Enroll a California DCFC site on a subscription-based rate to mitigate demand charges
domain: ev-charging.demand-charge-rate · 4 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
For PG&E territory, evaluate the BEV rate (BEV1/BEV2), which replaces the traditional per-kW demand charge with a monthly kW subscription — BEV1 in 10kW blocks up to 100kW, BEV2 in 50kW blocks starting at 100kW with no cap
Use the 3-billing-cycle grace period after enrollment to true-up the subscription level against actual peak usage before overage penalties (2x the subscription rate per kW) start applying
For SCE territory, evaluate the TOU-EV-7/8/9 rate family, which requires a dedicated EV meter and, per SCE's own materials, offers a period without demand charges for qualifying EV rate participants
Model the demand-charge-mitigation rate together with a battery-buffered charger (see the battery-buffered DCFC route), since they address the same cost driver from different angles — rate design vs. on-site hardware — and can be combined
Known gotchas
Subscription-based rates like PG&E's BEV require active load monitoring — an under-subscribed site pays a 2x overage penalty, so don't set the subscription level from a single peak-day estimate without margin
Rate structures and demand-charge holiday periods are utility- and tariff-specific and are revised frequently — always pull the current PG&E/SCE tariff sheet rather than relying on a prior year's rate description
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