Typical customer: Worth it

SDG&E and solar

SDG&E is an investor-owned utility serving about 1,378,465 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.): 45.1¢37% above California average
Typical bill: $133296 kWh a month
Exports credited: 3.7¢Net billing (reduced export credit)
Typical payback: 11.3 yrs3 kW, cash

Export rules for SDG&E customers

Net billing (reduced export credit) — about 3.7¢ per exported kWh, instantaneous netting.

NBT; avg ~3.7 cents, no adder for 2026 applicants. Highest retail rates in the state.

Source

Net Billing Tariff (Solar Billing Plan): hourly ACC-based export rates by month, hour, weekday vs weekend/holiday (generation + delivery components; CCA customers get delivery from SDG&E and generation credit from CCA), 9-year lock-in by application year (NBT26). No ACC Plus adder for SDG&E customers.

California net metering details

Solar for a typical SDG&E home

System	3 kW (144% of 296 kWh/month)
Cost	$10,700
First-year savings	$865
Payback	11.3 years
25-year net	$20,077

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 SDG&E's tariff documents. Prices are per kWh including the main riders where noted; check your bill for the plan you're on.

TOU-DR1: Residential Time of Use Service

Effective 2026-08-01. Fixed charge $24.13/month.

Period	Price
4pm–9pm (5 months)	69.1¢
6am–4pm, 9pm–12am (5 months)	46.4¢
12am–6am (5 months)	37.4¢
4pm–9pm (5 months)	61.5¢
6am–4pm, 9pm–12am (5 months)	53.1¢
12am–6am (5 months)	43.7¢
4pm–9pm (2 months)	61.5¢
6am–10am, 2pm–4pm, 9pm–12am (2 months)	53.1¢
12am–6am, 10am–2pm (2 months)	43.7¢

Up-to-130%-of-baseline adjustment credit -$0.10702/kWh applies to usage up to 130% of baseline. Rates shown are before the credit.

Tariff document

EV-TOU-5: Domestic Time-of-Use for Households with Electric Vehicles

Plan for solar customers. Effective 2026-08-01. Fixed charge $24.13/month.

Period	Price
4pm–9pm (5 months)	80.2¢
6am–4pm, 9pm–12am (5 months)	49.6¢
12am–6am (5 months)	13.1¢
4pm–9pm (5 months)	52.4¢
6am–4pm, 9pm–12am (5 months)	46.6¢
12am–6am (5 months)	12.3¢
4pm–9pm (2 months)	52.4¢
6am–10am, 2pm–4pm, 9pm–12am (2 months)	46.6¢
12am–6am, 10am–2pm (2 months)	12.3¢

Tariff document

Solar adoption

Homes with solar (2025): 340,500
Share of customers: 24.7%
Residential solar capacity: 1,889 MW
Residential customers: 1,378,465

EIA-861, 2025. In competitive markets, some solar is reported by retail electricity providers instead.

Questions about SDG&E and solar

Does SDG&E have net metering?

NBT; avg ~3.7 cents, no adder for 2026 applicants. Highest retail rates in the state. Exported power is credited at about 3.7¢ per kWh.

How much does electricity cost with SDG&E?

Residential customers paid an average of 42.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 45.1¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 296 kWh a month, a bill of about $133.

Is solar worth it with SDG&E?

For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 3 kW system costing about $10,700 pays back in about 11.3 years, with $20,077 net over 25 years.

How many SDG&E customers have solar?

About 340,500 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 24.7% of residential customers (EIA-861).

Legal name: San Diego Gas & Electric Co (EIA ID 16609). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026, utility tariff sheets.