Hi all,
Wow, I'm amazed my little install has attracted so much interest- whether here or with the article in the first place.
It's true that my issues are primarily with my meter. With respect to the actual install in my garage, it's easier than many single family homes I've dealt with, given the abundance of panel capacity and that the panel's already in my garage. Even the meter issues are nothing new, but the fact that two site visits in the course of a month before the install (by GM and SCE) didn't reveal the issue suggests that there are process improvement opportunities all around- which is exactly what the CAB program was meant to uncover. But even the electrician looked at the situation the first time (the day before the scheduled install) and thought they'd just stick the second meter at my garage rather than have to run all the conduit, not realizing it's not allowed- But, such alternatives may end up being worth seeking PUC approval for. DWP's approach of simply discounting a certain block of kWh presumed to be used by the car is also an alternative, especially if that block can be excluded from the home's regular tier. Ultimately, the utilities want to see the meter embedded in the EVSE, but that's likely a few years away, so the current discussion is around what alternatives are worth pursuing for all the different situations we encounter in this process.
You're absolutely right that my HOA/neighbors have no idea "who I am" (I'd say there's not much to know!) and that I have no particular clout with them or anyone else. I'm waiting on estimates to run conduit for the meter, but have no inherent confidence that they'll go for it. Total toss-up, that one is.
As far as alternatives, it's true that a whole house TOU is my next best bet, but according to both SCE's online calculator as well as a custom one they ran on my exact usage, it would cost at least 50% more/year. Still, it's what I'll pick if I can't get the separate TOU-EV-1 meter. Staying on Schedule D (their normal residential rate) is what puts me higher than the cost I'm currently paying for gas. As some have suspected, it's because I'm in the lowest tier now- averaging ~11kWh/day. I have an air conditioner, but it's been turned on maybe once in the couple years we've lived here. So without a separate meter, the car pushes everything into a higher tier, regardless of the time of day I charge. And I could just use 120v, but that doesn't solve the meter/rate issue-consumption is consumption. I'm also trying to plan ahead for when the CAB program ends- ultimately I still want a plug-in to live more permanently in my garage, and will have to sort this stuff at some point.