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Best PG&E rate plan if you have solar PV system?

tgrrdr

tgrrdr

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Name
Bill
I just had a solar system installed and am not sure that my current time-of-use rate plan is what I should have moving forward.

Does anyone else with solar have a recommendation on what the best rate plan is? I tried to google it and must not be using the right search terms because I didn't find anything.

thanks
 

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I just got one earlier this year. It seems like the solar company talked to PG&E because they now know that I have a PV system. I don't have a battery system to run off at night, so I just stuck to my 5-8 plan (that is, avoid using electricity during that time) and roll with it. If you have a way to store the power, that might impact your choice.
 
It looks like you are a net producer, so your charges will be minimal regardless. Otherwise, it depends on how disciplined you are for using electricity off peak. I use the EV2 because it has the lowest off peak price but the highest peak price. During peak hours I am either producing electricity or try to use very little. If you need to use during peak hours, a plan with a cheaper peak usage would make more sense.

I basically changed my plan a few times during the first year I had solar and found the one I preferred that way.
 
Log into your PG&E account online and go to your summary dashboard. One of the tiles will state your current rate plan (tarif) and if you click through it, PG&E will estimate which plan would work the best for you. I went with the 4 to 9pm tarif when installing solar, but am considering the 5 to 8pm tarif. PG&E estimates the 5 to 8pm will cost me about $45 more a year than the 4 to 9pm, but I can better manipulate my consumption around the 5 to 8pm period than the 4 to 9pm.

Once you make your decision regarding which one to use, you can change it on the website. It may take a month for the change to go into effect.

Flip
 
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I have identical questions :)

My true up has been typically $0.00 so not sure it matters at all for me.

I bet I could save even more money switching from a gas stove to an induction...my dryer is also gas and my water heater...
 
I'm slowly electrifying, but I have almost all gas appliances right now, and they're getting towards the end of their service lives, so I figure I'll run them into the ground and then replace.
 
I underproduce somewhat, so I reverted back to E-1 (old school tiered rate.) Otherwise I was producing during non-peak and consuming during peak.

My array is 8 years old under NEM1, not sure if that's still available for NEM2. One thing I know for sure, PG&E's estimates for relative costs of each rate plan are BS. When trying to get everyone off E-1, they pretty much always said you would save money on peak/non-peak plans, and that clearly wasn't true.
 
DucatiHoney said:
I just got one earlier this year. It seems like the solar company talked to PG&E because they now know that I have a PV system.
Click to expand...

pretty sure they have to so they can connect the system to the grid
 
DucatiHoney said:
I just got one earlier this year. It seems like the solar company talked to PG&E because they now know that I have a PV system.

mikev said:
pretty sure they have to so they can connect the system to the grid
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

The solar company got some kind of authorization from PG&E before they installed the system - I have a copy of PG&E's approval letter but am too lazy yo look at it right now.

They told me that after the city inspection to close out the building permit PG&E would inspect it before they gave "permission to operate" (PTO). I was surprised to see that I've been sending more electricity to PG&E than I've been using pretty much since the day they completed the installation.
 
Seems like switching to a small electric space heater for my bedroom which I can also move to my office might save money since my heating is a gas powered water exchange system which uses hot water (heated by my gas water heater) to produce the warm air. Thoughts?
 
HappyHighwayman said:
Seems like switching to a small electric space heater for my bedroom which I can also move to my office might save money since my heating is a gas powered water exchange system which uses hot water (heated by my gas water heater) to produce the warm air. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I don't know how efficient your current setup is or how much it costs to operate but it may be worth looking into a space heater and see how it goes. I have a moderately sized two-story house and half the time I'm the only one here.

I haven't turned the heat on yet this fall and right now it's 63 downstairs and 64 upstairs. I assume it will be cooler tomorrow morning but instead of heating up the entire house I use an electric heater in my bathroom when I'm getting ready for work and my gut feeling is that's cheaper than running the heat for an hour (or whatever) to make the whole upstairs a comfortable temperature.
 
The truth is I've been sick from covid vaccine symptoms and just cold all the time and usually I try not to run the heat unless there are guests. I give my lodger a rotating space heater to use as he likes.
 
GUEST_52bc4d39-adb3-4fa4-b765-12150d87ef8d


I got a second one of these. The first I include as a benefit for my lodger's room as it's on the ground floor and much cooler than the upstairs all the heat tends to rise.

This I'll use for me so I don't need to waste natural gas heating the whole house and instead using my massive electricity production.
 
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