bill, using the same tariff-book rates listed here. It will not invent a savings figure if the bill does not support one.

For the broader plan menu, see PG&E Time-of-Use Rates Explained and PG&E Rate Plans Compared.

Frequently asked questions

Is EV2-A always cheaper for EV owners?

No. EV2-A is cheaper per kWh only in the 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. off-peak window. Peak and part-peak rates on EV2-A are higher than the matching hours on E-TOU-C. If charging and household load sit in 4-9 p.m. or in the 9 p.m. to midnight shoulder, E-TOU-C can cost less.

Do I need a second meter for EV2-A?

No. EV2-A is whole-house service: home usage and EV charging are metered together. A separate EV meter is a different schedule (EV-B), which this article does not compare.

Does E-TOU-C's baseline credit erase EV2-A's off-peak advantage?

Not on the published rates. Summer off-peak within baseline on E-TOU-C is $0.31800/kWh ($0.39940 minus $0.08140). EV2-A off-peak is $0.22558/kWh. The credit narrows the gap. It does not close it.

Can I switch back if EV2-A costs more?

You may change residential rate plans two times in a 12-month period. After the second change you stay on that rate for one year. Do not treat the first switch as free to reverse forever.

Do these rates apply if I have solar?

The time-of-use windows and bundled energy rates above still apply to imports. Export credits follow your NEM version and are a separate calculation. See NEM 3.0 vs NEM 2.0 and PG&E Solar Bill Explained.