SCE forcing me off TOU-D-A

[Ampster]

............ I'm going back to the tiered rate as the power rates are 26 cents, which is lower than the TOU rates. I export enough with my solar the cost of electricity doesn't matter much.........

On another thread you said you are going to buy another EV so I would look at the rate differentials to decide if you should stay on the tiered plan. It all depends on your regular loads and whether it is convenient to charge your EVs late at night. I don't know what the current super off peak is with SCE but in PGE territory it is $0.19 per kWh. Also I get credit for solar production at much higher rates in summer and even in winter at a rate that makes the TOU EV rate better for me. Even on a tiered rate at $0.26 per kWh if you can utilize your over production to offset transportation costs it will economically be better than the $0.04 per kWh you are being paid at true up.

[slrcurious55]

Created an account to comment. I too got the letter. I am thinking of switching to prime. I'm on a PPA plan (not my choice, had to take over a system in buying the house). Is there a easy way for me to only generate during the hours of 4-9 PM? I know not much will be generated at those hours, but that's the only time where the PPA would be beneficial to me. Perhaps some sort of DC switch to disconnect the panels from the inverter except between 4-9 PM? Thanks in advance.

[Ampster]

Based on your comment on another thread, you have a lot of over production so a tiered plan may make sense. I have been on TOU rates for ten years and they work for me. I actually had a dollar credit but it washed against my usage. I have two EVs which has allowed me to leverage TOU rates. It all depends on where you are standing.

[Ward L]

I got the letter about TOU-A going away. I switched to TOU-A about 2.5 years ago and now I'm wondering if I saved any money over my previous tiered rate. I'm going back to the tiered rate as the power rates are 26 cents, which is lower than the TOU rates. I export enough with my solar the cost of electricity doesn't matter much. I got my payback in 7.2 years last July.

[jimqpublic]

I'm back here on SolarPanelTalk for this very issue. We knew it was coming because with all the statewide solar production the noon to 6:00 period isn't peak anymore. The duck curve is real.

For my household we are SCE nem 1.0 so we can go to tiered. I spoke with SCE yesterday; if your install was after 2015 you are NEM 2.0 and must be on TOU. The new TOU time periods are either 4 to 9 pm or 5 to 8 pm, after 80+ percent of the daily generation.

It was sort of a freebie for us since our annual production (on a 6 kw system) is just over 9 mwh but our consumption is about 10.5 mwh. Except for last year we haven't paid for power in 6 years because of TOU (buy low, sell high). If we stay on TOU we would buy high and sell low. Instead we will go to the tiered plan and stay in the first tier where the cost is $0.26 per kwh, but it will still cost about $300 per year.

The original TOU plan and tax rebates were a great deal. We are in year 7 of our install and I calculated our break-even at 8 years, but that assumed flat prices. So in actuality we probably already broke even. We also used more AC in the summer with solar than we did without. If you figure a 20 year system life even with some decommissioning costs we will have paid less than 1/2 as much for power than without solar.

The current incentives aren't as good, but on the other hand the hardware costs for a new system are way less in only 7 years. I would totally do it again (with a few changes).

[FFE]

I noticed this earlier on their website and then received their letter. I was about one year away from my break even point. Now I will be two years since the new rate cuts the value of my production in half. The letter shows I will pay about four times next year as I did this year on all of the options. I am leaning toward PRIME since we are an EV household. The letter showed my best plan would be the tiered plan but that doesn’t consider the facts that I will slightly shift usage on the PRIME plan and the reduced driving from COVID this year. It has been a while since Super Off-Peak rates were at $0.13 per kWh. Their year’s rates were $0.16327 winter and $0.17364 summer. I think your chance to do something has passed. Maybe if you had tried to change the outcome of elections to the board or something.

[Ampster]

In California the only thing that is truly "grandfathered" is the NEM version.ie NEM 1.0 or 2.0. The rates and periods for TOU rates have changed as many as three times a year. Some of the changes are more drastic as insaneoctane has reported. The trends have been that the payback has lengthened. When I recently moved, I lost a very favorable EV rate that was quasi grandfathered but could not be transferred to a different residence. Fortunately I will be under the wire with NEM 2.0 before NEM 3.0 takes affect.

[solarix]

After being on solar for ten years has it paid for itself yet?

[insaneoctane]

I got a letter from SCE telling me that they are forcing me out of my grandfathered TOU-D-A next month. They showed me the new TOU that they are recommending, PRIME. They also forecast my bill will raise about 3x! PRIME shifts my peak period later, does not give me any credits and raises the kWh pricing significantly. I think my super off peak (which no longer will even exist in the summer) is 50% (19€ vs 13€) more than what I pay now. Since I have an EV and a spa, that's gonna leave a mark. I am both venting and finding out if there are any other options others found other than budgeting for literally thousands of more $$ per year for my energy cost? I'm on NEM 1.0 from 2012 installation. I *HATE* these PUCs.