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.

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:

$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.

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.

How to pick the right plan in 7 minutes

1. Pull 12 months of your kWh usage from your utility account. Most US utilities offer a "Green Button" CSV download.
2. Identify the hours you'd realistically shift with Level 2 home charging (most EV households can move 70-90% of consumption to overnight).
3. 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.
4. Run both scenarios in the calculator: your current standard rate × 100 % home, vs the off-peak TOU × 90 % home / 10 % peak.
5. 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

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.