SANTA CLARITA (CBSLA.com) – Electric-vehicle owners in the Southern California Edison service area could get sticker shock on their electric bills beginning Jan. 1.
In 2017, a new fee will take effect for customers who use more than four times the average amount of electricity of other families in their area.
To help mitigate that cost, Edison offers two separate rate options for EV owners, the Electric Vehicle and Time of Use plans.
Under the Electric Vehicle plan, electricity used to charge your car is billed under a separate meter. Lower rates will apply during off-peak hours of 9 p.m. to noon.
Under the Time of Use plan, you are charged lower rates at night, between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., but you pay more for electricity during the day, with on-peak rates from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
If you remain under the standard plan, you will have to pay a monthly high usage fee when you go over 400 percent of the baseline usage for your area.
Jason Vasquez uses the Time of Use Plan. He tells CBS2 he can charge his Ford Fusion at night and keep the cost low.
"So, as long as we can charge the car during those off hours, we're fine," Vasquez said.
The problem, however, comes during the summer months, when he needs to run air conditioning during the day.
"It might be cheaper simply to run off gas on this vehicle during the summer than to go over that 400 percent," Vasquez said.
There is a fourth option, which is to install solar panels on your roof and generate your own electricity for your home and car. The installation, though, could cost thousands of dollars upfront.
For more information on each plan, click here.
Source: Electric-Vehicle Users Could See Power Bills Skyrocket In New Year
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