Help deciding which solar rate plan to choose!

[midmodonhillwood]

The house we just bought has solar + a battery for storage in the garage. We are in Northern California and so we have PG&E and I have to decide which rate to choose.

I currently have the 4-9 which is what I just chose when calling PG&E to set up the account to get it in our name.

But there are 3 others we can choose from, two are because we have the battery and a heat pump. Anyone else have a rate plan like this that is not 5-8, or 4-9?

 

[ajw22]

@Dirk is in your area and probably looked into it.

 

[midmodonhillwood]

@Dirk is in your area and probably looked into it.

Thank you!

 

[Newdude]

Something doesn't add up. Peak is 2 dollar signs on one method and 3 dollar signs on the other. On the 3 dollar sign peak package, part-peak is 2 dollar signs.

Are actual rates published anywhere ? They mentioned the $15 month service charge in the first package but not the 2nd, or in the standard package available to everyone.

 

[midmodonhillwood]

Something doesn't add up. Peak is 2 dollar signs on one method and 3 dollar signs on the other. On the 3 dollar sign peak package, part-peak is 2 dollar signs.

Are actual rates published anywhere ? They mentioned the $15 month service charge in the first package but not the 2nd, or in the standard package available to everyone.

Oh shoot, the attachment didn’t go in the right order.

Never mind, I don’t know how to delete the thread but if someone could that would be awesome!

 

[Newdude]

Oh shoot, the attachment didn’t go in the right order

No biggie. Let's wait and see what some locals have done.

If you can locate actual rates (and the allowance for the base package) in the meantime, that's even better.

 

[Dirk]

This stuff makes my head spin. The last conversation I had with PG&E about rate plans will be of no help to you. Sorry. I have PV solar and the rate plan makes no difference, which is what they told me. I don't pay for electricity, so the peak hours don't matter to my bottom line. And I don't have a heat pump or an electric vehicle, so all that stuff doesn't apply to me either.

 

[Bperry]

Assuming PG&E is still the same company as when I lived there, there’s not really any “savings” for using power in off peak times, it’s just that they really increase the prices during the peak hours.

The goal is to get you to not use their power between 4-9pm. If your battery system can power your home during that time, it doesn’t really matter what plan you choose.

The $, $$, $$$ are just relative comparisons. Look at the actual rates and any monthly fees they charge for each plan and choose the overall least painful one.

 

[midmodonhillwood]

Assuming PG&E is still the same company as when I lived there, there’s not really any “savings” for using power in off peak times, it’s just that they really increase the prices during the peak hours.

The goal is to get you to not use their power between 4-9pm. If your battery system can power your home during that time, it doesn’t really matter what plan you choose.

The $, $$, $$$ are just relative comparisons. Look at the actual rates and any monthly fees they charge for each plan and choose the overall least painful one.

Okay, yeah we have it set up so our battery powers the house during peak hours.

We haven’t got a bill yet so I will have to wait to see what’s what before I pick a rate plan.

 

[mas985]

I am in NCA as well but I chose the baseline flat rate,"Tiered Rate Plan E-1", for several reasons.

1) My pool uses solar heating so I need to run during daylight hours and hottest part of the day is usually when the rates of the other plans are higher.

2) I refuse to give up the AC during the later part of the day. I work from home so not an option for me especially during 110F days.

3) When I looked at my current usage pattern, and PGE has a tool for this, they tell me I am already on the lowest cost plan.