Official Southern California Edison thread

[Boomer23]

Under the topic of "Things to do While You Wait (and Wait) for your LEAF", I've just completed calculating a full year of my prospective SCE bills with charging a LEAF at 250 kWh per month the year around.

snip---------

How many driving miles does this represent?
Total kWh = 3,000 + 2,293 = 5,293 kWh used before SCE bill becomes greater than zero for each year
Charging efficiency estimated 89%
5,293 X .89 = 4,711 kWh available at LEAF battery
Assume 3.5 miles/kWh average
4,711 X 3.5 = 16,489 annual miles at zero fuel cost

Anyone see anything glaringly wrong with this analysis?

I've revisited this estimate in the light of some new information.
A) Charging efficiency from wall to wheels for the LEAF is coming in at about 80%. I had previously used a SWAG estimate of 89%.
B) My first TOU-D-TEV bill came in and showed a larger proportion of solar PV generation in the Off Peak period than I had estimated as compared to the Peak period. I've adjusted my calculations with an increased proportion in the Off Peak period.

My new estimate is 3,586 free kWh at the LEAF wheels for 12,551 fuel cost-free miles, rather than 16,489 as previously estimated.

As for emissions-free miles, I'm estimating that my 2,126 kWh of solar overgeneration will give me 5,953 emissions-free miles.

 

[tbleakne]

Mike, your new meter is identical to the one that I've had since October. You're correct that register 71 increments when you send back solar power TO Edison. Register 01 increments when you use power FROM Edison. Neither register decreases or runs backwards, so you are dealing with two registers that you would want to sum up and subtract from your previous day's readings to determine your net household power usage for the day.

The other registers are essentially insignificant. Register 02 is your daily max kW usage reading, I think. Register 04 increments by one each time a meter reader visits your house and takes a reading.

My quadrant theory for peak vs. off-peak vs. super off-peak would appear to be incorrect - as of right now quadrant "1" is still flashing.

My IDR was installed April 4.

I believe the flashing quadrant only indicates whether the meter, at that instant, is recording power:
quadrant 2: going back to the grid (net generation)
quadrant 1: being pulled from the grid (net consumption).
I have tested this theory during a period when net generation was low, turning on more more load in my house to force switch to net consumption, and re-checking. Seems to match.

I tested the theory that Reg 02 indicates maximum KW usage by turning stove on and confirming higher load with TED, but Reg 02 reading didn't change. It could be some kind of average net KW load, but it never goes negative when I am net producer for the day. Perhaps it indicates average power flow regardless of direction.

The meter installer told me he loads different programs in the meter for TOU-DT and TOU-D-TEV. While the meter is capable of recording the two registers every 15 min, I suspect the program tells it when it really needs to store a pair of readings. For the EV tariff, this would be 6AM, 10AM, 6PM, and Midnight. The meter reader downloads these recordings into his machine at each visit, and the TOU totals, allowing for weekends, are sorted out back at headquarters.

 

[Boomer23]

My SCE meter reader came to read my TOU (IDR) meter yesterday and said that the Smart Meters were planned for my area this coming November. He said that he had been told very recently that customers would be able to opt out of the Smart Meter for a fee of about $20 per month. So $240 per year to pay for the meter reader and related services.

I asked him whether the Smart Meters were now able to handle TOU and Net Energy Metering and he said they were not. My understanding from reading here is that the meters are capable, it is just the SCE software that can't handle these special programs.

So I can't imagine SCE being able to charge us an opt-out fee if their Smart Meter can't handle the rate programs that we've been encouraged to join.

Still, hearsay at this point.

 

[Boomer23]

My first SCE bill for first full month of LEAF charging, including solar generation with 5.16 kW PV array.

Single meter rate schedule TOU-D-TEV (whole house time of use, EV charging)

Basically, I charged my LEAF 227 kWh and drove 793 miles and powered my household for a month for zero fuel cost AND banked $39 toward future charging in less sunny months.

Total solar PV generation for this period: 806 kWh

Dates: April 6 to May 5.
LEAF charging: 227.1 kWh, all Super Off Peak (midnight to 6 am)
Billing amount: -$39.36 (Adds credit in this amount to my annual net metering credit total)

kWh summary:
Net Generation:
On Peak: 403 kWh
Off Peak: 205 kWh

Net Usage:
On Peak: 3 kWh
Off Peak: 197 kWh
Super Off Peak: 316 kWh (includes 227.1 kWh LEAF charging)

Net Month's Total: -92 kWh (ie 92 kWh sent to grid)

 

[mythrenegade]

Hey guys,

I'm (obviously) new here, and I've read a fair amount of this thread but am more confused than when I started. I made matters worse by reading a San diego electric thread as well, and that scared me a bit. In that thread someone stated that the rate was something like $.12 but there was a mandatory additional $.09 that gave them a per day cost of $8!

Here's my situation: my wife drives 70 miles a day around town in our Honda Odyssey. Gas is now costing us $450 per month or so. Nissan estimates $2.75 per day to charge the leaf on their FAQ. If that is accurate for a more or less full charge on SCE then the Leaf is a very good financial move for me as I would save $360+ per month in fuel alone. On the other hand at $8 per day I'm better off to have her keep driving the van. I am a finance guy an am approaching this from a financial perspective. Although I like some of the other benefits of an electric car I cannot afford to buy one based on those things. It's a financial decision for me.

So.... What does it cost to charge a leaf on SCE? My house is ten years old and SCE just installed a new meter that says Type C250D on it and "Open Way" down at the bottom. Can I get the EV rate and what is it? I think the time of use for the whole house would be a bad idea because my wife is a stay at home mom so the house isn't empty during peak hours. We do not have solar or wind, although both are options where I live. Being on one income, I have been unable to invest in either.

I'm really trying to figure out if this makes financial sense or not. What does it really cost to own and charge a leaf? What does registration cost? Insurance? We won't get rid of the van because we travel long distances in it several times a year, and there are times when doctors appointments are 100 miles away for us, the leaf won't work for us in those situations. The leaf though would probably take 25,000 miles a year or so off the van (2004 with 180,000 miles).

Sorry to pile so many questions in one thread but it seemed better than lots of individual ones. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Joel

 

[Boomer23]

Hi Joel and welcome.

If I were you, I'd be looking at having a second meter installed and using the SCE TOU-EV1 rate. The way I understand it, if you have a second meter, your main household electric rates remain the same and your LEAF charging runs on its own rate schedule. If you charge at off-peak hours, which are 9 pm to noon, your rate to charge your LEAF would be 11 cents per kWh. You'd probably be able to drive at least 3 miles per kWh, so your daily usage for LEAF charging would be about 23 kWh, or $2.53. Close to Nissan's estimate.

Putting in a second meter is the issue. For me, it didn't make sense because there was no wall space near my current meter panel to hang a second panel for the meter. SCE used to allow small meter sockets for the second meter, but they started having problems with them and they are no longer allowed. So you need an actual panel with a meter socket in it. And SCE requires that both meters be in proximity for various reasons. If you're lucky and your main panel is close to your garage where you plan to charge your LEAF and there is room to add a second panel, it won't cost more than $2,000 or so, plus the cost of the EVSE (charging dock). If you have a more complex setting requiring a long wiring run, it will cost more. At least SCE provides the second meter at no charge and I don't think they charge a monthly charge for the extra meter either, which is a pretty good deal. You'll have to get an electrician to give you an estimate (I'd get several) for installing a second meter panel and running the 220 V wiring to your charging location. Then, of course, you'll have to figure your payback on your installation investment vs the gas savings.

I was lucky to have solar power, though, and so the whole house TOU rate makes sense for me. It might still be okay for you, but if you use air conditioning during peak hours (10 am to 6 pm, weekdays) you'll get killed by the on peak summer rates of 55 cents or more.

The EVSE can be anything from a $250 upgrade (roughly) of the trickle charge cable that Nissan includes with the car so that it can charge at 220 V (upgrade offered by one of our forum members, Ingineer), or $1,000 or more for a hard wired charging dock. You'll need a 220 V socket, like a dryer socket, for the upgraded Ingineer unit.

By the way, insurance and registration are the same as for any car in the same price range, meaning a $35,000 car. Though the federal tax credit and the CA state rebate will reduce your cost to buy or lease the car, the insurance and registration, and sales taxes, will be based on the full price of the car.

Feel free to ask further questions. I hope that the LEAF works out for you.

 

[EricH]

I asked him whether the Smart Meters were now able to handle TOU and Net Energy Metering and he said they were not. My understanding from reading here is that the meters are capable, it is just the SCE software that can't handle these special programs.

So I can't imagine SCE being able to charge us an opt-out fee if their Smart Meter can't handle the rate programs that we've been encouraged to join.

Still, hearsay at this point.

I went live on TOU-D-TEV on March 29 with the SmartConnect meter that was installed 4/1/2010. So the SmartConnect meters in some areas can be used for TOU rates, just not in your area if they haven't begun installations there yet. SCE is using older-vintage interval meters for customers who request TOU rates in areas that can't support interval metering (yet) via SmartConnect, but that population is shrinking all the time, and these meters would eventually be replaced with SmartConnect meters. I don't believe there is any "fee" for the interval metering; the TOU rate would have any added metering costs "built-in" to the published rate.

The CPUC is conducting hearings on how PG&E should offer customers the option of refusing their SmartMeter; basically the optees would have to pay for regular manual meter reads - the point seems to be for EMF-phobic customers to have the option of avoiding radio waves, at their own expense. The catch is that the manual read will be relatively expensive, since there won't be a meter reader in the neighborhood every month anymore, and the manual read is likely to involve interval data instead of a simple cumulative read. It is likely that the CPUC will eventually order the other electric utilities to offer the same service, but I hadn't heard that SCE was actually offering it yet.

 

[EricH]

Hi Joel and welcome.

*snip*
Then, of course, you'll have to figure your payback on your installation investment vs the gas savings.

I would compare the cost to install a 2nd meter to the alternative options:
1) Install 2nd meter and go on D-TOU-EV1 for the 2nd meter alone (EV charging);
2) Install any EVSE on existing household meter and go on whole-house TOU for EV charging (D-TOU-TEV) rate;
3) Stay on regular "D" rate for all electric load, including charging.

SCE will do a pro-forma analysis based on your usage history, the estimated mileage/vehicle you are interested in (i.e. 10,000 miles/year on a LEAF), and your estimate of how much energy you use off-peak. Mine showed a long (10+ year) payback on a $2,000 second-panel installation, so I didn't bother with getting estimates on the work, but YMMV.

Electricity is cheaper than gasoline under nearly any scenario, but I got a significantly lower bill using whole-house TOU, and avoided the upfront cost/hassle of the second meter panel. The additional bill savings from isolating just my EV charging on TOU rates just weren't worth it to me.

 

[Boomer23]

I got my June bill from SCE and I'm so jazzed I can hardly stand it. OK, I can stand it just fine, but I couldn't wait to share. :lol:

This month's bill really shows the magic of PV plus EV charging on the whole house single meter TOU-D-TEV rate plan.

My total net usage for June 6 through July 6 was 1 kWh. That means that with my solar PV generation of 819 kWh subtracted from my total household usage, SCE saw a net usage of only 1 kWh for the month. According to my bill, I only used a net 2 kWh during Peak hours because I don't use air conditioning. So my usage and my solar generation zeroed out.

BUT my bill for the month was a CREDIT of $84.91! My "what if" modeling had guesstimated a credit of $75 for this period, so my model was slightly conservative.

My total net metering balance in month 4 of my net metering year is a credit of $249.12. With Super Off Peak rates at 11 cents/kWh at Tier 1 and 16 cents/kWh at tier 2 and my EV charging billed roughly equally at each tier, my effective cost for charging at Super Off Peak is 13.5 cents/kWh. At this cost, my running total credit of $249.12 would give me 1,845 kWh at no charge during the coming winter months. Driving the LEAF at 3 mi/kWh wall-to-wheels gives me 5,536 free miles "saved in the bank" for the winter months, and we've just entered summer. There will be more credits to come in July and August.

I couldn't be happier.

(Edited to correct the charges per kWh at Super Off Peak, which are lower than I stated earlier. This resulted in a larger number of banked kWh and "free miles" in my calculations.)

 

[EricH]

I got my June bill from SCE and I'm so jazzed I can hardly stand it. OK, I can stand it just fine, but I couldn't wait to share. :lol:

This month's bill really shows the magic of PV plus EV charging on the whole house single meter TOU-D-TEV rate plan.

I couldn't be happier.

Congrats! My experience with the non-solar version of TOU-D-TEV has been similar; because my wife and I work and there's no A/C use on-peak (noon-6 weekdays), our bill has actually gone down for the three months we've been on the rate (Apr-Jun), compared to prior months/years. (Disclaimer - I do most of my charging at work, so I haven't seen the 'true' impact of EV charging on my home bill yet, but I'm happy to pay the super-off-peak rates Boomer noted when I plug in at home.)
I also find the time incentives shape my behavior (wait until 6pm sharp to turn the A/C on, wait to fire up the dishwasher until just before we go to bed, etc.).
Summer on-peak rates sting a bit compared to Apr-May (2 refrigerators, plus some ancillary cooling devices run 24/7), but TOU was still a good deal overall.

Overall, I'm quite happy I passed on the expense and hassle of 2nd meter/panel installation.

 

[HighDesertDriver]

Boomer & Eric,

I appreciate all your input on this thread and am encouraged by your TOU results thus far. Our car is not due in until Sept and I am still attempting to crunch numbers to decide which SCE metering plan will be best for us. The SCE EV folks think I should stay with a single meter because our ~1500kWh annual PV production surplus would otherwise be unavailable to an EV-only meter. That seems to be a logical conclusion.

Given a single meter, I have been notionally comparing our current residential metering plan with the various TOU schedule options, but am hoping (being industrious, but lazy at heart!) that you might share any analysis tools, spreadsheets, etc. you used to make your decisions. Living in the Mojave Desert gives us the PV benefit of plentiful production, but turning off or delaying the A/C in summer is not a viable option for the family at home during the days.

Thank you! -- Bob

 

[Boomer23]

Boomer & Eric,

I appreciate all your input on this thread and am encouraged by your TOU results thus far. Our car is not due in until Sept and I am still attempting to crunch numbers to decide which SCE metering plan will be best for us. The SCE EV folks think I should stay with a single meter because our ~1500kWh annual PV production surplus would otherwise be unavailable to an EV-only meter. That seems to be a logical conclusion.

Given a single meter, I have been notionally comparing our current residential metering plan with the various TOU schedule options, but am hoping (being industrious, but lazy at heart!) that you might share any analysis tools, spreadsheets, etc. you used to make your decisions. Living in the Mojave Desert gives us the PV benefit of plentiful production, but turning off or delaying the A/C in summer is not a viable option for the family at home during the days.

Thank you! -- Bob

I'd be happy to share some spreadsheets that I've created, Bob. Please send me a private message on this forum with your email and I'll send you some spreadsheets.

Boomer

 

[danmeljeff]

I just changed over from standard residential rates to the TOU-D-TEV rates, and thought I could share my results.

Before the change, I analyzed quite thoroughly my three options (stay on standard residential rates, change to TOU-D-TEV, or change to TOU-D-EV1 and get a second meter). It didn't seem worthwhile to get a second meter, due to the cost and relative lengthy payback period. My wife and I both work during peak weekdays, and can charge the LEAF during super-off peak. So, my calculations told me it would be most beneficial to switch to the TOU-D-TEV.

We picked up the car on April 28th, and our residential rate billing cycle began on the 29th. After 29 days (first month billing cycle period), we had used 774 kWh. Our bill was for $152. Then, SCE changed us over to the TOU-D-TEV rates. After 33 days (second month billing cycle), we had used 774 kWh (again). Our bill was for $113. Now, there was a difference between winter rates and summer rates, but I think it's pretty much a wash. Without the LEAF, we typically paid around $80/mo for electricity. So, for the 1400 miles driven in June, we paid roughly $0.0236/mi ($33); compared to the $310 it would have cost to fuel the vehicle the LEAF replaced.

We don't have a solar PV array, so no gains from on-peak surplus vs super-off peak usage.

Overall, I'm quite happy with the move to TOU-D-TEV, as it fit our particular usage profile nicely.

 

[Boomer23]

I got my June bill from SCE and I'm so jazzed I can hardly stand it. OK, I can stand it just fine, but I couldn't wait to share. :lol:

This month's bill really shows the magic of PV plus EV charging on the whole house single meter TOU-D-TEV rate plan.

My total net usage for June 6 through July 6 was 1 kWh. That means that with my solar PV generation of 819 kWh subtracted from my total household usage, SCE saw a net usage of only 1 kWh for the month. According to my bill, I only used a net 2 kWh during Peak hours because I don't use air conditioning. So my usage and my solar generation zeroed out.

BUT my bill for the month was a CREDIT of $84.91! My "what if" modeling had guesstimated a credit of $75 for this period, so my model was slightly conservative.

My total net metering balance in month 4 of my net metering year is a credit of $249.12. With Super Off Peak rates at 11 cents/kWh at Tier 1 and 16 cents/kWh at tier 2 and my EV charging billed roughly equally at each tier, my effective cost for charging at Super Off Peak is 13.5 cents/kWh. At this cost, my running total credit of $249.12 would give me 1,845 kWh at no charge during the coming winter months. Driving the LEAF at 3 mi/kWh wall-to-wheels gives me 5,536 free miles "saved in the bank" for the winter months, and we've just entered summer. There will be more credits to come in July and August.

I couldn't be happier.

(Edited to correct the charges per kWh at Super Off Peak, which are lower than I stated earlier. This resulted in a larger number of banked kWh and "free miles" in my calculations.)

Note: I edited this post to correct errors in the cost/kWh for LEAF charging at Super Off Peak. The corrections resulted in an even more favorable outcome.

 

[HighDesertDriver]

This information was posted 15 Jul 11 on a RAV4-EV forum. It may be of interest to those who have recently changed or are considering changing to TOU rates.

More info and a correction after my earlier post prompted a call from an SCE Project Manager for Plug-in Electric Vehicle Operations Support (a former EV1 driver) :

While planners do make site visits to EV customers and neighborhoods, they do not knock on neighbor's doors to ask questions and won't "out" you as an EV elitist who is going to bring down the grid. The planners are concerned with the transformer and the customers that share it, so they can pull up the correct records of service levels and load profiles needed to determine if the transformer is adequate.

The type of smart meter that SCE has installed in our area will run backwards so it is solar ready, and provides SCE with time of use data even for accounts on the domestic rate schedule. (Eventually each customer's data will be available to them in near real time on the internet.)

As to the retroactive billing at the TOU rate, SCE has to make the change for an entire billing period. They can't split a month between two schedules. In my case I was told that applying the TOU schedule to the entire June billing period (even though I requested the change mid month) saved me money versus the domestic schedule, so that is what they did. The manager said they would rebill the month at the five tier domestic rate if I asked, but it would cost me around $50 more.

After thinking about it a while I decided things were ok as is.

 

[lincomatic]

[snip]

Now, to figure out which rates your usage falls under, SCE will calculate the percentage of usage in each TOU segment. So your total usage is 350 + 150 + 300 = 800 kWh. Calculate the percentage of the total each TOU segment represents:
SOP = 350/800 = 43.75%
Peak = 150/800 = 18.75%
Off Pk = 300/800 = 37.5%

[snip]

Boomer,
Thanks so much for your detailed example! I called SCE on three occasions, and got completely different explanations about the TOU baseline calculations. On the first call, they told me that Tier 1 usage would be totaled across the TOU segments the way it's done with the regular 5 tier system... i.e. the first 410KWh in your example would be billed as Tier 1, regardless of TOU segment. I thought this would basically kill all the benefit of TOU, because the car would be eating up so much of the Tier 1 that I'd get pushed into Tier 2 for most of my Peak/Off Pk usage. So I called a second time, and the new representative told me the same story. When I told the representative this would basically kill the benefit of TOU, she got all huffy with me, and said that's the way it was, and that perhaps I shouldn't consider TOU.

On the third call, the representative insisted that the way that the Tier 1 is allocated is that I get a SEPARATE Tier 1 for each TOU segment. So in your example of 410KWh allocated for Tier 1, one would get 410KWh for EACH TOU segment ... 410 SOP, 410 Peak, 410 OP. I thought this sounded too generous, so I kept asking her over and over, phrasing it in different ways, and she insisted that I would get an SEPARATE 410KWh for each TOU segment.

I'm getting PV installed next month, and my PV installer called them and had the same understanding that I had from the 2nd call. It's extremely frustrating for me when SCE's own representatives can't even understand their own rate plan. I just got switched over to TOU this month, and have been waiting for 7/22, when my meter is read again, to try to figure out the real story. Your interpretation makes more sense, but it scares me, because I tend to need my AC during Peak hours during certain hot weeks of the year, so I might be getting hit with the .56/KWh.

 

[lincomatic]

Just a reminder on my system. I have a 2.54kW SunPower system that is now 3 years old. This system is designed to generate enough electricity to keep us in the lowest tier, not to give us a negative bill.

Mar 2009 - Mar 2010 my bill was $178.88 for 2069 kWh of net usage. This equates to 8.6c per kWh.

In Mar 2010, I changed to Time of Use.

Mar 2010 - Mar 2011 my bill is $155.77 for 1847 kWh of net usage. This equates to 8.4c per kWh.

So while the TOU did save us a little money, not really a ton of money in the long run. Part of this is because during the summer of 2009, we were on the Summer Savings program and that would give us a credit of anywhere from $5-$25/mo for 4 months depending on our usage. While in 2010, we were still on that Summer Savings program, we didn't really get any credits (like $2-$5) because it can't generate a negative bill and the TOU was giving us smaller (if not negative) summer bills.


~Dave

I was wondering about the AC cycling discount. So you're saying that if your PV offsets enough of your bill that applying the discount makes your bill negative, that it's lost? E.g. say my AC cycling discount was $34 last month. I get my PV installed, and my bill goes down to $5. Then instead of subtracting $34 from $5, to get a -$29 bill, I basically LOSE the extra $29, because the AC cycling discount can't make your bill negative? If this is the case, it really lowers the benefit of having a larger PV system.

 

[xtremeflyer]

I was wondering about the AC cycling discount. So you're saying that if your PV offsets enough of your bill that applying the discount makes your bill negative, that it's lost? E.g. say my AC cycling discount was $34 last month. I get my PV installed, and my bill goes down to $5. Then instead of subtracting $34 from $5, to get a -$29 bill, I basically LOSE the extra $29, because the AC cycling discount can't make your bill negative? If this is the case, it really lowers the benefit of having a larger PV system.

This is correct, if you read the terms of the ac discount it is a rebate, not a credit, so it will not allow your bill to go negative, it doesn't even sow up on your bill.

The discount has actually showed back up now that I'm using more kw than I generate because of the Leaf.

 

[Boomer23]

Boomer,
Thanks so much for your detailed example! I called SCE on three occasions, and got completely different explanations about the TOU baseline calculations.

You're very welcome. This information was really hard to get and hard to decipher for me, as well. The breakthrough for me was when I got in touch with Jordan Sugar, an analyst from SCE's PEV group. He needed to do some research internally within SCE to get the basis for his responses to me. What I've found with SCE is that there are experts in various topics within the company; experts with various meters, experts with rate plans, experts with billing, etc. But as of last December, my take was that it is very hard to find someone to talk with there who understands enough about each aspect to give you good guidance on a complex situation such as yours, i.e. PEV charging with solar PV on net metering with heavy AC usage on a TOU rate structure. My recommendation is to try to reach the PEV group and specifically Jordan Sugar, if you can. He was responsive and he made the commitment to get me the correct answer, even if it took him longer to get it. By the way, I met Jordan and his boss at SCE's table at the LA Auto Show last Fall, and I was very clear about exactly the problem that you're talking about. I've heard from many customers that they get different answers to the same questions when they call SCE several times.

I feel pretty confident about my estimates for two reasons. One reason is that my first billing for a Summer month, June, was right on target. The other reason is that EricH, who has also commented on this thread, works for SCE and he confirmed that my understanding of how the rates are calculated was accurate.

Regarding your concern about how your AC usage will impact your billings on TOU-D-TEV, that is the one caveat that should be recognized by anyone considering this rate plan. The first impact of heavy On-Peak AC usage is that it will eat up the kWh that your solar system is generating during those Peak hours, so your SCE meter may not see much NET generated kWh. So there goes one of the primary benefits of this rate plan, the large negative contribution of those high value kWh to offset the lower cost Off Peak and Super Off Peak usage. Then, if your AC use is really high, you might even see NET positive usage during those Peak hours, which would be billed at that high $0.56 per kWh.

Of course, you could combat this by timing your AC usage to hours outside of 10 am to 6 pm weekdays, but I don't know if this is feasible for you and your family. Do remember, though, that weekend days are Off Peak, so you are in better shape using AC on weekends.

Regards, and please report back on this thread on your July billing.

 

[lincomatic]

OK, I just got my July bill today. First bill on the TOU-D-TEV plan.

1) The SCE phone reps don't have a clue. Boomer is right. I got 542.1kWh Level 1 allowance, which was divvied up among the rate periods.. in my particular case, 20.88 applied to On-Peak, 47.25% applied to Off-Peak, and 31.87% to Super Off-Peak. This is contrary to what the SCE rep told both me and my solar guy, that each time period would get the full Level 1 allocation.

2) TOU-D-TEV was detrimental to my bill. I got charged $105.96. Though it's not an exact calculation, due to the way that the tiers are allocated the differently for generation and delivery, I estimated that my bill on the normal 5-tier plan would have been about $94.18. This is using .1286/.1516/.2333 per kWh as the T1/T2/T3 rates. I also took my AC cycling discount of $48.6 and taxes into account.

3) L1 = 542.1kWh is exactly the same # kWh as Tier 1 + Tier 2, as SCE told me.

4) For some bizarre reason, my L1 On-Peak usage delivery charge was charged at the rate of -0.02541. Yes, I was credited for it, instead of being charged!

5) I used 819kWh total, 261 of which were SOP. 88kWh of SOP went into Level 2, which means I paid .15 instead of .10. That's annoying. I don't even use the car to commute, and I'm getting into L2 during SOP.

6) I got burnt with 58kWh of L2 On-Peak usage @ .53/kWh.

So as I feared, TOU-D-TEV cost more than D-APS-E (5-tiers) even w/ the added inconvenience of not being able to charge at arbitrary times of day. At least the difference wasn't as big as I feared. Hopefully, things will turn around when my rooftop PV install is complete next week.

By comparison, my usage last July was 603 kWh w/o the Leaf, and cost only $39.27. Let's do some hand waving and say that 210kWh of my 261kWh SOP usage this July was the Leaf's charging. Then this July, 819-210 = 609kWh usage without the car, which is close to last July. Then the car is increasing my bill by about 62%.

Right now, I already have a smart meter, but I'm told that until SCE swaps it out for a bidirectional one that I won't get net metering... so any electricity that I generate and don't use just gets fed into the grid for free? How long does it take for them to enable the net metering? I don't want to get burnt again this month. Maybe I should charge my car during peak hours to try to use as much of my solar output as possible, because the excess won't be helping my bill at all?