What is a time-of-use electricity bill?
A time-of-use bill charges different electricity rates depending on when kWh are used. Peak hours cost more, while off-peak or super off-peak hours usually cost less.
Time-of-use electricity calculator
Estimate an electric bill with peak and off-peak rates.
Use this when your utility separates electricity into peak, off-peak, and super off-peak periods instead of one flat kWh rate.
Electric bill
$226
Energy$142
Delivery$48.00
Fees$36.00
All-in rate
$0.246 per kWh
Best next check
Cooling hours
Time-of-use inputs
Split usage by TOU period, then add each period rate and fixed bill charges.
Estimated TOU bill
$203
$165 time-of-use energy charge plus fixed charges.
Average usage rate
$0.195
All TOU energy charges divided by 850 kWh.
Peak usage share
25%
Peak kWh as a share of all kWh entered.
Vs flat rate
$12.40
Positive means TOU is higher than $191 flat-rate comparison.
Time-of-use breakdown
Peak
210 kWh at $0.340 / kWh
$71.40
Off-peak
520 kWh at $0.160 / kWh
$83.20
Super off-peak
120 kWh at $0.090 / kWh
$10.80
Time-of-use bills are driven by when electricity is used, not just total kWh. Compare peak usage share before judging the plan.
All-in rate after fixed charges is $0.239 per kWh. Use that number when comparing this bill with a standard flat-rate plan.
Use the TOU result next
Electric meter reading calculator
Convert previous and current meter reads into kWh before splitting usage by TOU period.
Open pageElectricity cost calculator
Use a flat-rate bill calculator when the bill does not separate peak and off-peak use.
Open pageElectric bill spike calculator
Compare two bills to separate kWh usage, rate, fixed-fee, and delivery changes.
Open pageFAQ
Short answers for search visitors and bill-checking moments.
How do I calculate a time-of-use electric bill?
Multiply peak kWh by the peak rate, off-peak kWh by the off-peak rate, and super off-peak kWh by that rate. Add those energy charges, then add fixed charges, delivery, taxes, and other bill fees.
How do I know if TOU rates are saving money?
Compare the TOU total with a flat-rate estimate for the same total kWh. If peak usage is a large share of the total, a time-of-use plan may be more expensive.