SCE Time-of-Use Plans Compared: TOU-D-4-9PM vs 5-8PM vs PRIME
If you are an SCE customer, the plan on the top of your bill decides how much a summer evening actually costs — anywhere from roughly 26¢ to 74¢ per kWh depending on the hour and the plan. And if you install solar, add a battery, or buy an EV, SCE largely makes the choice for you. Here is how the three main 2026 residential plans compare, in plain numbers.
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The three plans at a glance
Southern California Edison prices electricity by when you use it. All three residential time-of-use (TOU) plans share the same idea — cheap overnight power, expensive weekday-evening power — but they draw the expensive window differently.
The two "standard" TOU plans differ mainly in how wide and how tall the peak window is. TOU-D-4-9PM charges a summer peak of roughly 58¢/kWh across a long five-hour window (4–9 p.m. weekdays). TOU-D-5-8PM squeezes peak into three hours (5–8 p.m.) but charges much more — around 74¢/kWh — for it, per SCE's Time-of-Use rate plans page. Both plans price off-peak hours at about 34¢/kWh in summer and include a roughly 10¢/kWh baseline credit on your baseline allocation.
The third plan, TOU-D-PRIME, is built for electrified homes. It trades a higher fixed daily charge and no baseline credit for lower per-kWh rates — the plan that matters most if you own solar, a battery, or an EV. More on that below.
| Plan | Peak window | Summer peak | Summer off-peak | Basic charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOU-D-4-9PM | 4–9 p.m. weekdays | ~58¢/kWh | ~34¢/kWh | low + baseline credit |
| TOU-D-5-8PM | 5–8 p.m. weekdays | ~74¢/kWh | ~34¢/kWh | low + baseline credit |
| TOU-D-PRIME | 4–9 p.m. weekdays | ~59¢/kWh | ~26¢/kWh | ~$0.79/day, no credit |
Sources: SCE Time-of-Use Rate Plans, Solar.com 2026 SCE TOU guide. Rates vary by season, baseline zone, and rate updates — confirm your exact numbers on your SCE account.
How each plan actually works
TOU-D-4-9PM
The most common default. A long 4–9 p.m. peak, but a comparatively gentle ~58¢/kWh. Best if your evening load is unavoidable but spread out — you would rather pay a moderate rate over five hours than a punishing rate over three.
TOU-D-5-8PM
A narrower 5–8 p.m. peak at a steep ~74¢/kWh. This plan rewards households that can go nearly dark for three specific hours — pre-cool the house before 5 p.m., delay laundry and dishes until 8 p.m. If you truly avoid 5–8 p.m., the wider off-peak can win.
TOU-D-PRIME
The electrification plan. A ~$0.79/day basic charge (about $24/month) and no baseline credit, in exchange for lower off-peak rates around 26¢/kWh (versus ~34¢ on the standard plans) plus cheaper overnight hours in the cooler months. Designed for — and largely required of — solar, battery, EV, and electric heat-pump customers.
TOU-D-PRIME: usually not optional for solar & EV homes
If you go solar in SCE territory, this is the plan you will most likely land on.
SCE places Solar Billing Plan customers — the customers on California's current Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0), which applies to interconnection applications submitted on or after April 15, 2023 at the investor-owned utilities (SCE, PG&E and SDG&E) — on TOU-D-PRIME. The plan is also built for households with an EV or plug-in hybrid, a home battery, or an electric heat-pump water or space heater, according to SCE's rate plan pages.
Here is the honest nuance most guides skip: PRIME's summer peak (~59¢/kWh) is not cheaper than TOU-D-4-9PM (~58¢/kWh) — it is a touch higher. What makes PRIME work is the combination of a lower off-peak rate (around 26¢/kWh, versus ~34¢ on the standard plans) and cheaper overnight super-off-peak hours in the cooler months. That structure only pays off if you shift load out of the 4–9 p.m. window — which is exactly what a solar-plus-battery system or a scheduled EV charger does automatically. The battery discharges through the expensive evening, and you recharge and run the house on cheaper off-peak power. Without that ability to shift, PRIME's fixed daily charge and steep peak can work against you.
Same house, two plans
Take a 600 kWh summer month. On TOU-D-4-9PM with 25% of usage landing in peak, the rough volumetric cost runs on the order of $220–$250. Move that same household to TOU-D-PRIME with a battery that pushes peak usage toward zero and shifts most consumption into the ~26¢ off-peak window, and the volumetric cost lands closer to $180 (roughly 600 kWh × ~26¢ plus the ~$24 monthly basic charge) — and lower still once rooftop solar offsets part of that consumption.
Illustrative arithmetic before baseline credits, taxes, and fees — your real bill depends on your baseline zone, exact usage pattern, and current SCE tariff.
Compare the plans for your usage
Enter your monthly kilowatt-hours and roughly how much of that lands in the 4–9 p.m. peak. The tool estimates a monthly cost per plan and flags the cheapest.
Illustrative estimate of energy charges plus the $0.79/day Base Services Charge, using SCE’s published 2026 bundled rates (whole-cent, ±0.5¢). The 10¢/kWh baseline credit is applied to the standard plans only — TOU-D-PRIME has none — up to your seasonal baseline allocation (by region and Basic / All-electric type). Usage outside 4–9 p.m. is spread across the day by hours. Excludes taxes, the California Climate Credit, CCA/Direct-Access generation, and solar export. Verified against sce.com on 2026-08-05 — confirm current rates with SCE.
How to choose — a quick framework
Can you avoid 5–8 p.m. almost entirely? TOU-D-5-8PM's narrow window can win, but the ~74¢ peak punishes any slip-ups. Is your evening load moderate but unavoidable? TOU-D-4-9PM's gentler ~58¢ over a wider window is the safer default. Do you have solar, a battery, or an EV? You are almost certainly on — or headed to — TOU-D-PRIME, and the goal becomes maximizing cheaper off-peak use and minimizing peak draw.
For context, none of these evening rates are cheap: California's average residential price was about 35.25¢/kWh in early 2026 versus a U.S. average near 18.83¢, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That gap is a big part of why solar-plus-storage pencils out in SCE territory — a battery lets you sidestep the most expensive hours entirely.
Cali Energy is a Northridge-based installer (CSLB #1032379) with in-house crews serving SCE, LADWP, and the Burbank/Glendale municipal utilities. If you want help modeling your actual SCE bill against a solar or solar-plus-battery system, call +1 (323) 844-7777 — no pressure, just the numbers for your home.
Frequently asked
Which SCE plan has the highest peak rate?
TOU-D-5-8PM has the highest summer peak at roughly 74¢/kWh, but only across a narrow 5–8 p.m. window. TOU-D-4-9PM charges about 58¢/kWh over a longer 4–9 p.m. window. TOU-D-PRIME's peak is similar to 4-9PM (~59¢), but its off-peak rate is lower.
Do I have to be on TOU-D-PRIME if I go solar with SCE?
In most cases, yes. SCE places Solar Billing Plan (NEM 3.0 / Net Billing Tariff) customers on TOU-D-PRIME, and the plan is also designed for EV, battery, and electric heat-pump households. Confirm your specific situation with SCE.
Why is TOU-D-PRIME good for batteries and EVs if its peak rate is high?
Because PRIME's off-peak rate is around 26¢/kWh — below the ~34¢ off-peak on the standard plans, with even cheaper overnight hours in the cooler months. A battery or scheduled EV charger lets you avoid the expensive 4–9 p.m. peak entirely and run on off-peak power, which is where PRIME wins.
Are these exact rates?
No — they are approximate 2026 summer weekday figures and vary by baseline zone, season, and CPUC-approved rate updates. Always verify your exact rates in your SCE online account. The calculator is illustrative, before baseline credits and taxes.
What is the basic charge on TOU-D-PRIME?
About $0.79 per day (roughly $24/month) with no baseline credit. The standard TOU-D plans have a smaller basic charge but earn a baseline credit of about 10¢/kWh on your baseline allocation.
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 11, 2026.
Not sure which SCE plan — or whether solar — fits your bill?
Cali Energy will model your actual SCE usage against solar and battery options, with the real numbers for your home and no pressure. Call +1 (323) 844-7777.
Get a free estimatePrepared by Cali Energy, August 11, 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)