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Off-Peak Plan
A voluntary program for Virginia customers with smart meters.
For our smart meter customers in Virginia (link to smart-meter page when available), we now offer a new time-of-use rate to allow greater control over their bills. Customers can save money by shifting their energy usage to more affordable, off-peak hours.
Energy Your Way
Control your energy, just by shifting the time when you use it.
The Off-Peak Plan (Plan) is a voluntary time-of-use offering available to residential customers who have a smart meter at their home. Under this plan, you will be charged different amounts for the electricity you use depending on when you use it throughout the day.
The Plan has two seasonal structures with three tiers of pricing based on when energy is most in demand: on-peak, off-peak, and super off-peak time periods.
When your household shifts electricity usage to more affordable hours, we pass the savings to you!
Am I Eligible for the Off-Peak Plan?
To enroll in this new time-of-use rate you must:
- Be an existing residential customer in Virginia
- Have a smart meter
- Not currently be enrolled in a demand response program such as Smart Cooling Rewards, Smart Thermostat Rewards, or EV Charging Rewards
Household factors that can lead to optimal performance on the Off-Peak Plan:
- Household members are willing to shift the usage of high energy appliances away from on peak hours
- Household’s highest electricity usage is during the summer months
- Appliances have delay options so they can be scheduled to start during off peak or super off peak hours
While not a guarantee, these characteristics make it easier for a household to save money on the Off-Peak Plan.
How to Enroll
To enroll in the Off-Peak Plan, follow the below steps:
- Log into your account.
- Click on the View and Compare My Rate link under the Usage tab.
- Click on the Compare/Change Rates button and the Potential Savings arrow.
- Click on the blue Request Rate Change button.
Off-Peak Plan Tiers
The charts below show the times of day when electricity is most affordable throughout the year. They are broken up into three tiers: Super Off-Peak ($) (green), Off-Peak ($$) (blue) and On-Peak ($$$) (black) hours. Understanding these periods gives you the ability to shift your usage to cheaper, or “off-peak hours”. You are in control!
Weekdays
May - September
$
$$
$$$
$$
12 AM
5 AM
3 PM
6 PM
12 AM
October - April
$
$$
$$$
$$
$$$
$$
12 AM
5 AM
6 AM
9 AM
5 PM
8 PM
12 AM
Holidays and All Weekends
January - December
$
$$
12 AM
5 AM
12AM
Rates for the different tiers may change; current pricing will always be posted below.
For reference, a customer on our basic residential rate will typically pay between 11 and 13 cents for each kWh, regardless of the time or day the energy is consumed. Customers who opt-in to the rate will also have the same monthly basic charge of $7.58 as other standard residential customers.
Download some of our Off-Peak Plan Reminder Tags for your home so you never forget when to shift your electricity usage.
Off-Peak Plan Bill Education
Bills on the Off-Peak Plan are itemized differently. Under the basic residential rate, the generation and transmission line items include applicable riders that all customers pay. Under the Off-Peak Plan, the riders are combined in a separate charge and listed as All Other Applicable ESS Rider.
Summer Pricing for Weekdays, Weekends & Holidays
Review the pricing for the different tiers for the summer months (May - Sept)
| Weekday Pricing | Price per kWh |
|---|---|
| On Peak ($$$) | $0.259505 |
| Off Peak ($$) | $0.114576 |
| Super Off Peak ($) | $0.099383 |
| Weekend & Holiday Pricing | Price per kWh |
|---|---|
| Off Peak ($$) | $0.114576 |
| Super Off Peak ($) | $0.099383 |
Eligible holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Winter Pricing for Weekdays, Weekends & Holidays
Review the pricing for the different tiers for the winter months (Oct - Apr)
| Weekday Pricing | Price per kWh |
|---|---|
| On Peak ($$$) | $0.223825 |
| Off Peak ($$) | $0.119284 |
| Super Off Peak ($) | $0.114128 |
| Weekend & Holiday Pricing | Price per kWh |
|---|---|
| Off Peak ($$) | $0.119284 |
| Super Off Peak ($) | $0.114128 |
Eligible holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Save Money
Enrollment is an opportunity to save money on your monthly bill. Get educated on when electricity is most expensive and most affordable so that you can shift the usage of day-to-day habits away from on peak hours.
Conserve Energy
Enrolling in this rate naturally makes you think more about your energy usage. Simple things will lead to less energy used and more savings on your monthly bill. Monthly emails with advice on shifting usage and understanding your bill will help you converse energy and save money.
Caring for the Environment
A large portion of the power we supply during the super off-peak time slot, every day from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., is sourced from nuclear power. Setting your EV to charge during these hours results in less carbon dioxide in our environment.
Consider a smart thermostat!
Smart thermostats are a great way to manage your monthly energy usage because they can be set to control the temperature during on-peak hours - no additional work needed! Save up to $30 when you purchase a smart thermostat from the Dominion Energy Marketplace today.
FAQs
The current "all in rate" will always be posted on this page. These costs represent what Off-Peak Plan participants are charged for distribution, generation, transmission, and applicable riders. The Off-Peak Plan does not have a demand component.
Yes. The company invited a cross-section of state agencies, advocacy groups, and internal rate design subject matter experts to participate in a series of workshops designed to gain input on this rate.
Over the past decade, the Company has managed time-varying rate pilots for residential customers through the dynamic pricing pilot and the electric vehicle pilot. Each of these pilots included customer feedback and surveys, which have informed the development of this new rate.
No, we cannot replace meters with smart meters upon individual customer requests. Smart meters utilize advanced metering communications infrastructure that must be in place first before an area is upgraded. We continue to deploy new smart meters throughout our Virginia service territory on a regional basis. See the areas where we are currently installing smart meters.
The Off-Peak Plan financially incentivizes customers to shift their daily behaviors to times when electricity is cheaper for the customer and the Company. Lowering or "shaving" the Company's highest demand peaks prevents the Company from having to purchase power at wholesale prices, costs that are typically passed along to our customers. A small reduction in our peak load can result in a substantial cost savings for the Company and our customers.
Under the typical net metering arrangement, the amount you are charged for the energy you consume is equal to the amount you are credited when your system feeds back to the grid. Under the Off-Peak Plan, the amount you are charged and/or credited will correspond with the cost associated with that season, day and time. So, if your system is generating at 1:00 p.m., you'll be credited off peak hour rates as opposed to being on our basic residential rate where you'd receive ~12 cents.
The credits you receive (when your system is sending electricity back to the grid) can only be applied to the tier in which they are accrued. So, if you build credits during the on peak hours, they can only be applied to future on peak hours.
To incentivize the growth of solar energy, there is a $500 solar rebate for the first 500 customers who enroll in the Off-Peak Plan and then install solar at their premise. To be eligible, the customer must first enroll in the Off-Peak Plan and then complete the net metering application and approval process. A customer is eligible once they have received written authorization to energize and operate (Permission To Operate) their system from Dominion Energy.
Interested customers should email offpeak@dominionenergy.com after they have enrolled in the Plan. A check will be mailed to eligible customers who qualify for the rebate. Rebate recipients must stay enrolled in the Off-Peak Plan for at least one year. Dominion Energy is permitted to seek recovery of the $500 rebate from the customer if the terms and conditions associated with the Rebate Program are violated. More information can be found here.
Virginia residential customers who have an installed smart meter can enroll in the voluntary Off-Peak Plan. Customers can disenroll at any time, but won't be able to opt back in for 12 months. Customers who choose to enroll cannot be concurrently enrolled in a company or PJM demand response program (i.e., Smart Cooling Rewards/AC Cycling, EV Charging Rewards, or the Smart Thermostat Program).
You can disenroll online any time, for any reason, without penalty. However, you won't be able to opt back in for 12 months. When you disenroll, the rate change will happen on the first day of your next billing cycle.
Yes, you can participate in budget billing while on the Off-Peak Plan. Remember that Budget Billing is a budgeting tool that helps avoid seasonal fluctuations in your bill. The budget amount is based on the average of the previous bills for the past 12 months at your address and then adjusted for current rates. Your account is reviewed periodically, and your budget amounts may increase or decrease based on changes in usage or rates.
No, having an AMI meter is a requirement for participating in the Off-Peak Plan.