LADWP Peak Hours: When to Shift and Save

LADWP’s residential Time of Use rate (R1B) narrows its peak window specifically for the three hottest months of the year. Outside of that, the “peak” period is a much longer, much cheaper block that barely resembles a traditional TOU plan.

Residential Time of Use (R1B)

Season	Months	Peak hours	Peak rate	Off-peak rate
Winter	Jan–May, Oct–Dec	10am–9pm	22.5–23.5¢/kWh	19.8–21.2¢/kWh
High summer	Jun	2–6pm	28.4¢/kWh	19.8¢/kWh
Peak summer	Jul–Sep	2–6pm	29.5¢/kWh	20.9¢/kWh

For nine months of the year, LADWP’s “peak” window is actually an 11-hour daytime block (10am–9pm) priced only modestly above off-peak, closer to a mild daytime surcharge than a true peak/off-peak split. From July through September, that changes completely: the window narrows to a sharp 4-hour afternoon block, and the rate jumps to the highest number on the schedule.

What Shifting Is Worth, in Dollars

Take a July or August afternoon: running the dishwasher and a load of laundry, about 4 kWh, inside the 2–6pm peak window.

At peak: 4 kWh × $0.295 = $1.18 Same load shifted to after 6pm: 4 kWh × $0.209 = $0.84

That’s $0.34 saved per shifted routine, a 29% cut. It’s a smaller percentage swing than California’s other big utilities because LADWP’s off-peak rate itself is already fairly high (around 21¢), the gap is real but not dramatic. Over the roughly 90 days of peak summer season, shifting one daily routine is worth about $31 for that stretch.

The Rest of the Year Isn’t Worth Optimizing Around

Outside of July through September, LADWP’s peak/off-peak gap is small enough (roughly 2–3¢/kWh) that reorganizing a household schedule to dodge the 10am–9pm window isn’t likely to pay for the inconvenience. Save the behavior changes specifically for the three months when the window narrows and the rate spikes.

Should You Be on R1B?

LADWP customers are automatically on a form of TOU pricing already through R1B if they’ve opted in; the comparison that matters is against LADWP’s flat residential rate for households whose usage is concentrated in the 2–6pm window during July through September specifically, cooking, laundry, or AC use right in that four-hour afternoon block. If your household is naturally out of the house on summer afternoons, the TOU structure is close to free money for three months a year and a rounding error the rest of the time.

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

For a broader diagnosis of what’s driving a high bill in the first place, see why is my electric bill so high.