Dominion Energy VA Peak Hours Explained

Dominion Energy Virginia’s optional Time-of-Use rate, Schedule 1T, charges 17.2¢/kWh on peak and 7.9¢/kWh off-peak, more than double. Like several utilities on the East Coast, the peak window itself changes shape between winter and summer, even though the rate doesn’t.

Schedule 1T: Dominion’s Residential Energy TOU Rate

Season	Months	Peak hours	Rate
Winter	Jan–May, Oct–Dec	7–11am and 5–9pm	17.24¢/kWh peak, 7.93¢/kWh off-peak
Summer	Jun–Sep	11am–10pm, single block	17.24¢/kWh peak, 7.93¢/kWh off-peak

Winter splits into a morning commute-and-breakfast peak and an evening dinner-and-homework peak, with a cheap midday lull in between. Summer merges those two windows into one long 11-hour block from late morning through nightfall, driven by air conditioning demand that stays high through the entire afternoon and evening rather than spiking narrowly at dinnertime.

Dominion also sells an experimental Schedule 1G with a narrower 3–6pm peak window at 21¢/kWh peak and 8¢/kWh off-peak, and separate EV-specific rates (1EV and the EV Residential Electric Vehicle Charging rate) with even lower off-peak pricing for households that qualify. Schedule 1T is the more broadly available, non-experimental option and the one most residential customers evaluating a TOU switch should start with.

What Shifting Is Worth, in Dollars

Take an evening routine in summer: dishwasher, laundry, cooking, about 5 kWh, inside the 11am–10pm peak block.

At peak: 5 kWh × $0.1724 = $0.86 Same load shifted to after 10pm: 5 kWh × $0.0793 = $0.40

That’s $0.46 saved per shifted routine, a 54% cut. Over 120 summer nights, shifting one evening routine consistently is worth roughly $55 for the season, a modest but real number given Dominion’s rates are lower overall than California or Arizona utilities on this list.

Winter’s Two-Window Pattern Rewards a Different Habit

Because winter splits into a 7–11am morning peak and a 5–9pm evening peak, the move that actually helps is different from summer. Shower and coffee routines that start before 7am dodge the morning window entirely; delaying anything discretionary until after 9pm (or doing it in the 11am–5pm midday lull) avoids both windows. In summer, by contrast, the single 11-hour block means the real off-peak opportunity is concentrated late at night and before 11am.

Should You Switch to Schedule 1T?

The rate spread here (2.2x) is real but smaller than what SCE, SDG&E, or Duke Energy customers see on this list, which means the dollar upside per shifted routine is smaller too. Schedule 1T makes the most sense for households with genuinely flexible schedules or an EV that can charge in the off-peak window, since the savings compound over a full year rather than one dramatic season.

For a broader look at cutting a high electric bill beyond switching rate plans, see how to lower your electric bill.

For more on diagnosing what’s driving a high bill in the first place, see why is my electric bill so high.