SMUD peak hours and cheapest times
What are SMUD’s peak hours?
It depends on the plan. R-TOD: Mid-peak noon–5 pm, Peak 5 pm–8 pm, Mid-peak 8 pm–12 am, on weekdays, in summer (in winter: Peak 5 pm–8 pm); weekends: off-peak all day. R-TOD EV: Super off-peak 12 am–6 am, Mid-peak noon–5 pm, Peak 5 pm–8 pm, Mid-peak 8 pm–12 am, on weekdays, in summer (in winter: Mid-peak 6 am–5 pm, Peak 5 pm–8 pm, Mid-peak 8 pm–12 am); weekends: Super off-peak 12 am–6 am. Hours are local clock time.
When is electricity cheapest on SMUD?
On summer weekdays the lowest price is R-TOD: 12 am–noon at 15.5¢/kWh, against 37.6¢ at the peak; R-TOD EV: 12 am–6 am at 14.0¢/kWh, against 37.6¢ at the peak.
Which SMUD plan is cheapest?
For a typical California home using 487 kWh a month, R-TOD at about $107 a month (21.9¢/kWh all-in, before taxes). Homes that qualify for R-TOD EV, an EV or electrification rate, would pay about $105. With an EV charged at its cheapest hour, R-TOD EV gives the lowest total.
Charging an EV on SMUD
1,000 miles a month in a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD (275 kWh from the wall, EPA 27.5 kWh/100 mi) at 7.2 kW, added to a typical California home’s use, on each plan’s cheapest start hour versus plugging in at 6 pm. Averaged over the year.
| Plan | Best start | Charging, best start | Charging from 6 pm | Whole bill with EV |
|---|
| R-TOD | 12 am | $38/mo | $59/mo | $144/mo |
| R-TOD EV | 12 am | $34/mo | $59/mo | $139/mo |
With an EV charged at its best hour, the cheapest plan overall is R-TOD EV. Compare plans on your own usage.
How SMUD’s plans work
R-TOD (Time-of-Day (5–8 p.m.) Rate). Mid-peak noon–5 pm, Peak 5 pm–8 pm, Mid-peak 8 pm–12 am on July weekdays; 3 of 24 hours carry the top price of 37.7¢. The cheapest July weekday hour costs 15.5¢, so moving 1 kWh out of the top hours saves 22.2¢. January weekdays range from 12.9¢ to 17.8¢. Summer pricing applies Jun–Sep; winter pricing Oct–May. Weekends differ: off-peak all day. Fixed charge: $27.00 a month.
R-TOD EV (Time-of-Day (5–8 p.m.) Rate with EV Credit). Super off-peak 12 am–6 am, Mid-peak noon–5 pm, Peak 5 pm–8 pm, Mid-peak 8 pm–12 am on July weekdays; 3 of 24 hours carry the top price of 37.7¢. The cheapest July weekday hour costs 14.0¢, so moving 1 kWh out of the top hours saves 23.7¢. January weekdays range from 11.4¢ to 17.8¢. Summer pricing applies Jun–Sep; winter pricing Oct–May. Weekends differ: Super off-peak 12 am–6 am. Fixed charge: $27.00 a month.
Prices on this page are all-in per kWh, before taxes: base rates, supply and every per-kWh rider in the utility’s current tariff sheets. Your bill shows them as separate lines, and riders can change between tariff revisions.
As a cross-check, SMUD billed its residential customers an average of 17.87¢ per kWh in 2024 (revenue ÷ sales, EIA-861). A plan taken from URDB is shown only if its all-in price is consistent with that figure, adjusted for California’s price change since.