EV charging cost by state in 2026: CA · TX · NY · FL side-by-side.
Four high-EV-adoption states, four very different utility landscapes. A Model Y owner driving 12,500 mi/yr can spend anywhere between $155 in NYC (Con Ed off-peak TOU) and $1,580 in San Francisco (PG&E peak) charging the same exact car. Here are the exact rates, plans and tactics.
California — high standard rate, TOU saves you
California's three big IOUs (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E) all have standard residential rates above $0.30/kWh and aggressive TOU pricing. Charging on the standard rate (E-1 for PG&E, TOU-D for SCE, DR for SDG&E) is the worst-case scenario.
| Utility · Plan | Off-peak ¢/kWh | Model Y · 12.5k mi/yr |
|---|---|---|
| PG&E E-1 (default tiered) | 32.0 avg | $1,230 |
| PG&E EV2-A (EV TOU) | 31.0 off-peak / 17.0 super-off-peak (12-3 PM weekends) | $650-900 |
| SCE TOU-D-PRIME (EV) | 26.0 off-peak / 21.0 super-off-peak | $890-1,000 |
| SDG&E EV-TOU-5 | 13.0 super-off-peak (midnight-6 AM) | $500 |
SDG&E's EV-TOU-5 super-off-peak rate of $0.13/kWh is the cheapest in California — drive that home charging window to between midnight and 6 AM and a Model Y costs ~$500/yr to charge for 12,500 mi.
Texas — deregulated and the "free nights" trick
Texas's deregulated retail electricity market means dozens of providers compete on plan design. The dominant pattern for EV-savvy customers is "free nights":
- TXU Energy Free Nights & Solar Days: $0.00/kWh from 8 PM to 6 AM. Day rate elevated to ~$0.21/kWh.
- Reliant Truly Free Nights: $0.00/kWh 9 PM-7 AM. Day rate ~$0.19/kWh.
- Gexa Energy Eco Saver Free Nights: similar, with a green-energy badge.
- Standard residential (no free-nights plan): $0.13-0.15/kWh flat, no TOU benefit.
If you can do 100 % of your EV charging between 9 PM and 6 AM (most EV owners can with Level 2 + scheduling), charging cost approaches $0/yr. The catch: the day rate is higher, so your non-EV electricity bill goes up ~15 %. Net is still positive for typical EV households.
New York — Con Edison voluntary TOU is the secret weapon
NYC's Con Edison offers a voluntary TOU rate that almost nobody enrolls in because residential customers default to standard pricing. For an EV owner who charges overnight, it's the cheapest practical kWh rate in the lower 48:
| Utility · Plan | Off-peak ¢/kWh | Model Y · 12.5k mi/yr |
|---|---|---|
| Con Edison standard | 24.7 | $950 |
| Con Edison voluntary TOU (Rate I) | 4.0 super-off-peak (midnight-8 AM) | $155 |
| National Grid Upstate EV-TOU | 11.0 off-peak | $420 |
| Central Hudson (Hudson Valley) EV | 13.5 off-peak | $520 |
$155/yr on Con Ed TOU is mathematically equivalent to driving a gas car that gets ~720 MPG. The catch: the standard-rate day surcharge (~26 ¢/kWh) means you'll see a noticeable bump on your daytime usage. Net is still strongly positive for any EV household above ~6,000 mi/yr.
Florida — sunny, but utility innovation is limited
Florida has the cheapest residential electricity of the four (~$0.15/kWh standard) but utility TOU plans for EVs are scarce. Most owners simply pay the standard rate.
| Utility · Plan | Off-peak ¢/kWh | Model Y · 12.5k mi/yr |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light (FPL) | 15.0 flat | $575 |
| Duke Energy FL EV Pilot | 11.0 off-peak (11 PM-7 AM) | $420 |
| JEA (Jacksonville) | 12.5 flat | $480 |
| Tampa Electric (TECO) EV plan | 9.5 off-peak | $365 |
The cheapest Florida option (TECO super-off-peak) is still ~2× more expensive than NYC's Con Ed TOU. Insolation in Florida partially closes the gap if you pair the EV with a small solar array — see the solar payback ranking.
Same car, cheapest state vs most expensive plan
One Tesla Model Y, 12,500 mi/yr, at 0.307 kWh/mi (the EPA-rated ~0.28 kWh/mi plus ~10% home-charging loss — the single efficiency assumption behind every row in the tables above). That works out to 12,500 × 0.307 = 3,838 kWh/yr of charging. The only thing that changes the bill is the per-kWh rate:
| PG&E E-1 standard (CA, default tiered) — 3,838 kWh × $0.32 | $1,230 / yr |
| Con Edison voluntary TOU off-peak (NYC) — 3,838 kWh × $0.04 | $155 / yr |
| Difference — same car, same miles | $1,075 / yr |
Your car, miles or off-peak rate are different? Drop them into the EV charging cost calculator — it uses the same miles × kWh/mi × rate math for your exact number.
Charge at home or use public/DC fast?
Before chasing a TOU plan, settle the bigger question: most people overpay simply by relying on public charging when home charging is available. The split is rarely close.
Charge at home if…
- You have any off-street parking and can run a Level 2 circuit — home is $0.04–$0.32/kWh vs $0.45–$0.55 for public DC fast.
- You can schedule charging into an overnight window — that's where the free-nights and TOU rates above live.
- Your driving is routine commuting and errands — daily mileage refills overnight with hours to spare.
- Even on a pricey standard rate, home beats public DC fast on nearly every plan in this guide.
Use public / DC fast if…
- You have no home charging (apartment, street parking) — then a free workplace or destination charger is your cheapest real option.
- You're road-tripping and need to add range fast — the time cost outweighs the kWh premium.
- The charger is genuinely free (some hotels, grocery stores, employers) — free always beats any home rate.
- Driving across town to a paid DC fast charger to "save money" almost never pays — at $0.50/kWh it usually costs more than home.
How to pick the right plan in 7 minutes
- Pull 12 months of your kWh usage from your utility account. Most US utilities offer a "Green Button" CSV download.
- Identify the hours you'd realistically shift with Level 2 home charging (most EV households can move 70-90% of consumption to overnight).
- Compare plan rate cards side-by-side on your utility's website. Look for "EV", "Time-of-Use", "TOU", "Whole House" or "Smart Energy" naming.
- Run both scenarios in the calculator: your current standard rate × 100 % home, vs the off-peak TOU × 90 % home / 10 % peak.
- Switch online — most utilities let you change plans once per 12 months without penalty. Confirm whether you can revert if the math breaks.
Frequently asked questions
Which US state is cheapest to charge an EV at home?
Texas on a "free nights" retail plan — effectively $0.00/kWh between 9 PM and 6 AM with a slightly higher day rate. Outside Texas, NYC Con Edison's voluntary TOU ($0.04/kWh off-peak) wins for the lowest practical rate.
Do all utilities offer special EV time-of-use rates?
No. PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Con Edison, Eversource, National Grid, PSE&G, BGE, Xcel, Duke and others have EV plans. Smaller utilities and rural cooperatives often do not. Always check first.
Is it worth driving to a public DC fast charger to save money?
Almost never. Home Level 2 is $0.13-0.32/kWh; public DC fast averages $0.45-0.55/kWh. Exception: genuinely free workplace or destination chargers.
Sources: Utility rate cards (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Con Ed, FPL, Duke, TECO, JEA, TXU, Reliant — Q1 2026), EIA average retail prices May 2026 release, EPA fueleconomy.gov for EV efficiency benchmarks. Last reviewed May 12, 2026.