If you’re trying to lower your San Diego Gas & Electric electricity bill, when you use electricity can matter almost as much as how much you use. SDG&E’s residential Time-of-Use (TOU) plans divide the day into pricing periods, with electricity generally costing more during periods of higher demand. sdge peak hours.
As of September 2026, many SDG&E residential TOU plans use 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. as the on-peak period, while expanded super off-peak hours run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays year-round. Weekends and listed holidays also have a long super off-peak window from midnight to 2 p.m.
That creates an important opportunity for households with solar panels, EVs, batteries, heat pumps and other energy-intensive equipment: shift flexible electricity usage away from the evening peak and toward lower-cost periods whenever your specific rate plan allows.
Important: SDG&E offers multiple residential pricing plans, and the exact rates and periods can differ by plan. The schedule below reflects the commonly offered TOU structures shown by SDG&E in 2026, not a guarantee that every customer has identical pricing.
What Are SDGE Peak Hours in 2026?
For the commonly used residential TOU plans discussed here, SDG&E peak hours are generally 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., every day. This is the period when customers should be especially careful about discretionary electricity consumption.
The basic 2026 structure is:
| Period | Weekdays | Weekends & listed holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Super off-peak | 12 a.m.–6 a.m. and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | 12 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Off-peak | 6–10 a.m., 2–4 p.m., 9 p.m.–12 a.m. | 2–4 p.m. and 9 p.m.–12 a.m. |
| On-peak | 4–9 p.m. | 4–9 p.m. |
SDG&E identifies New Year’s Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day as holidays for these schedules.
Why 4–9 p.m. Matters
The evening period is particularly important because household electricity demand can increase as people return home, cook dinner, run appliances, cool or heat their homes and charge vehicles.
Instead of automatically running every appliance in the evening, households can often reduce costs by moving flexible activities to super off-peak or off-peak periods.
What Changed With SDGE’s Super Off-Peak Hours?
The major change for 2026 is the expansion of the weekday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. super off-peak window.
SDG&E says this midday period was previously available only during March and April. It is now available year-round, giving residential customers more opportunities to use electricity during a lower-priced period.
This matters because 10 a.m.–2 p.m. can overlap with strong daytime solar production.
For a household with rooftop solar, that creates a useful combination:
Solar production → daytime electricity consumption → less grid electricity purchased → potentially lower energy costs.
For a household without solar, the same window can provide an opportunity to move flexible electricity consumption away from the 4–9 p.m. peak.
A Simple 2026 SDGE Daily Strategy
Rather than thinking only about “peak hours,” it can be more useful to organize your household around three periods.
1. Overnight: 12 a.m.–6 a.m.
This is generally a super off-peak period on the relevant plans.
Potential uses include:
- EV charging
- Battery charging, where appropriate
- Running certain appliances
- Other flexible electricity consumption
2. Midday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
This is the newly expanded year-round weekday super off-peak window.
It can be particularly valuable for:
- Laundry
- Dishwashers
- EV charging
- Pool pumps
- Heat pump water heaters
- Pre-cooling a home
- Other flexible loads
3. Evening: 4–9 p.m.
Treat this as the period to avoid unnecessary electricity consumption.
You may want to postpone:
- EV charging
- Laundry
- Dishwashing
- Pool pumping
- Other energy-intensive tasks
A smart thermostat can also help reduce heating or air-conditioning demand during expensive hours.
How Do SDGE Peak Hours Affect Solar Customers?
For solar homeowners, the answer is more complicated than simply “use electricity when rates are low.”
Your result depends heavily on whether you are on NEM 2.0 or the newer Solar Billing Plan (Net Billing Tariff/NEM 3).
NEM 2.0 Customers
NEM 2.0 is closed to new enrollments, but existing customers can remain on their applicable tariff.
Under NEM, exported electricity receives bill credits based on the customer’s applicable retail energy rates.
That means the relationship between your solar production, electricity consumption and TOU schedule can be different from that of a newer Solar Billing Plan customer.
Solar Billing Plan / NEM 3 Customers
California’s newer Net Billing Tariff, commonly called the Solar Billing Plan, applies to customers who applied for interconnection beginning April 15, 2023. SDG&E is among the utilities using this framework.
Under net billing, excess solar exported to the grid is generally compensated according to Energy Export Credit values rather than the customer’s full retail import rate. The CPUC notes that these export values are usually lower than retail electricity rates, although they can be higher during certain high-value periods.
This makes solar self-consumption and battery storage especially important for many newer solar customers.
Why Solar Self-Consumption Matters
Imagine your solar system produces electricity at noon.
You have two broad choices:
- Use that electricity in your home.
- Export unused electricity to the grid.
If you can use solar-generated power directly—for example, by running a dishwasher, charging an EV or heating water—you avoid buying that electricity from the grid.
A battery provides another option:
Solar → battery → evening household consumption
Instead of allowing excess solar energy to leave your property during the day, a battery can store it and discharge later when electricity from the grid may be more expensive.
The CPUC specifically identifies battery storage as a way for Solar Billing Plan customers to use stored energy during higher-value evening periods.
Is a Home Battery More Valuable Under These Rates?
For some households, yes—but the value depends on the home’s electricity profile, solar production, rate plan and battery economics.
A battery can potentially:
- Store excess solar energy
- Reduce electricity purchased during 4–9 p.m.
- Increase solar self-consumption
- Provide backup power during outages
- Give homeowners greater control over energy usage
However, buying a battery solely because SDG&E has peak hours is not automatically financially beneficial.
The right question is:
How much expensive grid electricity could the battery realistically replace, and what does the battery system cost after incentives?
For a home with substantial evening electricity demand, solar generation during the day and limited ability to shift loads, battery storage may have a stronger economic case.
Which Appliances Should You Shift?
You don’t need to change every aspect of your routine. Focus on flexible electricity usage.
Good candidates
EV charging:
Schedule electric vehicle charging for super off-peak periods when your rate plan makes those hours advantageous.
Laundry and dishwashers:
Move these activities from the evening toward the midday or overnight windows.
Pool pumps:
Where equipment and pool-maintenance requirements permit, use programmable controls to avoid 4–9 p.m.
Heat pump water heaters:
These can potentially be programmed to heat water during lower-cost periods rather than relying heavily on peak-hour operation.
Heating and air conditioning:
A programmable or smart thermostat can reduce unnecessary peak-period consumption. Pre-cooling before the evening peak may also help, depending on weather, comfort requirements and the home’s efficiency.
How to Reduce Your SDGE Electricity Bill
A practical strategy is to combine load shifting, energy efficiency and smart energy management.
Step 1: Identify your largest loads
Look at your electricity usage patterns and determine what consumes the most energy.
Common major loads include:
- Air conditioning
- Electric water heating
- EV charging
- Pool equipment
- Laundry
- Cooking
- Battery charging
Step 2: Move flexible loads out of 4–9 p.m.
The objective isn’t to stop using electricity. It’s to shift electricity usage.
For example:
Instead of:
EV charging at 6 p.m.
Try:
EV charging overnight or during an applicable super off-peak period.
Step 3: Use the 10 a.m.–2 p.m. window
The expanded weekday super off-peak period gives households another opportunity to operate equipment during lower-priced hours.
This is particularly interesting for homes with solar because daytime usage can coincide with solar production.
Step 4: Automate what you can
Smart plugs, programmable thermostats, EV chargers and energy-management systems can reduce the need to manually remember rate periods.
Automation can be especially helpful when your household has several flexible loads.
Step 5: Check your actual SDG&E plan
Don’t assume every rate plan has identical pricing.
SDG&E’s residential pricing page lists multiple options and allows customers to explore plans based on factors such as solar, EVs, battery storage and electric heat pumps.
source: sdcommunitypower.org
source: thecleanenergyalliance.org
What About SDGE Electricity Rates in 2026?
Time periods are only part of the equation. The actual cents-per-kWh price depends on the rate plan and customer circumstances.
For example, SDG&E’s pricing information effective August 1, 2026 shows different prices for different residential plans and distinguishes between CCA customers and customers receiving both generation and delivery from SDG&E.
SDG&E also notes that its displayed prices may not include the monthly residential Base Services Charge introduced in October 2025.
So a headline such as “SDG&E peak electricity costs X cents” can be misleading without identifying the exact tariff.
For an accurate calculation, check:
- Your pricing plan
- Whether you are a CCA customer
- Your baseline allowance, where applicable
- Your generation charges
- Your delivery charges
- Your actual hourly electricity usage
- Whether you have solar or battery storage
SDG&E maintains current electric-rate schedules separately from its simplified pricing-plan displays.
What Should SDGE Customers Do Now?
The most useful approach is not simply to memorize 4–9 p.m.
Instead, build your household routine around the rate structure:
- Avoid unnecessary electricity use from 4–9 p.m.
- Move flexible loads to 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekdays where practical.
- Use overnight super off-peak hours when appropriate.
- Charge an EV outside the peak period.
- Use solar electricity directly when possible.
- Consider battery storage if your economics and energy needs justify it.
- Use smart thermostats and timers to automate load shifting.
- Review your rate plan periodically rather than assuming your current plan is optimal.
The biggest opportunity is often not one dramatic change. It’s the cumulative effect of shifting several recurring loads away from expensive hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are SDGE peak hours today?
For the residential TOU schedules discussed in this guide, SDG&E peak hours are generally 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. However, your exact pricing depends on your rate plan, so check your current SDG&E tariff or My Energy Center account before making a bill calculation.
What are SDGE off-peak hours?
On commonly offered three-period residential TOU plans, weekday off-peak periods are generally 6–10 a.m., 2–4 p.m. and 9 p.m.–midnight. Weekends and listed holidays generally have off-peak periods from 2–4 p.m. and 9 p.m.–midnight.
When are SDGE super off-peak hours in 2026?
For the applicable residential plans, super off-peak hours are 12 a.m.–6 a.m. and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekdays, and 12 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekends and listed holidays. SDG&E says the weekday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. window is now available year-round.
Are SDGE super off-peak hours available on weekends?
Yes. On the relevant residential TOU plans, 12 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekends and listed holidays is designated super off-peak. The 4–9 p.m. period remains on-peak.
Are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. super off-peak hours new?
The important 2026 change is that the weekday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. super off-peak period is now available year-round. SDG&E states that it was previously limited to March and April.
Does the new daytime period make solar more valuable?
It can make daytime electricity consumption more attractive, particularly when a solar household can use its own generation instead of exporting it. For Solar Billing Plan customers, the economics are especially focused on self-consumption and storage because exported energy is generally credited at values below retail electricity rates.
Should I install a battery to avoid SDGE peak hours?
Not necessarily. A battery can reduce grid purchases during 4–9 p.m. and increase solar self-consumption, but whether it makes financial sense depends on your electricity consumption, solar production, rate plan, battery cost, incentives and backup-power requirements.
Conclusion
Understanding SDGE peak hours is increasingly important for California households trying to control electricity costs.
The central 2026 takeaway is simple: 4–9 p.m. is the key peak period on many residential TOU plans, while weekday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. is now a year-round super off-peak opportunity on applicable plans.
For non-solar households, shifting EV charging, laundry, pool pumps, water heating and other flexible loads can help reduce exposure to peak pricing.
For solar households, the strategy is more sophisticated. Using solar electricity directly, storing excess solar power and reducing grid purchases during expensive evening hours can be more valuable than simply maximizing solar exports.
Ultimately, the best strategy is based on your specific SDGE rate plan and your household’s energy usage patterns. SDG&E’s current pricing-plan tools and rate schedules should be used to verify the exact prices that apply to your account
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