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Best Virginia Residential Electric Plan for Tesla?
- Thread starter ramsey.rick
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- Mid-Atlantic USA
Here is the link to their brochure for various plans, hope this helps.
https://www.dom.com/about/environment/pdf/electric-vehicle-brochure.pdf
My A/C costs are too high to switch the entire house to variable rate. So I have a separate meter and panel for EV charging only.
The right answer depends on the amount of charging you will be doing, the costs of installation which can vary tremendously depending on what you want done, and when you are likely to charge. In my case, running any additional electricity to the garage was expensive and troublesome enough that I ended up doing the Schedule EV service + Tesla HPWC. I plan on staying in this house long enough for it to probably pay off. If you drive a lot and need to charge a lot, then the extra install costs would likely be worth it. If the electrical service is well positioned, then the incremental cost of adding an additional meter base and disconnect might be low enough for it to be worth it.
paulkva
part of the supercharge.info dev team
As techmaven said, "best" varies of course, based on your specific situation. So far I think the EV + Home plan works well for me. My wife and I both work full-time, so the house is frequently empty during the day. Plus, my house is relatively new and energy efficient, and we can shift things like laundry and running the dishwasher to off-peak times.
I only signed up ~3 months ago, so I haven't dealt with the summer peak rates yet. I'm hoping they aren't too painful, but worst case we can always switch back to the basic (non-EV) plan. Also, keep in mind that "super off peak" is only 4 hours long (1am-5am), so if you don't have the HPWC + dual chargers, you can "only" regain ~120 miles of range per day at the lowest rates.
Side note: I had been enrolled in Smart Cool rewards (where Dominion pays you $40/year if you allow them to shut off your AC compressor(s) during peak demand), but unfortunately they told me it's not compatible with the EV + Home plan. So far, even with relatively little driving, I figure I'm saving >$10/month vs. the non-EV plan. Not huge but better than Smart Cool.
I think Dominion's rates are consistent throughout the state, so I hope this is helpful.
I only signed up ~3 months ago, so I haven't dealt with the summer peak rates yet. I'm hoping they aren't too painful, but worst case we can always switch back to the basic (non-EV) plan. Also, keep in mind that "super off peak" is only 4 hours long (1am-5am), so if you don't have the HPWC + dual chargers, you can "only" regain ~120 miles of range per day at the lowest rates.
Side note: I had been enrolled in Smart Cool rewards (where Dominion pays you $40/year if you allow them to shut off your AC compressor(s) during peak demand), but unfortunately they told me it's not compatible with the EV + Home plan. So far, even with relatively little driving, I figure I'm saving >$10/month vs. the non-EV plan. Not huge but better than Smart Cool.
I think Dominion's rates are consistent throughout the state, so I hope this is helpful.
Like techmaven, I went with the EV Pricing Plan and had a Dominion VA Power-supplied dual electric meter installed. One meter is for the house, the other meter is for my Tesla. I have an HPWC and charge between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., so I get the lowest rate ($5.36 per kw...although I think they either have or are getting ready to bump that up). My monthly bill separates the residential electric usage from my EV usage, so I know what I pay each month per mile to charge my Tesla as well as to run the house.
Agree with everyone's comment that it depends on your situation, to include finances. The EV Pricing Plan will cost you an electrician and (most likely) a permit. It requires your house to be taken off the grid for about 4 hours while the old meter is removed and the new meter is installed, then inspected, then your house put back on the grid. Also, the new meter is a different size and shape than the old one, so a little bit of vinyl siding work has to be done as well (if you have vinyl siding). But it was a cool process to watch, and I enjoyed seeing the Dominion Va Power guys do their thing to disconnect the house from the nearest power supply box! They also liked seeing the Tesla and chatting with me about the car...always a fun thing!
Agree with everyone's comment that it depends on your situation, to include finances. The EV Pricing Plan will cost you an electrician and (most likely) a permit. It requires your house to be taken off the grid for about 4 hours while the old meter is removed and the new meter is installed, then inspected, then your house put back on the grid. Also, the new meter is a different size and shape than the old one, so a little bit of vinyl siding work has to be done as well (if you have vinyl siding). But it was a cool process to watch, and I enjoyed seeing the Dominion Va Power guys do their thing to disconnect the house from the nearest power supply box! They also liked seeing the Tesla and chatting with me about the car...always a fun thing!
DFibRL8R
Active Member
My experience was a little different. We went with the whole house plan instead of adding a second meter for just the Tesla. With summer usage we were able to program our thermostat to precool the house during less expensive times and let it run a bit warmer during the peak. With the switch, our electric bill basically stayed about the same as it was before we had the Tesla meaning despite consuming substantially more total energy, we shifted our time of use enough to offset the cost.
Then we decided to install solar panels...
We have had our solar system for about 5 months. Unfortunately, Dominion does not allow any of the EV plans to be used with "net metering" (which is what allows you to sell your excess solar back to the power company when you generate more than you consume). They removed our special whole house plan meter and replaced it with one that can do net metering for solar. We had to switch back to either their regular rate schedule or the "Schedule 1S" which is a very complex and less favorable time of use plan. Basically we had to choose between good EV plan rates but giving our excess solar electricity to Dominion for free or standard rates and getting credit for excess solar generation. The net so far is despite spending a sizable amount of money on our solar system, we have not seen any change in our electric bill in terms of what we spend per month. The 1S plan may be better for summer when peak rates are more in sync with peak solar generation but we'll see. I guess the number of people in Virginia with an EV and solar panels is pretty low so they don't have a good plan for this scenario.
Then we decided to install solar panels...
We have had our solar system for about 5 months. Unfortunately, Dominion does not allow any of the EV plans to be used with "net metering" (which is what allows you to sell your excess solar back to the power company when you generate more than you consume). They removed our special whole house plan meter and replaced it with one that can do net metering for solar. We had to switch back to either their regular rate schedule or the "Schedule 1S" which is a very complex and less favorable time of use plan. Basically we had to choose between good EV plan rates but giving our excess solar electricity to Dominion for free or standard rates and getting credit for excess solar generation. The net so far is despite spending a sizable amount of money on our solar system, we have not seen any change in our electric bill in terms of what we spend per month. The 1S plan may be better for summer when peak rates are more in sync with peak solar generation but we'll see. I guess the number of people in Virginia with an EV and solar panels is pretty low so they don't have a good plan for this scenario.
DFibRL8R-
Some neighbors of mine who have solar here in Ashburn let me come take a look and ask questions. They also have a Ford Focus Electric[1] that they charge.
They ended up selling their "solar credits" to a broker rather than doing net metering. They get a check for ~$1100 every quarter, and typically generate enough so that they are esentially net-zero with Dominion... (i.e. no or low monthly bill).
Might be worth looking in to?
[1] I didn't even know such things existed, and neither did they until they spied one on a lot and had to practically force the salesman to let them buy it.
Some neighbors of mine who have solar here in Ashburn let me come take a look and ask questions. They also have a Ford Focus Electric[1] that they charge.
They ended up selling their "solar credits" to a broker rather than doing net metering. They get a check for ~$1100 every quarter, and typically generate enough so that they are esentially net-zero with Dominion... (i.e. no or low monthly bill).
Might be worth looking in to?
[1] I didn't even know such things existed, and neither did they until they spied one on a lot and had to practically force the salesman to let them buy it.
We have the EV+ meter here, and it's been a positive experience; it just takes a bit of adjustment to use appliances during the off-peak. It helps if you have smart appliances that allow scheduling (and if you think of your car as just another appliance, it is one of these!) and just good discipline to avoid turning on unnecessary things during the peak.
Yes, and I think you will find most dishwashers have time-delay starts and I also installed a timer on my electric hot H2O heater.
Thanks for sharing this. I'm in the same boat and have been considering solar for a year. But every time I run the numbers I conclude that the EV rates via dominion is financially better than solar. You have validated my assessment. If dominion would allow net metering on the EV plans it would be a different ball game.
I know this is an old thread, but any updates on this? I have 7kW of solar and just picked up a Model X to add to our short range EV.
It appears, it may be cheaper to switch to the EV whole house plan and ditch net metering. Charging for 1/2 the price during super off peek and still having solar offset AC in summer seems like the best option. We would get next to nothing from the panels during the winter week days however.
Does anyone know how much dominion pays for power we sell them on the S1/whole house EV plan? Or do we really give it to them for free?
Also, Powerwall 2 a game changer? It could charge while we aren't home, then cover a lot of the peek power requirements.
Any thoughts from the Virginia solar crowd?
Steven
It appears, it may be cheaper to switch to the EV whole house plan and ditch net metering. Charging for 1/2 the price during super off peek and still having solar offset AC in summer seems like the best option. We would get next to nothing from the panels during the winter week days however.
Does anyone know how much dominion pays for power we sell them on the S1/whole house EV plan? Or do we really give it to them for free?
Also, Powerwall 2 a game changer? It could charge while we aren't home, then cover a lot of the peek power requirements.
Any thoughts from the Virginia solar crowd?
Steven
paulkva
part of the supercharge.info dev team
Looks like you should stick with net metering; enrollment in the EV plans closed on September 1, 2016. :-(
Plug-in Electric Vehicles
Plug-in Electric Vehicles
No loss here. Probably they discontinued it because nobody enrolled because it didn't make sense unless you drove a lot and rarely needed to charge during day, including weekends.
Half Dollar Bill
Traveller, teacher, poet, accountant, innkeeper
When I enrolled 3 years ago it was a cusp period for Dominion; their initial program was under review and they anticipated bringing it back. 3 years ago in the EV market I can understand that.
Since then and with the ramp-up in EV sales, they probably got the sign-ups they needed to complete their study so they closed the program in September. Guessing they're in the analysis phase now so I'd look for them to open something for EV's back up in 6-12 months.
No opinion how that would interact with a solar installation.
Dominion is not sold on solar, they have weak incentives, lots of nuke energy and that godawful highpower line over to aep for cheap coal. Oh well.
For only a bit more you can just go off grid with the solar roof if you have a good angle, get 3 powerwall 2's and maybe a small honda gas generator for worst case situations when you need to charge from something other than the panels
For only a bit more you can just go off grid with the solar roof if you have a good angle, get 3 powerwall 2's and maybe a small honda gas generator for worst case situations when you need to charge from something other than the panels
I'm going to be selling my house and moving in May/June 2017. I have EV Only Pricing Plan setup with dual meters (one for house, one for 240 volt line into garage), and 100 amp into garage for HPWC (in case anyone is interested!). pm me
The whole house EV plan, plus a Powerwall 2 and 2 EVs, and I'd have been saving piles of cash. Charge them all from 1-5AM, run off battery in the morning, solar charges up while at work, then solar/battery powers the AC until the sun sets, then the battery takes us out of the expensive time. 1AM, everything charges up and repeats. Could have been buying power at 5/6 cents per kWh.
alexvirital
Member
So, I didn't get in on the Dominion EV charging plan before Sept 1. Am I just hosed? It doesn't seem like they do any sort of off-peak plans at the moment.
Half Dollar Bill
Traveller, teacher, poet, accountant, innkeeper
There's no free lunch. The peak rates are near usury and unless you're going to commit to moving most of your usage to off or near-off peak others have commented that there is hardly any net benefit.
I think Dominion will bring back some kind of EV schedule so just keep calling them or checking the web every couple months.
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