How Much Will You Pay In Seal Beach If You Switch To Real Time Of Use Energy?

SEAL BEACH, CA — It isn't just how much energy your household uses in the Seal Beach area, but when you are using it. That is the principle behind SoCal Edison's Time of Use plans, starting this fall unless your household chooses to opt out (see how below).

Starting Monday, SoCal Edison is switching 347,000 residential customers in Orange County to the Time of Use plan, according to spokesperson Ron Gales.

In Seal Beach, 700 customers will be transitioned to the time of use program, according to the energy corporation. In Nearby Garden Grove, 20,000 residents will be transferred.

In Huntington Beach, 27,500 customers will be moved over to the new program.

The idea, according to Gales, is simple. If you avoid using more energy-draining appliances during peak hours, you'll end up saving money.

The peak hours are between 4 to 9 p.m. During that time, shut off lights in unused rooms, raise your thermostat to 78 degrees.

Avoid energy-draining appliances until off-hour times, starting after 9 p.m. and all day until 4 p.m.

For an average Orange County home, 4 to 9 p.m. is the time of day when kids come home from school, parents are returning home from work, plugging in the Tesla, making dinner, sitting down to watch television, and starting dishes and laundry.

All of that is during the peak time of use, according to the SoCal Edison timetable.

Can you flip your way of doing things? Edison suggests waiting until after 9 p.m. to charge car, start the laundry or do the dishes.

They also suggest you open the windows rather than turn on the AC or "pre-cool your home" during the summer months.

How do you know if this applies to you?

SCE customers in Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente are not scheduled to be switched in November.

Residential customers in these cities may have been included in earlier waves, as SCE has completed previous waves of residential TOU switches, one in 2017 and one in 2020), or they may be scheduled for early next year.

"SCE sent customers notification letters 90 days ahead of the transition date," Gales said. "A reminder letter was sent 30 days ahead (of the transition).

The 90-day letter included a comparison of what a customer paid on their current rate over the past 12 months and what an idea of their rates would look like on the new plan.

"The comparisons are individualized for each customer, and some customers will benefit and some will not," Gales said. "

Customers can opt-out at any time.

Residential customers can opt-out before their scheduled transition date. Return the reply card included with their notification letter, complete the online form- Opens in a new window, or phone SCE's dedicated TOU line at 877-287-2140. Customers can also choose to opt-out after their scheduled transition date.

"Generally, the Time of Use rates are beneficial for customers who can switch some or most of their energy usage away from the 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. "on-peak" Time of Use period, he says.

Some SCE residential customers will not be switched to TOU rate plans, including those:

• Located in state-defined hot climate zones, which are enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) programs.
• Enrolled in the Medical Baseline program.
• Who've notified SCE that they are people with disabilities.
• Who've opted out of TOU rate plans during previous transition periods.
• Who started service after Oct. 1, 2020.

However, joint customers of SCE and a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) will be included.

Learn more at sce.com/rates.

Do you feel your family would benefit from this switch? Let us know in the comments,or by emailing your Patch editor.