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Short answer: SDG&E's price per kWh is far above the U.S. average, the 4-9pm hours cost the most, and the rest comes down to your plan, your discounts, the season and the number of days on the bill. Drop your bill in below and it shows which of these hit yours, with estimated savings.
Check your bill: drop in your SDG&E PDF
Download your latest bill PDF from SDG&E My Energy Center and drop it here. It's read in this browser: nothing is uploaded, saved or sent. We pull the kWh, billing days, rate plan, your power provider, any discount and the amount due, then rank what would lower it.
Estimates from SDG&E's TOU-DR1 and EV-TOU-5 rates, the Joint Rate Comparison, CARE at 30% and FERA at 18% with the 2026-27 income limits, and EIA's California average. Bills differ in layout, so check each box against your bill. The reader is pdf.js, loaded only when you pick a file.
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The usual reasons, with the numbers
- The price per kWh is high to begin with. The average California home paid 33.6¢ a kWh in July 2026, against 18.3¢ for the U.S. (EIA). SDG&E's standard TOU-DR1 plan runs 37.4¢ to 69.1¢ a kWh this summer by the hour, about 47.4¢ all-in at average use.
- 4 to 9pm costs the most. On TOU-DR1 the 4-9pm price is 69.1¢ in summer and 61.5¢ in winter, against 37.4¢ and 43.7¢ after midnight (and 10am-2pm on weekdays). AC, cooking and laundry in the evening land on the top price.
- The season flips November 1. Summer prices run June 1 to October 31. On November 1 the 4-9pm price drops, but off-peak goes from 46.4¢ to 53.1¢ and super off-peak from 37.4¢ to 43.7¢, so a home that heats with electricity can see the bill rise in winter. The winter prices.
- This bill may cover more days. A bill doesn't always cover exactly a month, and a longer billing period is a bigger bill at the same daily use. The bill check above reads your days and shows the monthly rate.
- A heat wave or a new appliance. An hour of AC adds up fast in the 4-9pm window: what an hour of AC costs, and the plug-in heater math on the mini-split page.
- You're on Clean Energy Alliance's default plan. In Carlsbad, Del Mar, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach and Vista, CEA starts everyone on Clean Impact Plus; its own rate comparison puts the cheaper Clean Impact about $13.74 a month lower at average use. How to switch.
- A discount fell off. CARE has to be renewed when SDG&E sends the letter: SDG&E counted 80,077 CARE drop-offs in 2025. If your bill no longer shows CARE or FERA, check the income limits and reapply.
- You have solar, and the bill is still high. Under the Solar Billing Plan, solar you send to the grid earns about 4.5¢ a kWh on average, while solar you use as it's made saves about 46.5¢ (NREL's model for Solana Beach against SDG&E's 2026 prices). Exports barely move the bill; using it, or a battery for 4-9pm, does. The whole year, by town.
Every fix, ranked in dollars for your home: the savings calculator and solar and a battery, priced for your town.
Rather just ask? Text your question to PJ, a real person in Cardiff, and he answers it. Asking is free. PJ goes through your bill line by line with you, then switches the plan or files the discount that fits. He doesn't sell energy or take a cut. Text PJ
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (monthly residential prices); SDG&E TOU-DR1 rates effective August 1, 2026, and its time-of-use windows; the Clean Energy Alliance and SDG&E Joint Rate Comparison; SDG&E's CARE/FERA 2025 annual report; NREL PVWatts with SDG&E's 2026 export prices. Checked October 21, 2026.
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This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
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Questions people ask
Why is my SDG&E bill so high this month?
Usually a mix of SDG&E's high price per kWh, more use in the 4-9pm hours that cost the most, a longer billing period, a heat wave or new appliance, a discount (CARE or FERA) that wasn't renewed, or being on Clean Energy Alliance's pricier default plan. The bill check on this page reads your bill and shows which ones apply.
Why are SDG&E rates so high?
The average California home paid 33.6 cents a kWh in July 2026, against 18.3 cents for the U.S. (EIA), and SDG&E's standard plan runs 37.4 to 69.1 cents by the hour this summer.
Why is my SDG&E bill so high when I have solar?
Under the Solar Billing Plan, exported solar earns about 4.5 cents a kWh on average, while solar you use as it's made saves about 46.5 cents, so exports barely offset the evening hours you still buy.
How can I lower my SDG&E bill?
Check CARE or FERA, switch Clean Energy Alliance's default plan to Clean Impact if you're in a CEA city, move use to after midnight or 10am-2pm, and look at the EV-TOU-5 plan if you charge a car. The calculator on this page ranks them for your home.
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