Big increase in PG&E E-9 rates (N. Cal.)

[TEG]

Does this force non-E9 EV owners to go into the new E9?
For instance, what about people with Solar+EV in E7 or E6 ?

[smorgasbord]

EDIT: I had made some mistakes on the TOU periods when I first posted this, partially because PG&E revised their first proposal. I believe this post now has the correct information for what was actually adopted. Let me know if there are still inaccuracies.

It's a bit hard to compare the new and old rates, since the basis and time periods don't match up. Here's one attempt - I'm sure with time we can work up better ways to compare. Here's the document I'm working from: E-4508 Final Resolution (PG&E AL3910-E, 1910-E-A), dated Aug 23, 2012.

The new plan retain the 3 rates: Peak, Part-Peak, and Off-Peak, changes pricing for each and changes when they are in effect. The current E9 plans have tiered pricing, which means you start at one rate and it increases as your usage that month increases. For me and my one car we often went into tier 5. The new "Schedule EV" plan's pricing doesn't vary by usage. Without getting into the specific tier pricing, here the pricing per kWh & TOU periods for Summer, then Winter.

Summer:

Type	Current E9A	New Schedule EV
Peak	30-54 cents	36 cents
Part-Peak	10-34 cents	20 cents
Off-Peak	5-20 cents	10 cents

Type	Current E9A M-F	New Schedule EV M-F		Current E9A Weekends	New Schedule EV Weekends
Peak	2pm-9pm	2pm-9pm		No Peak	3pm-7pm
Part-Peak	7am-2pm & 9pm-midnite	7am-2pm & 9pm-11pm		5pm-9pm	No Part-Peak
Off-Peak	mid-7am	11pm-7am		9pm-5pm	7pm-3pm

Winter:

Type	Current E9A	New Schedule EV
Peak	No Peak in Winter	27 cents
Part-Peak	10-34 cents	16 cents
Off-Peak	5-20 cents	10 cents

Type	Current E9A M-F	New Schedule EV M-F		Current E9A Weekends	New Schedule EV Weekends
Peak	No Peak	2pm-9pm		No Peak	3pm-7pm
Part-Peak	7am-midnite	7am-2pm & 9pm-11pm		5pm-9pm	No Part-Peak
Off-Peak	mid-7am	11pm-7am		9pm-5pm	7pm-3pm

So, note that under the new plan you can start charging at 11pm instead of midnight. If you need more time to charge, then the new rate gives you an extra hour. But note that the new plan bumps you into Peak rates 3pm-7pm on weekends, where the existing plan only bumped you to Part-Peak 5pm-9pm on weekends. That could hurt if you're running air conditioning on the weekends (when you're home).

In general, people selling solar power back to PGE or people who don't go above tier 2 are better off with the existing plan. People who don't have solar and who regularly go into tier 5 might be better under the new plan. I don't know where the math works out for people in tiers 3 and 4.

I hope I got the numbers right. Let me know if I've made any mistakes and I'll correct them. The E9A numbers are from the latest PGE document for July 2012.

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Does this force non-E9 EV owners to go into the new E9?
For instance, what about people with Solar+EV in E7 or E6 ?

Good question. According to this, I can stay on E7:

Select a Rate Option

[Robert.Boston]

PG&E's markup over wholesale energy costs is mind-blowing. Here are the wholesale power prices, delivered to the PG&E system, for the Tuesdays this July, aggregated by the same three blocks of time defined in the tariff. (Prices are in $/MWh, so shift the decimal point one to the left to get the cents/kWh)

	7/24/2012	7/17/2012	7/10/2012	7/3/2012	Average Wholesale	PG&E EV Rate	Markup
Off-Peak	$ 21.32	$ 21.38	$ 17.76	$ 16.90	$ 19.34	$100	417%
Part-Peak	$ 31.02	$ 27.25	$ 31.61	$ 25.94	$ 28.96	$200	591%
Peak	$ 44.94	$ 31.49	$ 60.03	$ 35.79	$ 43.06	$360	736%

Source: California Independent System Operator

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Yes, when it's not Enron price-gouging us, it's PG&E themselves!

[jaanton]

Paying off the DWP bonds due to the power crisis and nuclear decommissioning costs etc. These are the "non-bypassable" costs (among others). I think that's why E-9 is such a problem for PG&E, that is the tier 1 off-peak doesn't even pay these costs. The highest tiers are only explainable to punish peek usage.

If you're like me and regularly into the top tiers because you have a tiny baseline and really drive your EV a lot this new schedule is great. Tesla owners will probably benefit from this; Leaf and Volt owners - I doubt they win with this. They just don't use enough power.

[strider]

Thanks for the analysis smorg. I'll make sure to peer at my next PG&E bill and run the numbers both ways.

Though I'm guessing that once we have a Roadster and Model S we'll be pushing into the high tiers (if we aren't already). So although we're on E-9A now, may move to the new one sooner.

[smorgasbord]

I'm thinking that due to the Part-Peak to Peak change for Winter, and my ability to stay on lower tiers during winter (get that $0.05 rate) that I'll stay on the E-9A at least until next May, and then look at switching to the new schedule if I think that makes sense.

Unfortunately, PGE has never given me true usage per hour indication. I get pages and pages of stuff, but it's impossible to figure out anything except my total usage for each of the 3 peak, part-peak, off-peak rates.

[slcasner]

Unfortunately, PGE has never given me true usage per hour indication. I get pages and pages of stuff, but it's impossible to figure out anything except my total usage for each of the 3 peak, part-peak, off-peak rates.

PG&E is supposed to have their back-end systems act together sufficiently to install SmartMeters for TOU/Net Metering customers "later this year". That would provide the hourly data necessary to accurately evaluate these rate schedules.

Robert -- Thanks for pointing out the absurd overhead numbers for PG&E. What is typical for the rest of the country?

[bonnie1194]

I did have a SmartMeter until I installed my solar system. It was extremely useful in reducing my usage and motivating me to move some things to off-hours. But when I switched to solar, the SmartMeter went away. Hope that's part of the 'later this year' plan.