Washington DC Time-of-Use Electricity Rates (2026)
A DCPSC-approved rate structure where the per-kWh price changes by hour. Cheap overnight, expensive on weekday afternoons. Works for households that can shift big loads off peak.
If I switched to TOU in Washington DC, when are peak hours?
On Pepco (Potomac Electric Power)'s time-of-use plans in Washington DC, peak windows fall on weekday afternoons — most schedules concentrate peak pricing across weekday afternoons and early evenings, with off-peak running overnight and on weekends. There are 4 current TOU tariffs on file in the URDB. The exact peak window varies by tariff; see the Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) heatmap below.
Time-of-use electricity in Washington DC
Washington DC is the only single-utility market in our footprint: Pepco delivers every kilowatt-hour in the District, and the DC Public Service Commission (DCPSC) approves each of its rate designs. URDB documents Pepco's current residential TOU tariffs, including whole-home and EV-focused schedules. Supply has been competitive in the District under the Retail Electric Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 1999, so competitive suppliers can also layer their own TOU contracts on top of Pepco delivery — check the peak-hour definition in any supplier contract before signing.
Is time-of-use worth it in Washington DC?
In Washington DC, the biggest TOU wins come from electric vehicle charging set to start overnight, dishwashers and laundry run after the evening peak, and smart thermostats that pre-cool rowhouses and condos before the afternoon peak. Households home all day with steady air-conditioning load often pay more on TOU than on Pepco's flat residential Schedule R. Smart meters are required for TOU enrollment, and most District households already have them.
The honest answer for most households is: it depends on how much of your usage you can move. Time-of-use plans are a swap — you accept a higher rate during peak hours in exchange for a lower rate during off-peak hours. If your home runs heaviest during peak hours and you can't shift it, you'll lose money. If you can shift even 30-40% of your usage into off-peak windows, you'll usually come out ahead.
Good candidates for TOU
- EV owners who charge overnight
- Households with battery storage
- Remote workers with flexible schedules
- Pool/spa pumps on timers
- Smart thermostats with pre-cooling
Poor candidates for TOU
- All-day occupied homes (retirees, families with young kids)
- Older A/C systems that run constantly in summer
- Resistive electric heat in winter
- Households without smart appliances or schedule flexibility
Run the math first. Look at your last 12 months of usage hour-by-hour if you have a smart meter, or estimate the percentage of your usage that already falls in off-peak hours. If less than 50% is off-peak, TOU probably costs you money. Our Bill Grade tool evaluates this for free.
Washington DC utilities with time-of-use plans
Each utility's count of currently filed TOU tariffs in URDB. Click through to the utility page for full plan details and live rates.
| Utility | TOU plans | Fixed $/mo | Default ¢/kWh | Tariff source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) | 4 | $17.09 | 23.7¢ | Tariff PDF |
When does peak time hit on Pepco (Potomac Electric Power)?
Below: Pepco (Potomac Electric Power)'s most recently filed TOU schedule, rendered as a 7-day × 24-hour heatmap. Colored cells mark the peak hours you pay the most for. Data sourced directly from the filed tariff via NREL URDB.
Why peak hours exist on Washington DC's grid
Washington DC sits inside PJM Interconnection territory, on the same regional grid as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Summer afternoon peaks dominate, driven by cooling load in the District's dense housing stock and office buildings. Pepco's TOU schedules concentrate peak pricing on weekday afternoons and early evenings; off-peak runs overnight and on weekends.
TOU rates exist because wholesale electricity costs vary hour by hour. The retail price most households pay is a blended average across the entire month — cheap and expensive hours mixed together. A TOU rate unblends them: you pay closer to the actual hourly cost. That's good news if your usage skews to cheap hours, bad news if it skews to expensive ones.
Run your own TOU savings estimate
Plug your monthly usage and your typical schedule into our TOU visualizer to see if a time-of-use plan would have saved you money over the past year. The tool pulls real peak-hour schedules from your utility's URDB-filed tariff.
Frequently asked questions
What is time-of-use electricity in Washington DC?
Time-of-use (TOU) is a rate structure where the per-kWh price changes depending on the hour of day. Pepco, the District's sole electric distribution utility, may offer time-of-use options under its DCPSC-approved tariffs. Peak and off-peak hours vary by season — check Pepco's current residential tariff sheet for the exact windows. TOU changes the distribution and Standard Offer Service supply prices for customers on Pepco default service. If you have a competitive supplier, your contract may include its own TOU structure or a flat rate.
Who should consider a Pepco time-of-use rate?
TOU works for customers who can move large loads off peak. The biggest wins come from electric vehicle charging set to start after midnight, dishwashers and laundry run overnight, and smart thermostats that pre-cool homes before the afternoon peak. If your usage pattern is steady through the day — work-from-home households with constant A/C, for example — TOU often costs more than the flat residential rate.
How do I enroll in a Pepco TOU tariff?
Contact Pepco directly and ask which TOU options its current DCPSC-approved tariff includes. Smart meters are required — most Washington DC residential customers now have them. Some competitive suppliers also offer TOU contracts; check the rate schedule and peak-hour definition before signing. Ask Pepco about switching back to the standard residential rate.