Cracking the code on Time-of-Day electric rates.
PSEG's newer rate plans charge you based on WHEN you use electricity, not just how much.
If you've looked closely at your PSEG Long Island bill recently, you've probably noticed a structural shift in how you're charged. Flat-rate power is winding down for many accounts, replaced by Time-of-Day (TOD) rate plans—where the price you pay depends on when you use electricity, not just how much.
The actual peak and off-peak windows
Per PSEG Long Island's published rate structure, here's exactly how the day is split:
Peak Period
Electricity costs the most during this four-hour window—exactly when most households are running AC, cooking dinner, and drawing the most power.
Off-Peak Period
Off-peak pricing applies to the large majority of hours in any given week—this is where the real savings opportunity lives.
Why we generally recommend Rate Plan 180 (flat rate)
Time-of-Day plans can work well for a household with a battery that's actively managed to shift usage—but for most homeowners, we generally recommend staying on PSEG's standard flat-rate residential plan (Rate Plan 180) instead. Two reasons:
For homeowners without a battery actively automating around the peak window, Time-of-Day plans can actually work against you—drawing expensive peak power exactly when you need it most, with little practical way to avoid it. A properly sized solar system on the standard flat rate typically delivers more predictable, easier-to-manage savings.
When Time-of-Day does make sense
If you already have battery storage that's configured to automatically discharge during the 3-7pm peak window and recharge from solar or off-peak grid power overnight, Time-of-Day pricing can meaningfully outperform a flat rate—since you're avoiding the expensive hours almost entirely and any excess production sells back at the highest rate of the day. This is a conversation worth having as part of your system design, not a decision to make on your own after the fact.