National Grid’s upstate New York TOU rate (billed under the Niagara Mohawk tariff as SC1C) has one of the more seasonally complicated schedules on this list: a real peak in winter and summer, and no time-of-use pricing at all in spring and fall.
National Grid's peak window moves by season and varies by delivery zone. Look up the exact hours for your plan.
See my peak hours →SC1C (TOU): Three Very Different Seasons
| Season | Months | Peak hours | Peak rate* | Mid-peak rate* | Off-peak rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | Dec–Feb | 5–8pm | 17.0¢/kWh | 12.7¢/kWh (9am–5pm) | 11.3¢/kWh (8pm–9am) |
| Spring/Fall | Mar–May, Sep–Nov | No TOU, flat all day | n/a | n/a | 11.3¢/kWh |
| Summer | Jun–Aug | 11am–5pm | 17.0¢/kWh | 12.7¢/kWh (8–11am, 5–8pm) | 11.3¢/kWh (8pm–8am) |
*Rates shown are for delivery Zone F; National Grid prices this rate slightly differently across its six upstate NY delivery zones, so your exact peak/mid-peak/off-peak numbers will be a few cents different depending on where you’re served, though the windows and structure are the same everywhere.
The winter peak (5–8pm) is a classic dinner-and-homework evening window. The summer peak (11am–5pm) is the opposite, a midday block driven by air conditioning, with the evening actually classified as mid-peak instead of peak. Spring and fall get no TOU pricing at all, National Grid just charges the flat off-peak rate around the clock for six months of the year.
These are delivery rates only; National Grid’s supply charge (the generation cost) is billed separately and doesn’t vary by time of day under standard service.
What Shifting Is Worth, in Dollars
Take a winter evening: dishwasher and cooking, about 4 kWh, run inside the 5–8pm peak window (Zone F rates).
At peak: 4 kWh × $0.170 = $0.68 Same load shifted to after 8pm: 4 kWh × $0.113 = $0.45
That’s $0.23 saved per shifted routine on delivery charges, a 34% cut. Over 90 winter weeknights, that’s roughly $21 for the season, a modest number reflecting National Grid’s relatively low delivery rates compared to supply costs on a typical upstate NY bill.
Six Months a Year, the Clock Doesn’t Matter
Because March through May and September through November carry no TOU pricing at all, there’s genuinely nothing to plan around for half the year. The entire opportunity is concentrated in winter evenings and summer midday-to-afternoon hours.
Should You Switch to SC1C?
The dollar upside here is smaller than most utilities on this list, since National Grid’s delivery rates (as opposed to supply) are a modest slice of the total bill. This plan makes the most sense for households that can reliably avoid the 5–8pm winter dinner rush and the 11am–5pm summer midday block, without much benefit for the rest of the year either way.
For more ways to cut the bill beyond delivery charges, see how to lower your electric bill.
I can run your last 12 months of National Grid usage against the standard rate and SC1C and tell you which one actually costs less for how you live.
Find my best National Grid plan →For a broader diagnosis of what’s driving a high bill in the first place, see why is my electric bill so high.
Dana Whitmore
Energy Engineer & Billing Analyst · Optiwatt Energy Advisor
Dana has spent the past three years analyzing residential electricity billing data across PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E service territories. She's reviewed billing records for thousands of California households, and built the simulation engine that powers this site's rate-plan comparisons. She holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and lives in the Bay Area.