July 15, 2025

Save on EV Charging: Best Time to Charge Your EV at Home

5 Min. Read

Charging your electric vehicle (EV) at home is much more affordable than public charging. You can save even more by taking advantage of time-of-use (TOU) plans.

These plans encourage consumers to switch their energy usage away from peak demand hours, resulting in lower production and distribution costs for utilities and improved grid stability.

For EV owners like you, time-of-use charging can shave hundreds off your electric bills yearly.

Read on to learn more about time-of-use plans and the best time to charge your EV at home to save the most.

What Are Time-of-Use Plans?

The U.S. is on track to break a new record with a projected 4,179 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) needed in 2025.

Electricity usage is up, but demand fluctuates throughout the day. Usage spikes in the afternoon and evening when business and industrial applications are in full swing and homeowners are heating or cooling their homes while simultaneously cooking and using electronics.

EV adoption could increase the current strain on the grid if EV owners get into the habit of plugging in immediately after getting home in the evening. Utilities are addressing this issue with demand-response programs, increased backup reserves, and curtailment.

Electricity providers are also using financial incentives, such as time-of-use programs. These plans encourage users to reduce their energy usage during on-peak times through higher prices and make off-peak hours more appealing with a discounted rate.

More utilities offer these programs, which are proving to be an effective way of preventing grid strain while helping consumers like you save on their bills simply by being more mindful of their energy usage.

What’s the Best Time to Charge Your EV At Home?

A time-of-use rate can apply to your entire energy consumption in the case of whole-home plans or only to your home EV charger.

In either case, your time-of-use rate will likely fit common pricing patterns. Most utilities divide weekdays into two or three pricing periods and apply a single reduced rate over the weekend.

Off-peak hours typically happen at night when demand is at its lowest. On-peak hours take effect during the afternoon and evening, and utilities either bill the rest of the day at an off-peak or mid-peak rate.

There are some seasonal and regional variations to account for. In the warmer states, it’s common to have a summer rate with higher off-peak pricing to account for increased AC usage during the afternoon. If you live in a state with a cold winter, you might have to pay on-peak prices early in the morning and again at night when people heat their homes.

How Much Can You Save With Time-of-Use Pricing?

Let’s take a household with an average monthly electricity consumption of 900 kWh. This family recently purchased an EV and uses 393 kWh a month to charge it, consistent with driving 1,125 miles in a month (the average American drives roughly 13,500 miles a year).

Case Study 1: Met-Ed in Pennsylvania

If this household is in Pennsylvania and gets its energy from Met-Ed, its standard electric rate would be $0.17 per kWh without a time-of-use plan. This means paying $153 a month for 900 kWh of electricity and another $67 for EV charging, up to $220 monthly.

Under Met-Ed’s time-of-use plan, this family could save around $20 monthly. Met-Ed divides the day into an on-peak, off-peak, and super-off-peak period.

If this household can spread 80% of its 900-kWh usage evenly throughout the day and use 20% at night, their base energy bill would be $155. If 80% of the EV charging happens during super-off-peak hours and 20% takes place during off-peak hours, this portion of the bill would be down to $47. These savings could add up to about $240 a year.

Case Study 2: GEXA Energy in Texas

GEXA Energy issues a 100% credit for any electricity used to charge an EV between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

A family living in Arlington, TX, would qualify for a standard rate of $0.17 per kWh under a stable bill plan. This would pay $153 for the base 900 kWh used and another $67 for 393 kWh of EV charging, adding up to $220 a month.

Thanks to GEXA Energy’s time-of-use plan with the 100% energy credit, this family could get $53 back each month by scheduling 80% of its EV charging at night. It’s the equivalent of saving over $630 a year on EV charging costs.

How to Maximize Your Time-of-Use Savings

As these case studies show, time-of-use savings vary based on the rates offered by your local utility, but your habits can help maximize savings. For a better idea of how much you could save, use tools like EV charging cost calculators provided by your utility.

Your first step should be to upgrade your home with a Level 2 EV charging station. It’s a requirement for many EV time-of-use plans, and unlocking faster charging speeds compared to Level 1 charging makes it easier to take advantage of off-peak hours to do the bulk of your EV charging.

Smart chargers with scheduling capabilities are also ideal for time-of-use charging. You can plug in your EV when you get home, and the charger won’t draw power from the grid until off-peak hours begin.

If you’re on a whole-home time-of-use rate, it helps to be mindful of when you heat or cool your home. Waiting until off-peak hours for cooking or laundry can also reduce your bills.

You can go further with home battery solutions that you can charge during off-peak hours to power your entire home on cheaper electricity when on-peak rates are in effect. Electrification technologies like solar panels and smart electrical panels can further boost savings by supplementing the energy you draw from the grid or prioritizing essential circuits when high rates are high.

Take Advantage of Time-of-Use Rates With an EV Charger Installation From Qmerit

Time-of-use plans allow you to save hundreds on EV charging, and a programmable charger makes it easy to stick to a charging schedule.

Find out if your utility offers a time-of-use rate and learn more about Qmerit’s EV charging installation service so you can fully take advantage of at-home charging.

Regarding EV charger installations, no one is more trusted or recommended than Qmerit.

As North America’s largest network of certified EV charger installers, every Qmerit electrician is fully licensed, background-checked, insured, and properly trained in EV charging station installation, so you can rest easy knowing your installation is done right and backed by the Qmerit Peace of Mind Guarantee.

Recommended by automakers, EV charger manufacturers, utilities, businesses, and homeowners alike, and with over 770,000 EV charging stations installed across the U.S. and Canada, no one is more experienced in energy transition technologies than Qmerit.

Contact Qmerit today to complete our online EV assessment for your custom EV charger installation estimate and learn more about how Qmerit can help make your next electrification project easy.