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EV charging cost: LADWP vs SCE
Updated August 5, 2026 · tariffs verified August 4, 2026 · by Cali Energy
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in California? Driving 1,000 miles a month in an efficient EV (~3.8 mi/kWh) pulls about 292 kWh from the grid, including charging losses — roughly $76/mo on SCE’s 26¢ overnight PRIME summer rate (LADWP’s blended rate is similar), versus about $173/mo at the 59¢ 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 grid kWh (adding ~10% for charging losses), then prices them on four 2026 summer charging scenarios. 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 | 59¢ |
| Standard blended, per kWh | 26¢ |
| Grid energy | kWh = miles ÷ efficiency ÷ 0.9 (charging losses) |
| Efficiency options | 2.9 (large EV) to 4.0 (efficient sedan) mi/kWh |
| Monthly / yearly cost | = kWh × rate; ×12 for the year |
| Home solar (self-used) | ≈ $0 added grid charge |
Rate values are approximate 2026 SCE PRIME summer examples for comparison, not your exact tariff — confirm current numbers on the linked pages. Grid energy assumes ~90% AC charging efficiency; solar-charged energy has ~$0 added grid charge but still carries an opportunity cost (the lost export credit).
Example results you can reproduce
For an efficient EV (3.8 mi/kWh), here is the monthly charging cost — grid kWh including ~10% charging losses — at the cheapest overnight rate versus the 4–9 p.m. peak. Solar-charged energy adds about $0 in grid cost. Enter the same miles above to reproduce these.
| Driving / month | Grid kWh | PRIME off-peak (26¢) | PRIME peak (59¢) | Direct solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750 miles | 219 | $57 | $129 | ≈ $0 |
| 1,000 miles | 292 | $76 | $173 | ≈ $0 |
| 1,500 miles | 439 | $114 | $259 | ≈ $0 |
How this calculator works
It divides your monthly miles by your car’s efficiency (miles per kWh), then adds about 10% for AC charging losses to get the kilowatt-hours actually drawn from the grid. It prices that energy four ways: SCE’s PRIME summer overnight rate, LADWP’s blended rate, SCE’s PRIME summer 4–9 p.m. peak, and self-used home solar — showing both monthly and yearly cost so you can see how much the charging window, not just the utility, changes the bill.
How to read your result
The four rows are the same energy priced on different rates. 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. The solar row shows the added grid cost when midday production covers the charging — near $0, though that solar energy isn’t truly free: using it for the car means forgoing the export credit you’d otherwise earn.
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: a heavy truck EV (~2.9 mi/kWh) uses about a third more energy than an efficient sedan for the same miles.
Common questions
What efficiency should I enter?
Use your car’s real average: efficient sedans run about 3.8–4.0 mi/kWh, while trucks and large SUVs are closer to 2.5–3.0. Your car’s display shows a lifetime mi/kWh (or Wh/mi) figure.
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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