San Diego Gas & Electric
Going solar on SDG&E in 2026
San Diego pays more per kWh than every state average except Hawaii's, and its peak runs every day of the week. Both facts shape a good system here.
Checked . Sources linked in the text.
By the Golden Hour Energy editorial team. How we research and check our guides
SDG&E's average residential rate was 46.4¢ per kWh in April 2026, about two and a half times the U.S. average. SDG&E's own rate alert puts the April increase at “0.7 cents/kWh or 1.5% from 45.7 cents/kWh to 46.4 cents/kWh” (SDG&E). The latest federal data puts the U.S. residential average at 18.16¢ (EIA, August 2026, preliminary). Every kWh your panels cover is worth more in San Diego than almost anywhere else in the country.
- SDG&Eavg, Apr 202646.4¢
- Hawaiihighest state, Aug 202647.2¢
- Californiastate avg, Aug 202629.8¢
- United Statesavg, Aug 202618.2¢
Who SDG&E serves
SDG&E covers a 4,100-square-mile area across two counties and 27 cities, serving about 3.7 million people through 1.4 million business and residential accounts (SDG&E). That's San Diego County and the southern end of Orange County, a much smaller footprint than SCE's.
Peak hours that never take a day off
This is the detail that sets SDG&E apart. Its residential time-of-use plans, including TOU-DR1, TOU-DR2, EV-TOU-5 and TOU-ELEC, all price 4 to 9 p.m. as on-peak every day, weekends and holidays included (SDG&E pricing plans). On SCE, on-peak hours apply only on summer weekdays. In San Diego, a Saturday dinner costs as much as a Tuesday one.
- WeekdaysOff-peak and super off-peak: 0:00 to 16:00; On-peak, 4 to 9 p.m.: 16:00 to 21:00; Off-peak and super off-peak: 21:00 to 24:00
- Weekends and holidaysOff-peak and super off-peak: 0:00 to 16:00; On-peak, 4 to 9 p.m.: 16:00 to 21:00; Off-peak and super off-peak: 21:00 to 24:00
New solar customers go on SDG&E's Solar Billing Plan, and SDG&E says those residential customers “have a Time-of-Use (EVTOU5) plan” (SDG&E Solar Billing Plan). Under it, exports earn separate generation and delivery export credits that vary by time of day and season. Our NEM 3.0 guide explains how that billing works.
Put the two facts together and the design brief writes itself: panels sized to what you use, and a battery sized to carry the house from 4 to 9 p.m., seven days a week. The battery guide covers how to size one and what it costs.
What changed on SDG&E bills since fall 2025
- October 2025: a fixed monthly charge. SDG&E added a Base Services Charge of about $24 a month for most customers (about $12 for FERA and about $6 for CARE), and estimated delivery prices would drop by roughly 5¢ per kWh to offset it (SDG&E). It started a month before SCE's.
- April 2026: a higher average rate, a wider cheap window. The average rose from 45.7¢ to 46.4¢. SDG&E tied the increase to recovering 2019 to 2022 wildfire mitigation costs and to rate design changes. The same alert says an expanded super off-peak period kept the typical bill roughly flat, at $194 versus $195 (SDG&E).
- August and September 2026: a bigger Climate Credit. SDG&E customers get $49.36 in each of those months (CPUC).
Getting connected to SDG&E
SDG&E handles solar hookups through its online interconnection portal, called DIIS (SDG&E customer generation). Your installer normally files the application for you. You'll also sign the CPUC's Solar Consumer Protection Guide, which SDG&E customers must sign before a residential system can connect (CPUC guide). Don't switch the system on until SDG&E approves it.
Rights, cancellation windows and license checks are on our page of claims to walk away from.
Questions to ask an installer on SDG&E
- Does your estimate assume EV-TOU-5 and include the Base Services Charge?
- How much of my 4 to 9 p.m. use, including weekends, will the battery cover?
- Did you use the April 2026 super off-peak hours when you modeled charging?
- Will you file my DIIS application, and who do I call if it stalls?