EV Charging at Home in California: What It Really Costs on LADWP vs SCE in 2026
Charging an electric car at home is cheaper than gas almost everywhere in California — but how much cheaper depends entirely on your utility, your rate plan, and what time of day you plug in. Here is the honest math for LADWP and SCE customers in 2026, plus a calculator that shows what off-peak charging and rooftop solar do to your monthly bill.
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First, how much electricity does an EV actually use?
It is less than most people expect. The bill is driven by two numbers: how far you drive and how efficient your car is.
Every electric vehicle has an efficiency rating, usually expressed in miles per kilowatt-hour (mi/kWh). A Tesla Model 3/Y averages roughly 3.8 mi/kWh, a Hyundai Ioniq around 4.0, and a plug-in like the Prius Prime about 3.5 in EV mode. To find your monthly energy use, divide your monthly miles by that number.
Drive 1,000 miles a month in a Tesla at 3.8 mi/kWh and you pull about 263 kWh from the wall. Multiply that by your rate and you have your charging cost. The catch is that in California the "rate" is not one number — it swings from about 24¢ overnight to nearly 74¢ during a summer evening peak, depending on your plan. That spread is the whole story. Use the calculator below to see it with your own numbers.
Home EV charging cost calculator (2026)
Enter your driving and pick your car. We compute your monthly kWh and compare four real 2026 scenarios.
Rates are approximate 2026 figures and vary by season, tier, and plan. LADWP bills every two months; monthly figures shown are per-month estimates. Solar assumes you charge midday on power your own panels produce.
LADWP vs SCE: the rate is what matters
Los Angeles proper is served by LADWP; most of the surrounding region — the Valley suburbs, the Inland Empire, Orange County pockets — is SCE territory. They price power very differently.
LADWP is a municipal utility. Its standard R-1A residential schedule is tiered, running roughly 22–26¢/kWh in Tier 1 and climbing toward 39¢+ in summer Tier 3 (solar.com rate summary). A blended residential rate near 26¢/kWh is a fair planning figure for 2026. LADWP also offers a $0.025/kWh discount for EV charging during Base Period hours (overnight and weekends) — but it requires a separate EV meter with a ~$10 minimum monthly charge, so it only pays off for high-mileage drivers (solar.com).
SCE is an investor-owned utility built around time-of-use (TOU) plans. For EV and solar households the relevant plan is TOU-D-PRIME, which shares the same time periods as TOU-D-4-9PM. In summer, off-peak power is about 24¢/kWh, while the weekday 4–9 p.m. on-peak jumps to about 58¢/kWh, on top of a $0.79/day basic charge (SCE rate plans). On other SCE TOU plans the evening peak is even steeper — up to ~74¢/kWh on TOU-D-5-8PM. For context, California's average residential price hit 35.25¢/kWh in April 2026, versus a U.S. average of just 18.83¢ (EIA).
| Utility / plan | Off-peak ¢/kWh | Peak ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| LADWP R-1A (blended, tiered) | ~24 | ~39 (summer Tier 3) |
| SCE TOU-D-PRIME (summer) | ~24 | ~58 (4–9 p.m.) |
| SCE TOU-D-5-8PM (summer) | ~34 | ~74 (5–8 p.m.) |
| California residential average | 35.25 (all-in, Apr 2026) | |
Sources: SCE TOU rate plans · LADWP rate summary · EIA Electric Power Monthly
The single biggest lever: charge overnight, not at dinner
For SCE customers this is the difference between a reasonable bill and an ugly one.
Same car, same miles — 2.4× the cost
A Tesla driver on SCE TOU-D-PRIME driving 1,000 miles/month uses about 263 kWh. Charge it all off-peak (overnight) at ~24¢ and it costs roughly $63/month. Charge it during the 4–9 p.m. peak at ~58¢ and the same energy costs about $153/month.
Approximate; excludes the ~$0.79/day basic charge and varies by season and plan. Set your car or charger to start after 9 p.m. and this is a non-issue.
Nearly every EV and every Level 2 charger lets you schedule charging. Set it to begin during your off-peak window — overnight on SCE PRIME, or the Base Period on LADWP — and you capture the low rate automatically, every night, without thinking about it. On LADWP the tiered structure is flatter, so timing matters less, but avoiding summer Tier 3 by charging in cooler off-peak hours still helps.
Add rooftop solar and the cost approaches zero
This is where the math gets genuinely compelling for California homeowners.
When you charge midday on electricity your own panels are producing, the marginal cost of that energy is effectively $0 — you already paid for the panels. For a 263 kWh/month EV, that is roughly $63–$153 of grid charging replaced by power you generate. Over a year, home solar can erase most or all of a household's EV "fuel" bill on top of offsetting normal usage.
Two honest caveats. First, most people are at work or asleep during peak solar hours, so full solar charging usually pairs with a home battery or with an EV that sits in the driveway during the day. Second, exporting to the grid and pulling back later is no longer one-to-one: under NEM 3.0 (the CPUC Net Billing Tariff), SCE, PG&E, and SDG&E pay far less for exported solar than they charge for imports, which makes self-consumption — charging directly from your panels or a battery — the goal (CPUC Net Billing Tariff). Note that NEM 3.0 applies to those investor-owned utilities, not to municipal LADWP, which runs its own net metering rules.
Two things to check before you charge at home
Before the savings, a bit of hardware reality.
A Level 2 charger
A standard 120V wall outlet (Level 1) adds only ~3–4 miles of range per hour — fine for a plug-in hybrid, too slow for a daily-driven EV. A 240V Level 2 charger adds ~25–40 miles per hour and is what most owners install. Budget for the unit plus installation.
Enough electrical panel capacity
A Level 2 charger draws 40–60 amps. Older LA-area homes often have 100-amp panels already near capacity. You may need a load-management device or a panel upgrade, which a licensed C-10 electrician should assess before installation.
The right rate plan
If you are on SCE, ask about TOU-D-PRIME — it is designed for EV, solar, and battery households and unlocks the low off-peak rate. On LADWP, weigh whether a separate EV meter is worth it for your mileage.
The bottom line
Cheaper than gas — much cheaper if you plan
Charging at home in 2026 runs roughly $60–$155/month for a typical 1,000-mile-a-month driver depending on utility, plan, and timing. Charge off-peak and you land at the low end. Add solar and you approach zero. The people who overpay are the ones charging during the 4–9 p.m. peak on an SCE TOU plan — and that is entirely avoidable with a scheduled start time.
Every figure here is an approximation that varies by season, tier, plan, and household. Confirm your specific rate on your utility's site before committing.
Cali Energy designs and installs solar and battery systems for LADWP, SCE, and Burbank/Glendale customers across the LA area — including sizing a system around your EV so more of your driving runs on your own power. In-house crews, CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39). Call +1 (323) 844-7777 for a straight-answer estimate.
Frequently asked
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in California in 2026?
Is it cheaper to charge on LADWP or SCE?
What is the best SCE rate plan for an EV?
Does home solar make EV charging free?
Do I need to upgrade my electrical panel for a home charger?
Related reading
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the primary sources below and, where noted, from Cali Energy calculations using the stated assumptions. Rates, incentives, and program terms change; each was verified August 4, 2026.
Size your solar around your EV — not the other way around
Cali Energy installs solar and battery systems for LADWP, SCE, and Burbank/Glendale homes, and we'll model exactly how much of your driving can run on your own power. In-house crews, CSLB #1032379. Call +1 (323) 844-7777 for a straight-answer estimate.
Get a free estimatePrepared by Cali Energy, August 4, 2026. This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, financial, engineering, or utility advice. Rates, incentives, codes, permit requirements, equipment specifications, prices, and program terms may change; figures and timelines are estimates, not guarantees. Confirm current requirements with the applicable utility, AHJ, program administrator, manufacturer, or a licensed professional. See our Content Disclaimer. Cali Energy · 19201 Parthenia St Unit E, Northridge, CA 91324 · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39)