Smart Plugs on PG&E Time-of-Use: What's Worth Scheduling (and What Isn't)

A smart plug saves money on PG&E time-of-use only when it moves a real load, something that draws hundreds of watts and can wait, out of the 4-9 p.m. peak. How much that's worth depends on your plan. On the default E-TOU-C plan, each kWh you move from peak to off-peak saves just 3 cents in winter and 12.3 cents in summer. On EV2-A it saves 18.5 cents in winter and 31.3 cents in summer. So a smart plug on a garage dehumidifier can pay for itself in one summer, while a smart plug on a phone charger never will. Dishwashers, washers and dryers usually don't need a plug at all. Their delay-start button does the job better.

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Key facts

• E-TOU-C peak is 4-9 p.m. every day, weekends and holidays included. Every other hour is off-peak (Schedule E-TOU-C).
• EV2-A and E-ELEC have a 4-9 p.m. peak, part-peak from 3-4 p.m. and 9 p.m.-midnight, and off-peak from midnight to 3 p.m. (Schedule EV2, Schedule E-ELEC).
• What one shifted kWh saves (peak to cheapest hour, bundled rates effective June 1, 2026): E-TOU-C $0.03000 in winter and $0.12300 in summer; E-ELEC $0.03595 and $0.21856; EV2-A $0.18541 and $0.31251.
• On the tiered E-1 plan, timing saves nothing. A kWh costs the same at any hour (Schedule E-1). A smart plug can still cut standby power, but it can't save you money by shifting.
• PG&E's own advice: run dishwashers, laundry, pool pumps and other power-hungry chores before 4 p.m. or after 9 p.m., and pre-cool the house before peak (PG&E time-of-use plans, PG&E SmartRate).
• Never put a space heater on a smart plug or power strip. The CPSC says to plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet (CPSC).

What a shifted kWh is worth on each PG&E plan

These are PG&E bundled total rates per kWh, effective June 1, 2026. Summer runs June 1 through September 30, and winter runs October 1 through May 31. "Savings" means what you save when 1 kWh moves from 4-9 p.m. to the cheapest hours.

On E-TOU-C, the baseline credit ($0.08140/kWh) applies to usage within your baseline allowance no matter when you use it, so shifting doesn't change it. Two takeaways:

1. On E-TOU-C and E-ELEC in winter, scheduling is barely worth the effort. A 3-3.6 cent gap means a load has to move a lot of kWh before the savings add up.
2. Summer, and EV2-A at any time of year, is where scheduling pays. On EV2-A, the off-peak price is about 55% of the winter peak price and about 42% of the summer peak price.

Not sure which plan you're on? The plan code is printed on your bill. See how to read your PG&E bill, or compare all the plans in PG&E time-of-use rates explained.

The simple test: is it worth a smart plug?

A load is worth scheduling only if it passes all four checks:

1. It's big. It draws hundreds of watts, not a few. Savings equal kWh moved times the gap above, so a 5-watt charger can't move enough energy to matter.
2. It runs during 4-9 p.m. now. If it already runs at night, there's nothing to shift.
3. It can wait. It can run a few hours earlier or later without spoiling food, risking safety or making you uncomfortable.
4. It comes back on by itself. A smart plug only cuts and restores power. Test it: switch the plug off, then on. If the device resumes on its own, a schedule will work. If it waits for you to press a button, the plug can turn it off but can't turn it back on.

Worth scheduling

These are hypothetical examples. The wattages and run times are assumptions to show the math, not measurements of a specific product. Measure your own device first (see the setup steps below).

A dehumidifier in a garage, basement or crawlspace. Assume a 500-watt dehumidifier that would otherwise run through all of 4-9 p.m. That's 2.5 kWh a day, or 75 kWh a month, that you move to later hours. This assumes it uses the same kWh after the delay, just at a different time.

At the Kasa KP115's listed price of $15.99 (Amazon, October 30, 2026), the plug pays for itself in under two months of summer on E-TOU-C. In winter on E-TOU-C, it takes about seven months.

An electric (resistance) tank water heater. This one can't use a plug-in smart plug: it's a 240-volt hardwired appliance. It needs a hardwired timer installed by an electrician, such as the Intermatic WH40 below. Assume the timer moves 3 kWh a day of reheating out of 4-9 p.m., or 90 kWh a month, and that the tank holds enough hot water to get you through the evening:

• E-TOU-C: 90 × $0.03000 = $2.70 a month in winter; 90 × $0.12300 = $11.07 in summer. That's about $66 a year (4 summer months plus 8 winter months), before the electrician's fee.
• EV2-A (if you have an EV and are on that plan): 90 × $0.18541 = $16.69 a month in winter; 90 × $0.31251 = $28.13 in summer. That's about $246 a year.

Have a heat pump water heater? Use its built-in schedule or app mode, not a power timer. Our heat pump water heater guide covers running costs.

Pool and spa pumps. PG&E lists pool pumps among the chores to move outside 4-9 p.m. Most pool pumps are 240-volt and run on their own timer, so reset that timer rather than adding a plug. The math works like the water heater example: kWh moved times the gap for your plan.

Window or portable AC, for pre-cooling. PG&E suggests cooling your home during lower-priced hours and then setting the thermostat to 78°F or higher during peak, health permitting. A smart plug can start a window unit with mechanical controls at 1 or 2 p.m. so a room is cool by 4 p.m. Only do this if the unit passes the power-restore test. If you have central air, a smart thermostat handles pre-cooling much better. See best smart thermostat for PG&E time-of-use.

Technically works, but barely pays

E-bike, scooter and power-tool battery chargers. Assume an e-bike charge draws 0.5 kWh from the wall, 20 times a month. That's 10 kWh shifted, worth $0.30 a month in winter and $1.23 in summer on E-TOU-C, or $1.85 and $3.13 on EV2-A. If you already own a smart plug, scheduling is free. Buying one just for this takes about two years to pay off on E-TOU-C ($15.99 against about $7.32 a year). Follow the battery maker's charging guidance either way.

Lamps, fans, chargers, and decorative or holiday lights. Scheduling them is convenient, and turning off lights in empty rooms saves energy at any hour. But a 10-watt string of LED lights that runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. uses only 0.04 kWh in the peak each night. That's not worth shifting.

Not worth it (or not safe) on a smart plug

• Dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers. Cutting power doesn't start a cycle, and most dryers are 240-volt anyway. Load them during the evening and use the delay-start button to run them after 9 p.m. (E-TOU-C) or after midnight (EV2-A, E-ELEC), as PG&E suggests.
• Refrigerators and freezers. Don't cut power to food storage to save a few cents. Emporia's own plug listing says to avoid refrigerators, freezers, medical equipment and routers.
• Space heaters. The CPSC says to plug them straight into the wall, never into a power strip or extension cord. Use the heater's own thermostat or timer. Our space heater cost guide has the cost per hour.
• Level 1 EV charging. A car charging at 12 amps all night is a heavy continuous load. Use the car's own charging timer instead; see best time to charge your EV on PG&E.
• Medical equipment, smoke and CO alarms, security systems, and your internet router if anything depends on it.
• Always-on standby loads. A TV or game console in standby draws the same at 3 p.m. as at 6 p.m. For those, the savings come from turning them fully off, not from shifting them. That's a different job, covered in phantom power cost on PG&E.

How to set it up (5 steps)

1. Measure for a week. Put an energy-monitoring plug on the device and leave its schedule off. Note how many kWh it uses between 4 and 9 p.m. each day.
2. Do the math. Multiply the weekly peak kWh by 4.3 for a monthly figure, then by the gap for your plan and season from the table above. If the result is under a dollar a month, don't bother.
3. Set one schedule. On E-TOU-C, set the plug to off at 4:00 p.m. and on at 9:00 p.m. On EV2-A or E-ELEC, use off at 4:00 p.m. and on at 9:00 p.m. as the basic version. For loads that can wait longer, set it to turn back on at midnight, which skips the 9 p.m.-midnight part-peak too. If the device has its own timer, use only one of the two so they don't conflict.
4. Check the clock after time changes. Daylight saving time ends Sunday, November 1, 2026. Afterward, open the app and make sure your schedule still shows the right local times.
5. Confirm on your usage data. After a couple of weeks, look at your hourly usage in your PG&E account or Green Button download. The 4-9 p.m. bump should be smaller. Our PG&E usage analyzer shows how much of your usage lands in each window.

SmartRate households: PG&E can call up to 15 SmartDays a year, mostly hot summer weekdays, with higher prices from 4 to 9 p.m. (PG&E SmartRate). Schedules that already avoid 4-9 p.m. cover those days automatically.

Gear that does the job

Prices and ratings are from Amazon on October 30, 2026, and change often.

Single plug with energy monitoring. The Kasa Smart Plug Mini KP115 ($15.99, 4.5 stars from about 17,800 ratings) shows energy use in the Kasa app and supports schedules. Its listing gives a 15 A current rating and says it needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Use one to measure a device before you decide whether to schedule it.

Four-pack for several loads. The Emporia Energy Monitoring Smart Plug 4-pack ($34.99, 3.9 stars from about 720 ratings) has built-in on/off scheduling and energy monitoring. Its listing gives a 10 A maximum continuous load (15 A peak for up to 1 hour a day), 120 V only. That's fine for a dehumidifier, but check your device's label first.

Strip for a shelf of electronics. The Kasa HS300 Smart Power Strip ($42.99, 4.6 stars from about 9,500 ratings) has six individually scheduled, energy-monitored outlets, rated 15 A and 1,875 W in total.

Electric water heater timer (hardwired). The Intermatic WH40 ($87.00, 4.2 stars from about 1,250 ratings) is a mechanical timer with on/off trippers you can set for morning and evening, rated 40 A, 250 V and 10,000 W, with an external override switch. It's wired into the water heater circuit, so have an electrician install it.

See every load at once. A whole-home monitor like the Emporia Vue 3 ($199.99, 4.6 stars from about 880 ratings) shows which circuits run during 4-9 p.m., including 240-volt loads that a smart plug can't measure. Compare options in our home energy monitor guide.

The bottom line

• On E-TOU-C in winter, scheduling saves 3 cents per kWh. Only big, flexible loads such as a dehumidifier or an electric water heater are worth the trouble.
• In summer, and on EV2-A all year, the gap is 12-31 cents per kWh, and one well-chosen smart plug can pay for itself within a couple of months.
• Use built-in delay-start buttons and timers first (dishwasher, laundry, EV, heat pump water heater). Add a smart plug only for simple devices that resume on their own when power returns.
• Keep heaters, fridges, medical equipment and safety devices off smart plugs.
• On E-1 tiered, timing doesn't matter. If most of your usage already avoids 4-9 p.m., a time-of-use plan may suit you better. Check before switching.

Frequently asked questions

Do smart plugs save money on PG&E time-of-use?

Only when they move a sizable load out of the 4-9 p.m. peak. On E-TOU-C, each kWh moved saves $0.03000 in winter and $0.12300 in summer (bundled rates effective June 1, 2026). On EV2-A, it saves $0.18541 in winter and $0.31251 in summer. Small loads like phone chargers don't move enough energy to matter.

What should I schedule with a smart plug on PG&E?

Loads that draw hundreds of watts, run during 4-9 p.m., can wait a few hours, and turn back on by themselves when power returns. Good examples are a garage or basement dehumidifier, or a window AC with mechanical controls used to pre-cool before 4 p.m. Electric water heaters and pool pumps are also worth shifting, but they need hardwired 240-volt timers, not plug-in smart plugs.

What should never go on a smart plug?

Space heaters (the CPSC says to plug them directly into a wall outlet), refrigerators and freezers, medical equipment, smoke and CO alarms, security systems, and routers you depend on. Avoid Level 1 EV charging on a plug too; use the car's charging timer instead.

What times should I set a smart plug schedule for PG&E?

On E-TOU-C, off at 4 p.m. and on at 9 p.m., every day including weekends. On EV2-A and E-ELEC, 4-9 p.m. is peak and 3-4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight are part-peak, so loads that can wait longer should come back on at midnight.

Is it worth scheduling a dishwasher or washer with a smart plug?

No. Cutting and restoring power doesn't start a cycle. Use the appliance's delay-start button to run it after 9 p.m. on E-TOU-C or after midnight on EV2-A and E-ELEC, which is what PG&E recommends.

Do smart plugs help on PG&E's tiered E-1 plan?

Not by shifting. On E-1, a kWh costs the same at any hour, so moving a load to a different time saves nothing. A smart plug can still save by turning devices fully off instead of leaving them in standby.

Find out where your money actually goes

Upload your PG&E bill to My Big Bill for a free audit. It reads your rate plan and usage and won't claim savings your bill doesn't support. To see how much of your usage lands in 4-9 p.m., run your Green Button file through the PG&E usage analyzer. If you're thinking about switching plans, the rate plan comparison and E-ELEC explainer walk through who wins on each one.

Sources: PG&E Schedules E-TOU-C, EV2, E-ELEC and E-1 (rates effective June 1, 2026, Advice 7921-E; E-ELEC sheet effective August 28, 2026), PG&E time-of-use and SmartRate pages, and CPSC space heater guidance, all accessed October 30, 2026. Product specs are from the Amazon listings on October 30, 2026. All savings figures are hypothetical examples using the stated assumptions.