Official California SDG&E Thread

[davekern]

How long did it take everyone to get their first bill? I've had the car over a month and the meter for 6 weeks but still no bill. I am annual for net metering, maybe that is confusing them. I drove 1650 miles the first month and used 548 kwh. It will be interesting to see how the bill comes in. All charging happens between midnight and 5 unless it takes longer to charge or my wife thinks she'll use the car too much and goes for a boost before noon. Also, is the second meter bill available online at SDGE like the normal bill? I don't show a second meter unless I need to do something. Without the bill and ID not sure I can yet.

Thanks!

 

[gbarry42]

I can't speak for everyone, but I haven't gotten a bill either. I've also had the car for a month. I know from past records that I would have paid it already, so it was probably supposed to be here a week or two ago. BTW, just an ordinary 2-meter TOU with-Blink setup here; no PV panels or net metering.

You ever seen people so eager to get their electric bill? !

 

[jcesare]

I can't speak for everyone, but I haven't gotten a bill either. I've also had the car for a month. I know from past records that I would have paid it already, so it was probably supposed to be here a week or two ago. BTW, just an ordinary 2-meter TOU with-Blink setup here; no PV panels or net metering.

You ever seen people so eager to get their electric bill? !

I have online paperless billing. I had my meter installed and my car delivered in mid April and everything appeared in my last online bill (May 20 for month of April). I looks like they shifted my billing date to the date the new meter was installed. It moved from the 4th to the 20th. The summary shows gas and electric two meters. The detail shows two electric services, one DR-Residential and one EPEV-Residential.

 

[ttweed]

I have online paperless billing. I had my meter installed and my car delivered in mid April and everything appeared in my last online bill (May 20 for month of April). I looks like they shifted my billing date to the date the new meter was installed. It moved from the 4th to the 20th. The summary shows gas and electric two meters. The detail shows two electric services, one DR-Residential and one EPEV-Residential.

Thanks for relating your experience. I didn't get my Blink and second meter installed until May 7, and am still looking forward to receiving the first dual-meter bill to see what it looks like compared to the month I spent charging the Leaf on DR w/ the L1 unit. It should be any day now. gbarry42 is right--I have never looked forward to a utility bill before!

TT

 

[WaitingInSanDiego]

I am part of the ETEC project, approved for second meter (SDG&E). Electrician came out to install blink and second meter today and ran into problems. My existing meter and service panel are 150 feet from garage and electrician said they can't run conduit that far to garage with their $1200 budget (it is a difficult install through an old attic). So I have to pay a couple thousand $ out of pocket or stick with one meter. Any thoughts or ideas out there? I am concerned that with one meter my Leaf charges will all be above baseline and quite a bit more expensive that the SDG&E EV rates.

 

[ttweed]

I am part of the ETEC project, approved for second meter (SDG&E). Electrician came out to install blink and second meter today and ran into problems. My existing meter and service panel are 150 feet from garage and electrician said they can't run conduit that far to garage with their $1200 budget (it is a difficult install through an old attic). So I have to pay a couple thousand $ out of pocket or stick with one meter. Any thoughts or ideas out there? I am concerned that with one meter my Leaf charges will all be above baseline and quite a bit more expensive that the SDG&E EV rates.

Did you not have a home assessment before you were accepted into the EV Project? You should have been told about the costs ahead of time, not when the electrician is there to install the Blink unit. What the electrician told you is true--your Blink unit is "free" as long as you have a "standard" installation that costs no more than $1200. Any overage is on you. About a 30' run of conduit is all that's included in a normal installation.

Do you have any way that you can park the car for charging closer to the meter than your garage? The Blink can be installed outside--it's weatherproof. It doesn't have to be in the garage, although that is the usual location, and probably best for both it and your car, as far as security and wear and tear, etc. If you don't have an "outside the box" solution like that, I would just pay the extra $2K. You really do not want to charge the car with your L1 EVSE on your regular DR rate schedule. You will not just be over baseline, you will likely be into tier 4 if you drive 1000 miles per month like most people. We were, and our household use is minimal, compared to most people. Our bill doubled after the first month of charging the Leaf without the Blink installed. Having it on a TOU schedule and charging during super off-peak hours is far more economical.

TT

 

[WaitingInSanDiego]

You will not just be over baseline, you will likely be into tier 4 if you drive 1000 miles per month like most people. We were, and our household use is minimal, compared to most people. Our bill doubled after the first month of charging the Leaf without the Blink installed. Having it on a TOU schedule and charging during super off-peak hours is far more economical.

TT

Thanks Tom. I will put in the Blink for sure. Second meter is a bigger decision due to the upfront cost. Unfortunately, no other good install spot outside. Do you know if I can do TOU on my one meter? That might help a bit. I have a solar PV system if that matters.

 

[ttweed]

I will put in the Blink for sure. Second meter is a bigger decision due to the upfront cost.

Not sure what you mean by this. The second meter doesn't add much to the installation cost--it is mounted right next to the first meter, along with a cut-off switch (another 40A breaker), then the conduit is run to the Blink unit. It is that 150' long run that is costing you the extra, not the meter installation. If you want the Blink, and it is going to be installed in the garage, it is going to cost you almost that much whether you use a second meter or not. The cost of the meter socket, the switch, and maybe an hour of labor is going to be the only difference--maybe a couple hundred bucks.

I have a solar PV system if that matters.

Having a PV system complicates things as you are on some kind of net-metering scheme, no? I know nothing about that and will leave comments about it to those who know better regarding what might be your best strategy for integrating the Leaf charging in your situation. Read this thread from the beginning--there has been a lot of discussion here about the options for people w/ PV systems, and most of it went right over my head because I don't have solar.

Good luck,
TT

 

[TonyWilliams]

I got my first EV electric bill (I'm on the 11th day monthly cycle) for $15.47 at the end of May. Car was delivered on 3 May, so the billing would be 3-11 May.

 

[davewill]

I will put in the Blink for sure. Second meter is a bigger decision due to the upfront cost.

Not sure what you mean by this. The second meter doesn't add much to the installation cost--it is mounted right next to the first meter, along with a cut-off switch (another 40A breaker), then the conduit is run to the Blink unit. It is that 150' long run that is costing you the extra, not the meter installation. If you want the Blink, and it is going to be installed in the garage, it is going to cost you almost that much whether you use a second meter or not...

I'm guessing his garage already has a subpanel with enough capacity for the Blink. Since the second meter has to be near the main, it requires a new run out to the garage.

 

[WaitingInSanDiego]

I will put in the Blink for sure. Second meter is a bigger decision due to the upfront cost.

Not sure what you mean by this. The second meter doesn't add much to the installation cost--it is mounted right next to the first meter, along with a cut-off switch (another 40A breaker), then the conduit is run to the Blink unit. It is that 150' long run that is costing you the extra, not the meter installation. If you want the Blink, and it is going to be installed in the garage, it is going to cost you almost that much whether you use a second meter or not...

I'm guessing his garage already has a subpanel with enough capacity for the Blink. Since the second meter has to be near the main, it requires a new run out to the garage.

Exactly. The blink install off the subpanel is easy in the garage (with the original meter). I don't see any reason to put in the second meter if I am not going to pay for the 150' run. Leaning towards sticking with one meter and exploring TOU on it. $2000 to install conduit pays for lots of electricity...

 

[rickbecker]

I am still waiting for my first EV bill. My last regular bill was April 6th. I am part of the EV Project and have been charging with the Blink and dedicated meter since April 20th. They read the meter several weeks ago and I have been expecting the bill.

 

[rhover]

I am part of the ETEC project, approved for second meter (SDG&E). Electrician came out to install blink and second meter today and ran into problems. My existing meter and service panel are 150 feet from garage and electrician said they can't run conduit that far to garage with their $1200 budget (it is a difficult install through an old attic). So I have to pay a couple thousand $ out of pocket or stick with one meter. Any thoughts or ideas out there? I am concerned that with one meter my Leaf charges will all be above baseline and quite a bit more expensive that the SDG&E EV rates.

... You really do not want to charge the car with your L1 EVSE on your regular DR rate schedule. You will not just be over baseline, you will likely be into tier 4 if you drive 1000 miles per month like most people. We were, and our household use is minimal, compared to most people. Our bill doubled after the first month of charging the Leaf without the Blink installed. Having it on a TOU schedule and charging during super off-peak hours is far more economical.

TT

I agree with Tom. We just got our first SDGE bill after getting the Leaf - 11 days using the L1 EVSE cost us about $25. Once the L2 EVSE was inspected and the second meter was activated for TOU billing, 10 more days only cost $6.81. We figure the Leaf will cost us about $20/month for about 1000 miles of driving. That compares to about $90/month for our Prius, or double that with our van. (There was also the one-time $15 service establishment fee.)

 

[DaveEV]

Thanks Tom. I will put in the Blink for sure. Second meter is a bigger decision due to the upfront cost. Unfortunately, no other good install spot outside. Do you know if I can do TOU on my one meter? That might help a bit. I have a solar PV system if that matters.

It all depends on how much of your peak-rate usage your PV system covers. As long as it covers that usage and then some, it could work out quite nicely - and possibly even lower your electric bill even after adding your EV charging.

Impossible to know for sure without knowing your exact usage / generation habits.

 

[ttweed]

I'm guessing his garage already has a subpanel with enough capacity for the Blink. Since the second meter has to be near the main, it requires a new run out to the garage.

Ah, I get it now--makes sense then to investigate TOU for the whole house and shine the extra meter, especially if the solar system can offset a lot of your peak usage. Some consumption strategies to shift loads to later periods (timers on major appliances, etc.) may help, too.

TT

 

[ritikatootie]

When we had our EVSE installed SDG&E installed a meter on that circuit and swapped out our primary meter with a GE kV2c+L2 Multifunction Meter. So we just had a PV system installed and they've reprogrammed that meter for net metering. Now I can't figure out how to read it. I've looked all over the SDG&E website and sent them email, but so far no luck. I'm hoping someone here may be able to offer some insight. Below are the modes which cycle through now on the primary meter. Most values are 0 presently BTW.

01 - Date
02 - Time
03 - ?
04 - ?
05 - ?
06 - ?
07 - ?
08 - ?
10 - ? (I think this is kWh used since meter reset)
11 - ? (I think this is kWh generated by the PV system since meter reset)
20 - ?
23 - ?
24 - ?
25 - ?
26 - ?
27 - ?
28 - ?
88 - ?
89 - ?

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

Now I can't figure out how to read it. I've looked all over the SDG&E website and sent them email, but so far no luck. I'm hoping someone here may be able to offer some insight.

Here you go:

1. All Segments
2. Meter ID 2
3. 01 Current Date
4. 02 Current Time
5. 03 Summation 1 Rate A - kWh Total Del Only F+H
6. 04 Max Demand 1 Rate A - kW Total Del Only F+H
7. 05 Summation 1 Rate B - kWh Total Del Only F+H
8. 06 Max Demand 1 Rate B - kW Total Del Only F+H
9. 07 Summation 1 Rate C - kWh Total Del Only F+H
10. 08 Max Demand 1 Rate C - kW Total Del Only F+H
11. 10 Total Summation 1 - kWh Total Del Only F+H
12. 11 Total Summation 2 - kWh Total Rcvd Only F+H
13. 20 Last Season Total Summation 1 - kWh Total Del Only F+H
14. 23 Last Season Summation 1 Rate A - kWh Total Del Only F+H
15. 24 Last Season Max Demand 1 Rate A - kW Total Del Only F+H
16. 25 Last Season Summation 1 Rate B - kWh Total Del Only F+H
17. 26 Last Season Max Demand 1 Rate B - kW Total Del Only F+H
18. 27 Last Season Summation 1 Rate C - kWh Total Del Only F+H
19. 28 Last Season Max Demand 1 Rate C - kW Total Del Only F+H
20. 88 Security Log Cum Power Outage Duration
21. 89 Program ID

Note that if you are on NET (solar PV) metering, the display is ambiguous.
It will only show your Rate A/B/C consumption by time-of-use. It does not show your generation by time of use. All Generation (when the meter runs backwards) is combined into #11, Rcvd Summation. The meter internally tracks which time slot has which kWh subtracted, but it's not shown in the display rotation.

The EVSE meter is programmed to have less data showing, so you can't tell how much consumption was during Rate A/B/C. I don't know who writes the meter programs, but they're clearly not looking for the same information I am.

 

[SanDust]

I don't see any reason to put in the second meter if I am not going to pay for the 150' run. Leaning towards sticking with one meter and exploring TOU on it. $2000 to install conduit pays for lots of electricity...

Some people worry too much about the cost of electricity. Even at 15K miles a year you'd only be using about 300 kWh of electricity per month, which comes out to about $70/month even if you were paying $.25/kWh. Given that you have a PV system that is probably not likely. Depending on your usage and generation numbers it's likely you'd be paying $40-$55 per month.

The reality is that, for people with a PV system, the X rate is probably worse than the standard DR rate and it's not going to be too different than the $30/month those with the Y and Z rates will end up paying, even when paying careful attention to the charge times. Plus life is far simpler if you can charge without worrying about the TOD.

 

[ritikatootie]

Thanks GroundLoop, this is great! Sorry to be a pest, but what does "Only F+H" mean?

Now I can't figure out how to read it. I've looked all over the SDG&E website and sent them email, but so far no luck. I'm hoping someone here may be able to offer some insight.

Here you go:

1. All Segments
2. Meter ID 2
3. 01 Current Date
4. 02 Current Time
5. 03 Summation 1 Rate A - kWh Total Del Only F+H
6. 04 Max Demand 1 Rate A - kW Total Del Only F+H
7. 05 Summation 1 Rate B - kWh Total Del Only F+H
8. 06 Max Demand 1 Rate B - kW Total Del Only F+H
9. 07 Summation 1 Rate C - kWh Total Del Only F+H
10. 08 Max Demand 1 Rate C - kW Total Del Only F+H
11. 10 Total Summation 1 - kWh Total Del Only F+H
12. 11 Total Summation 2 - kWh Total Rcvd Only F+H
13. 20 Last Season Total Summation 1 - kWh Total Del Only F+H
14. 23 Last Season Summation 1 Rate A - kWh Total Del Only F+H
15. 24 Last Season Max Demand 1 Rate A - kW Total Del Only F+H
16. 25 Last Season Summation 1 Rate B - kWh Total Del Only F+H
17. 26 Last Season Max Demand 1 Rate B - kW Total Del Only F+H
18. 27 Last Season Summation 1 Rate C - kWh Total Del Only F+H
19. 28 Last Season Max Demand 1 Rate C - kW Total Del Only F+H
20. 88 Security Log Cum Power Outage Duration
21. 89 Program ID

Note that if you are on NET (solar PV) metering, the display is ambiguous.
It will only show your Rate A/B/C consumption by time-of-use. It does not show your generation by time of use. All Generation (when the meter runs backwards) is combined into #11, Rcvd Summation. The meter internally tracks which time slot has which kWh subtracted, but it's not shown in the display rotation.

The EVSE meter is programmed to have less data showing, so you can't tell how much consumption was during Rate A/B/C. I don't know who writes the meter programs, but they're clearly not looking for the same information I am.

 

[opencar]

ugh. so i just found out today that after going through 1 cycle of Blink install, city inspection, and 2 visits to drop the 2nd meter, i'm missing the switch/disconnect for the 2nd meter. Sunwest is coming out again to install the switch but then another inspection is required. so FYI for those that still have to go thru this in San Diego - make sure you have the disconnect switch installed before the vendor finishes! when all is finally done, I'll have had to support 7 separate house calls.