Electric Vehicle Time-of-Use Rate

The Electric Vehicle Time-of-Use rate is currently available to both Massachusetts and New Hampshire residential customers. Currently, only New Hampshire commercial customers are eligible.

We do not recommend ever charging your EV during on-peak hours. The on-peak rate is higher than the standard rate and will make it very hard to build overall savings if charging is not consistently done during off-peak hours. We suggest finding an alternative way to charge your vehicle if you find yourself needing to charge during on-peak hours.

Mid-peak hours are roughly the same prices as the standard rate so while charging during these times isn't ideal, it is more of a wash in the savings department.  

Yes, your electrician will need to install a meter socket/location and Unitil will install a dedicated meter, which has a nominal monthly fee.

Yes, New Hampshire residents may opt into (either or both) Whole House and Electric Vehicle Time-of-Use Rates.

NH residents on Whole House Time-of-Use can also charge EVs on their Whole House Time-of-Use meter (without getting a separate EV TOU meter). If you want your household to remain on the standard rate but would like to charge your EV using Time-of-Use rates, this is when you will need a second meter for your electric vehicle.

A Level 2 charger is a special unit installed at a home or business that requires a 240 volt plug (a standard clothes dryer plug) and charges electric vehicles at a faster rate. Level 1 charging is when you charge an EV from a regular, 110 volt outlet; this method can take twice the time, or more, to charge your EV. Commercial locations have DC Fast Charge – or Level 3.

Learn more about chargers, installation, and savings.

No, Unitil does not currently require any special charging equipment to apply for the EV Time-of-Use rate. The rate does always require the installation of a dedicated utility meter. Unitil does encourage you to research the charging time of your EV if you do not have a Level 2 charger, as charging from a standard outlet in your home (Level 1) may take many more hours, which may make charging only on non-peak hours impossible.

Learn more about chargers, installation, and savings.

For customers choosing the EV Time-of-Use rate, yes, electric service and/or electric panel upgrades may be required. Your installer will inspect your current set up and advise if any of these additional costs will apply to your installation.

Customers who choose to opt-in to Time-of-Use rates are committed to a 12 month term on those rates. After 12 months, customers may choose to return to the standard service rates.