PG&E is an investor-owned utility serving about 5,055,556 homes in California. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
Average price (2026 est.)
40.5¢23% above California average
Typical bill
$164405 kWh a month
Exports credited
3.9¢Net billing (reduced export credit)
Typical payback
10.2 yrs3 kW, cash
Export rules for PG&E customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) — about 3.9¢ per exported kWh, instantaneous netting.
NBT; avg ACC export ~3.9 cents plus ~1 cent ACC Plus adder for 2026 applicants. Summer 6-9 pm exports can be worth 20+ cents. Mandatory TOU (E-ELEC).
Net Billing Tariff (NBT / Solar Billing Plan): no netting of imports and exports (separate meter channels). Exports credited at hourly ACC-based Energy Export Credit values (by month, hour, weekday vs weekend/holiday), locked for 9 years by interconnection-application year (2026 vintage shown). Generation ('Energy Produced') + Delivery ('Energy Delivered') components; CCA customers get only the delivery component from PG&E plus their CCA's generation credit. Export credits offset only volumetric kWh charges (not Base Services Charge or NBCs); annual true-up. Residential ACC Plus adder for 2026 applications: $0.0088/kWh (low-income: $0.036/kWh), constant for 9 years from PTO.
Uses the utility's average price; time-of-use plans can change this, so pick your plan in the calculator.
Current residential rate plans
Rates we verified from PG&E's tariff documents. Prices are per kWh including the main riders where noted; check your bill for the plan you're on.
E-TOU-C: Residential Time-of-Use (Peak Pricing 4-9 p.m. Every Day)
Effective 2026-06-01. Fixed charge $24.13/month.
Period
Price
4pm–9pm (4 months)
52.2¢
12am–4pm, 9pm–12am (4 months)
39.9¢
4pm–9pm (8 months)
39.8¢
12am–4pm, 9pm–12am (8 months)
36.8¢
Rates shown are bundled 'Total Usage' rates (apply to all kWh). A Baseline Credit of -$0.08140/kWh applies to usage up to the baseline allowance (pro-rated across TOU periods). Baseline varies by territory/season; e.g. roughly 9-20 kWh/day summer and 9-16 kWh/day winter for basic-electric customers across the main inland/coastal territories (check PG&E baseline table for exact territory values). Effective marginal price for usage under baseline = rate - 0.0814.
NBT; avg ACC export ~3.9 cents plus ~1 cent ACC Plus adder for 2026 applicants. Summer 6-9 pm exports can be worth 20+ cents. Mandatory TOU (E-ELEC). Exported power is credited at about 3.9¢ per kWh.
How much does electricity cost with PG&E?
Residential customers paid an average of 38.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 40.5¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 405 kWh a month, a bill of about $164.
Is solar worth it with PG&E?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 3 kW system costing about $10,700 pays back in about 10.2 years, with $24,378 net over 25 years.
How many PG&E customers have solar?
About 924,854 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 18.3% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (EIA ID 14328). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026, utility tariff sheets.