With the Short Peak rate, you can take advantage of Off Peak (lower cost) periods starting at 7pm and then the cheapest Super Off Peak from 10pm until 6am the next day on weekdays. There is only one 3 hour period (4pm until 7pm) during weekdays when energy costs fall in the peak pricing time period. Weekends and holidays have off peak periods all day!

 

This plan pushes both Off Peak and Super Off Peak hours back an hour, starting at 8pm and 11pm respectively. If you are an early riser, this rate will give you more time in the morning to use energy and save. Peak hours are from 4pm until 8pm weekdays. Weekends and holidays have off peak periods all day!

 

The Early Peak plan gives you the same number of hours of savings as Late Peak, with both Off Peak and Super Off Peak hours starting an hour earlier, 7pm and 10pm respectively. Weekends and holidays have off peak periods all day!

 

With this plan you get Super Off Peak pricing for 7 hours at night–from 11pm until 6am–but with a slightly higher cost than the standard rate during the day. This plan could work well for you if you need to use a little more energy during the afternoon and early evening (peak hours on other plans) but you normally consume most of your energy during super off-peak hours.

 

Before you switch to a TOU rate plan you can calculate your savings and find the plan that best suits how and when you use electricity. The Rate Comparison tool will calculate your lowest cost option based on your lifestyle. The tool does this by comparing your current rate to other rate options based on how your household has used electricity for the past 365 days.

When comparing rate options, consider that you have the opportunity for greater savings by easily shifting energy use from higher cost hours to lower cost hours. One way is by charging your EV overnight. See how simple shifts can save even more.

Many households can lower their annual energy bill just by switching to a Time of Use rate plan; but it doesn’t stop there. You can also save even more money by making small shifts in energy use. Log in to My Account and take a quick minute to use our Rate Comparison Tool. Your personalized rate analysis will help you select which rate plan is best for you. Once you are on a TOU rate plan, you can better manage your electric bill. Our new features and tools make it easier to help you understand what times of the day are most and least expensive to use energy. 

Log in to My Account to view your new TOU bill and track your energy use with the free MySmartEnergy portal.

You can switch back to the standard fixed rate anytime you want - there’s no penalty, minimum or commitment required. You can also switch between time of use rates.

Please note that if you switch back to a standard fixed rate such as Rate 180, 580 or to the TOU Overnight (193) rate from the Short Peak (190), Early Peak (192) or Late Peak (191) TOU rate you will need to wait for a period of 12 months from the date of exit to come back onto a Short Peak (190), Early Peak (192) or Late Peak (191) TOU rate. If you aren’t sure whether to switch, we recommend using the Rate Comparison Tool calculator to help make your choice.

On a Standard Fixed rate plan, like Rate (180), the rate you’re charged for electricity use is the same all day and night.

Time of Use rate plans, like Short Peak (190), Early Peak (192), Late Peak (191) and Overnight (193) give you access to lower rates during Super Off Peak hours when electricity costs less to provide. Super Off Peak rates are discounted 40 percent from the Standard Rate. During Off Peak hours, electricity costs the same as Standard Rate (180) and during peak hours it costs slightly more because energy costs more to provide.

Most households see an annual savings by taking advantage of Time of Use rate plans and the cheaper Super Off Peak times.

The bottom line is that these are blocks of time during the day when electricity costs more or less depending on what “block” of the time or day it is. On a Time of Use (TOU) rate plan, off peak and super off peak hours are less expensive times of the day to use your electricity with super off peak being the cheapest time. In contrast, peak hours are the most expensive hours to provide and use electricity. Basically, TOU rates are more transparent as customers can see how much electricity costs at different times of day. With our new TOU rates you are in the driver’s seat where you decide how to manage your energy in a way that fits your lifestyle while potentially cutting costs.

On every TOU plan, weekends and Federal holidays are always considered off peak. PSEG Long Island considers the following dates Federal holidays:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day)
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day / Indigenous People’s Day
• Veteran’s Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

 
On Time of Use Rate plans, Peak, Off Peak, and Super Off Peak hours do not change by season. On TOU, electric rates are still slightly higher in the summer months, and slightly lower during the winter just as they are on a standard fixed rate plan like Rate 180.

PSEG Long Island is offering Time of Use as an option for Long Islanders and we will continue to offer traditional standard fixed rate plans too, like Standard Rate (180). You can switch to a Time of Use plan and switch back at any time if it doesn’t work for you.

Once you have found a Time of Use rate plan that works best for you, it’s important to know what your peak, off peak and super off peak hours are and to make simple shifts in energy use to take full advantage of TOU’s lower rates. Check out these easy ways to save with TOU.

Customers with solar systems that do not produce the home’s full annual electric needs may benefit by enrolling in a TOU rate plan.

Customers with a solar system that include storage (solar + battery) that does not produce the home’s full annual electric needs and requires more energy during peak hours than the solar panels can produce, may also benefit by enrolling in a TOU rate plan. The battery would charge from the solar panels in the morning and early afternoon, during a lower cost rate period and discharge during the higher cost peak period. This will minimize any energy usage from the grid during the higher cost peak period.

It is very important for customers with solar systems joining a TOU rate plan to know that each TOU rate plan has multiple energy banks. The Short Peak, Early Peak and Late Peak rate plans each have three energy banks, one for each tier: peak, off peak and super off peak. The Overnight rate plan has two energy banks for the day and night tiers. Energy produced in a period cannot be transferred into another bank period. For example, excess solar energy produced during peak hours is credited to the peak energy bank and will only be available to offset energy used in peak periods. A customer could be better off on the Overnight TOU rate plan or a non-TOU, such as rate 180.

For those with a solar or solar + battery system that has been operating for a period of 12 months or longer, our personalized Rate Comparison Tool is available. This tool uses your actual, hourly usage history to help you determine the most beneficial rate plan for you. However, the rate calculation does not factor in changes in your energy use pattern or system configurations. If your system’s past configuration wasn’t set to optimize the TOU rate structure, the Rate Comparison Tool may not reflect your actual savings opportunity.

When purchasing a new system or adding a battery, the installer may have tools to optimize the size and set up of your system, as well as predict your adjusted load to help you decide which rate plan provides the most benefits.

There are no changes needed for the balanced billing program for Time of Use.

With Balanced Billing, you have the security of knowing the amount of each electric bill. We'll project the cost of your electric usage for an entire year and divide it into 12 equal payments. If your monthly payment would create an overpayment at the end of the plan year, we’ll reduce it. If it ends with an excess balance, it’s rolled over into the next 12 months. Your year-end bill will be the same amount you were billed all year.

Customers will continue to be reviewed for any changes in electricity usage at 6 months and 12 months during the year. An “off cycle” bill when changing rates can trigger the account to automatically go through the recalculation process.

The “Compare Rate Plans” button and the Rate Comparison table in MyAccount will only appear for customers who are eligible and have an AMI meter with 365 Days of AMI usage history. If you do not meet these criteria, please contact us at 1-800-490-0025 to consult with one of our experienced TOU customer service representatives.