Time-Of-Use Energy Pricing in Oregon & How You Can Save with Solar & Battery Backup

Electricity prices are changing in Oregon with the introduction of Time-of-Use (TOU) energy rates. Both Portland General Electric (PGE) and Pacific Power have rolled out Time-Of-Use (TOU) or Time-of-Day (TOD) energy pricing plans. Unlike traditional flat rates, these new plans charge different prices depending on the time of day you use electricity. For many households, this change will affect when and how they use energy.

In this article, we’ll break down what TOU pricing is, how Oregon’s two largest utilities are rolling it out, who benefits or loses under these plans, and how solar panels and battery backup can help you stay ahead and protect yourself from TOU rates.

In This Article:

• What Is Time-Of-Use (TOU) Energy Pricing?
• PGE Time-Of-Day Energy Pricing
• Pacific Power TOU Energy Pricing
• Who Wins & Loses with TOU Energy Pricing?
• How TOU Affects Energy Bills: Real-Life Scenarios
• How to Save on TOU with Solar
• How to Save on TOU with Battery Backup

What Is Time-Of-Use (TOU) Energy Pricing?

Time-Of-Use energy pricing is a billing method where the cost of electricity varies based on the time of day. Utilities divide the day into “on-peak” (high demand), “mid-peak” (moderate demand), and “off-peak” (low demand) periods. Customers pay higher rates during on-peak hours, when demand on the grid is greatest, and lower rates during off-peak times.

The goal of TOU energy rates is twofold: encourage customers to shift electricity use away from peak times, and better align energy prices with the actual cost of producing and delivering electricity. This helps utilities manage grid strain, reduces the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades, and promotes renewable energy use when it’s abundant (like midday solar).

For homeowners, however, TOU means being more mindful of when you run appliances, charge your EV, or turn up the heat of air conditioning. The difference between on-peak and off-peak rates can be dramatic, leading to higher bills if you use a lot of energy during expensive hours, or lower bills if you can shift usage to cheaper times.

PGE Time of Day Energy Pricing

PGE’s TOU energy rates are called Time of Day energy pricing, and it is designed to reflect when energy is most expensive to generate and distribute. Under this plan:

• On-Peak Hours: 5–9 p.m., Monday through Friday. This is when energy demand is highest, and rates are at their peak.
• Mid-Peak Hours: 7 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Rates are moderate during this time.
• Off-Peak Hours: 9 p.m.–7 a.m. on weekdays, and all hours on weekends and major holidays. These times offer the lowest rates.

PGE’s example rates show how steep the difference can be: On-peak power costs more than four times as much as off-peak. That means running your dryer or dishwasher at 8 p.m. could cost several times more than running the same appliance at 9:30 p.m.

All PGE customers are eligible to participate into Time-Of-Day energy rates. And to ease the transition, PGE offers first-year bill protection: if you pay more than 10% above what you would have under standard Basic Service rates, PGE will credit you the difference. They also provide online tools to help you compare plans and estimate your savings.

See PGE’s website for more info and to enroll in Time-Of-Day energy rates.

Pacific Power TOU Energy Pricing

Pacific Power also offers a TOU plan, but its structure is slightly different:

• On-Peak Hours: 5–9 p.m. every day, including weekends.
• Off-Peak Hours: All other hours.

The everyday on-peak window makes Pacific Power’s plan less forgiving than PGE’s, since even weekend evenings carry higher prices. Their current Oregon rate summary shows on-peak rates more than double off-peak rates. For households that use a lot of power during the dinner and evening hours, this can mean a noticeable increase in monthly bills.

Like PGE, Pacific Power includes a first-year protection guarantee: customers won’t pay more than 10% above what they would have on standard rates during their first year of TOU service. This gives households some breathing room to adjust habits.

See Pacific Power’s website for more info and to enroll in Time-Of-Use energy rates.

Who Wins & Loses with TOU Energy Pricing?

Not every household will be affected in the same way by TOU pricing. Some may save money, while others could see higher bills.

Households That Benefit from TOU

• EV owners: Charging overnight during off-peak hours can save significant money compared to charging in the evening.
• Flexible schedules: Households able to run appliances, heat pumps, and water heaters during off-peak times can minimize on-peak usage.
• Weekend-heavy users (PGE customers): Because PGE weekends are all off-peak, shifting big tasks to Saturday or Sunday can pay off.

Households That May Pay More with TOU

• Families home after work/school: Evening hours (5–9 p.m.) are often when families cook, do laundry, and watch TV, all during on-peak pricing.
• Electric heating/cooling reliance: On cold winter nights or hot summer evenings, running heat pumps or A/C units during peak hours can quickly add up.
• Pacific Power customers: Because Pacific Power’s on-peak TOU rates includes weekends, even Saturday dinners or Sunday movie nights can cost more.

How TOU Energy Prices Affect Bills: Real-Life Scenarios

It can be hard to picture how TOU pricing plays out until you see it in action. Here are several scenarios that show how different households might experience changes on their bill, and how solar or battery storage can make a difference.

Scenario 1: Evening-Heavy Usage Without Solar or Battery

A family of four uses most of their power between 5–9 p.m. They cook dinner, run the dishwasher, and power TVs, lights, and electronics during this window. On a TOU plan, their monthly bill could rise significantly, as much as 20–30%, because a large share of their usage falls into the expensive on-peak period.

Scenario 2: Flexible Family That Shifts Usage

Another household makes small adjustments: running laundry and the dishwasher after 9 p.m., pre-cooling the house in the afternoon, and charging devices overnight. Even without solar, this family can keep bills flat or even save slightly under TOU by avoiding peak demand. Their changes illustrate how behavior alone can make a real difference.

Scenario 3: Solar-Only Home

A homeowner with solar panels generates enough electricity during the day to offset most of their midday use and even exports extra to the grid. However, in the evenings they still need to buy electricity at the highest rates. Their solar helps reduce overall bills, but TOU reduces the value of daytime credits compared to evening self-consumption. This customer saves money compared to having no solar but still feels the sting of on-peak TOU pricing.

Scenario 4: Solar Plus Battery Backup

A solar customer adds a home battery backup along with their solar panels. During the day, their solar panels charge the battery, and in the evening the stored power runs the home and can charge an EV. Instead of buying expensive on-peak power, they use their own energy. The result? Significantly lower bills and insulation from TOU rate hikes. In some cases, households can reduce peak grid purchases to nearly zero.

Scenario 5: Battery Without Solar

Even households without solar can use batteries to fight TOU pricing. By charging the battery overnight at low off-peak rates and discharging it during 5–9 p.m. to power their home and charge an EV, customers effectively “buy low, use high.” This arbitrage can cut bills considerably, especially for those who can’t or don’t want to install solar panels.

These scenarios highlight the wide range of outcomes TOU can create. Families with flexibility, solar, or batteries are in the best position to save, while those locked into heavy evening use without upgrades risk higher costs.

How to Save on TOU with Solar

Solar panels can help offset TOU energy costs by generating electricity during the day, but there’s a challenge: the sun doesn’t shine during the evening on-peak hours. Midday solar production usually aligns with off-peak or mid-peak times, which means solar alone won’t completely shield homeowners from high evening rates.

That said, solar still reduces your overall energy consumption from the grid. Every kWh produced by your solar array during the day is one less kWh you need to buy from the utility. And under net metering, excess solar you export earns credits that offset your later usage. In Oregon, utilities apply those credits within the same TOU period first, and then to other periods if unused. This makes evening self-consumption especially valuable if your system is sized and timed to reduce peak reliance.

In short, solar reduces your daytime grid costs and can lower bills significantly—but it works best when paired with smart energy habits or battery storage to target evening peaks.

To see how much you could save with solar, use our Solar Calculator! And to get your free solar analysis, contact Green Ridge Solar today.

How to Save on TOU with Battery Backup

Battery backup takes solar savings to the next level under TOU pricing. With a home battery, you can store excess solar energy generated during the day and use it during the expensive 5–9 p.m. window. This means you avoid buying electricity at the highest rates and instead rely on your stored solar power.

Even without solar, some batteries allow you to charge during off-peak hours and discharge during on-peak hours. This strategy, known as “arbitrage,” lets you buy power when it’s cheap and use it when it’s expensive. For TOU customers, it’s one of the most effective ways to keep bills low.

Battery backup also provides a critical resilience benefit. In Oregon, where storms and outages can leave neighborhoods in the dark, a home battery ensures your lights stay on and your fridge keeps running—something traditional TOU shifting strategies can’t do.

Contact Green Ridge Solar today to see how you could benefit from battery backup. And use our Complete Guide to Battery Backup to learn more about energy storage.

Fight TOU Energy Prices with Solar & Battery Backup

TOU pricing is here to stay, and more utilities across the country are adopting it. For Oregon households, these new rates can either be an opportunity to save or a risk of higher bills. The difference lies in how you respond.

With solar panels, you reduce your daytime electricity costs and produce clean energy at home. With battery backup, you gain the ability to use that energy when it’s most valuable – during the costly peak evening hours with TOU rates are highest. Together, solar and storage provide the ultimate shield against rising utility costs, unpredictable rate structures, high TOU energy rates, and grid instability.

At Green Ridge Solar, we help families and businesses design solar and battery systems that maximize savings under TOU and provide peace of mind during outages. If you’re ready to fight back against expensive on-peak prices, now is the time to explore your solar + battery options.

Contact Green Ridge Solar today for your solar and battery backup quote. And use our Solar Calculator to estimate your solar savings!