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EV charging cost: LADWP vs SCE
Updated October 6, 2026 · tariffs verified October 6, 2026 · by Cali Energy
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in California? Driving 1,000 miles a month in a Tesla Model Y Long Range (EPA 25 kWh per 100 miles, charging losses included) takes about 250 kWh — roughly $65/mo on SCE’s 26¢ overnight PRIME summer rate or $73 on LADWP’s R-1B overnight period, versus about $153/mo at PRIME’s 61¢ 4–9 p.m. summer peak. Charging from midday home solar can bring the added grid cost near $0.
✓ Built on published 2026 SCE (TOU-D-PRIME) and LADWP residential rates. See the exact charging rates it uses ↓
Summer rates (LADWP July–September; SCE summer). LADWP figures include the 10% City of Los Angeles Electricity Users Tax and are marginal — the difference between your bill with the car and without it, which is what tiered pricing actually charges you. R-1B adds a $12/month service charge and SCE PRIME a $0.79/day basic charge; both are shown separately below because you pay them whether or not you own a car. Planning estimate, not a quote.
The rates and figures this calculator usestap to verify
The calculator turns your miles into kWh with your car’s EPA kWh-per-100-miles rating (charging losses are already in it), then prices them on five summer charging options and compares them with a gas car. Here is each rate it uses and how the math works.
| Summer off-peak (overnight), per kWh | 26¢ |
| Summer on-peak 4–9 p.m., per kWh | 61¢ |
| R-1A tiers 1 / 2 / 3, per kWh | 26.4 / 32.3 / 41.0¢ |
| R-1B Base period (after 8 p.m.), per kWh | 26.5¢ |
| R-1B Low Peak (5–8 p.m.), per kWh | 29.3¢ |
| City of LA utility users tax | 10% |
| Car energy | kWh = miles × EPA kWh per 100 mi ÷ 100 (charging losses included) |
| Efficiency options | EPA ratings from 24 (Model 3 RWD) to 43 (Ioniq 5 N) kWh per 100 mi |
| LADWP R-1A | bill with the car minus bill without it (tiers), plus 10% tax |
| Gas comparison | miles ÷ mpg × $5.52 per gallon |
Rates are SCE PRIME summer rates in effect from October 1, 2026 and LADWP’s July–September 2026 rates — confirm current numbers on the linked pages. EPA kWh-per-100-miles ratings already include charging losses, so no extra factor is added. Fixed charges (SCE’s $0.79/day, R-1B’s $12/month) are paid with or without the car and are not counted as its cost.
Example results you can reproduce
For a Tesla Model Y Long Range (EPA 25 kWh per 100 miles), a 500 kWh/month home in LADWP Zone 1 and a 30 mpg gas car for comparison, here is the monthly cost at the cheapest overnight rates versus the 4–9 p.m. peak. Enter the same values above to reproduce these.
| Driving / month | Car kWh | PRIME off-peak (26¢) | LADWP R-1B after 8 p.m. | PRIME peak (61¢) | Gas, 30 mpg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750 miles | 188 | $49 | $55 | $114 | $138 |
| 1,000 miles | 250 | $65 | $73 | $153 | $184 |
| 1,500 miles | 375 | $98 | $109 | $229 | $276 |
How this calculator works
It multiplies your monthly miles by your car’s EPA kWh-per-100-miles rating, which already includes charging losses, to get the energy the car needs. It prices that energy five ways — SCE’s PRIME summer overnight rate, LADWP’s R-1B after 8 p.m. and 5–8 p.m., LADWP’s standard R-1A tiers (as the extra cost on your bill, with the 10% city tax) and PRIME’s 4–9 p.m. summer peak — and sets a gas car beside them, showing cost per month and per mile so you can see how much the charging window, not just the utility, changes the bill.
How to read your result
The rows are the same energy priced on different rates, with a gas car for comparison. The gap between the overnight row and the peak row is the whole point: charging an EV overnight instead of during the evening peak is usually the single biggest lever on cost.
What moves the result the most
Three things: how many miles you drive, when you charge, and your car’s efficiency. Timing dominates — the summer peak rate is roughly 2.3× the overnight rate, so a scheduled overnight charge can cut EV cost by more than half versus plugging in at 5 p.m. Efficiency matters too: an Ioniq 5 N (43 kWh per 100 miles) uses about 1.8 times the energy of a Model 3 RWD (24) for the same miles.
Common questions
What efficiency should I enter?
Pick your car’s EPA rating in kWh per 100 miles (on fueleconomy.gov and the window sticker); the list runs from 24 for a Model 3 RWD to 43 for an Ioniq 5 N. The EPA figure already includes charging losses.
Is it cheaper to charge on LADWP or SCE?
It depends on timing. SCE’s overnight PRIME rate is very low, but its evening peak is high; LADWP’s blended rate sits in between. For overnight charging the two are close; for peak-hour charging LADWP usually wins.
Does home solar make charging free?
It brings the added grid cost near $0 for energy charged directly from midday production — but that solar isn’t truly free, since using it for the car means giving up the export credit. Night charging still pulls from the grid at the applicable rate, so most drivers see a mix unless they add a battery.
Do I need a special EV rate plan?
You don’t have to, but an EV-friendly time-of-use plan with a low overnight rate (like SCE’s PRIME) is usually cheapest if you can schedule charging for off-peak hours.
Will I need an electrical panel upgrade?
A Level 2 charger may, depending on your panel’s spare capacity. Check with our main-panel / busbar tool before assuming you need one.
Sources
- LADWP — Schedule R-1 Residential Service (R-1A and R-1B Total Consumption Charge tables, 2026)
- LADWP — Residential Electric Rates (tier thresholds, zones, R-1B time periods)
- SCE — Time-of-Use Residential Rate Plans (TOU-D-PRIME: 4–9 p.m. peak, $0.79/day, no baseline credit)
- U.S. EPA / DOE — fueleconomy.gov, EPA combined kWh per 100 miles by model
- U.S. EPA — Fuel Economy and EV Range Testing (EV energy measured at the wall outlet)
- U.S. EIA — Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, California
- CPUC — Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0)
- IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit
Estimates only, not a quote. Assumptions, rates, incentives and program rules can change — confirm current details with your utility, the program administrator or a licensed professional.
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