How to Navigate EV Charging Rebates and Successfully Fund Your Home Charging Station

According to the United States Department of Energy, 80% of EV charging occurs overnight at drivers’ homes, which isn’t all that surprising. It’s hard to beat the convenience of charging your electric vehicle while it sits unused for several hours.

That said, EV drivers can also save hundreds of dollars charging overnight instead of during peak hours, or at public charging stations, since many utility companies offer time-of-use pricing. This pricing model incentivizes customers to avoid using power during peak demand, which is usually between 3:00-8:00 p.m. During peak demand, utility companies have to compensate for the surge in power needs by turning on “peaker” plants. Conversely, the abundance of available electricity during off-peak hours provides cost-efficiency for everyone.

If you’re ready to install an EV charging station in your home, consider exploring the numerous EV charging rebates and incentives that both the government and electric utility companies offer before you hire a contractor. Per the Alternative Fuel Data Center, there are a total of 258 rebates and 50 time-of-use programs across the United States.

Though you’ll need to ensure you’re in compliance with each program’s respective rules and requirements (which we’ll get to later), in many cases, these EV charging rebates can cover the vast majority of your costs.

EV Charging Rebates and Incentives from Electric Utility Companies

Many electric utility companies offer EV charging incentives to their residential customers. After all, the utility companies are the ones selling the electricity that power the charging stations, and the more charging stations and EVs they have to power, the more electricity they can sell. It’s a win-win relationship.

Here are a few examples:

Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) – California

3CE is a local electricity co-op for the Central Coast of California. Through the Electrify Your Ride program, 3CE offers residential customers a rebate of up to $700 for the purchase of an EV charger, and up to $4,000 for any readiness required (panel upgrades or other electrical work). Some requirements for the charger include (but are not limited to):

• Wi-Fi Capable
• UL Listed
• 240 volt, and new

There are incentives available for multi-family residential sites as well.

Black Hills Energy – Colorado

Black Hills Energy is a utility provider in Colorado. They offer many rebates for various energy efficiency upgrades including EV charging. Currently, Black Hills Energy offers residential customers a rebate up to $1,200 for the purchase of an EV charger. Subscription to a time-of-use rate schedule is required for eligibility.

Burlington Electric Department – Vermont

Vermont’s Burlington Electric Department offers residential EV-driving customers a bill credit of up to $900 by purchasing a specific charger and enrolling in their special EV time-of-use rate schedule. This bill credit can offset a large portion of the installation cost. Burlington Electric Department also has a rebate program for multi-family apartment and condominium sites through a partnership with EVmatch.

Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) – Florida

JEA Drive Electric program offers residential customers up to $300 in bill credits for the installation of a home charger.

National Grid – Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

National Grid is a large utility company in the Northeast. Currently, they offer a special time-of-use rate schedule for EV households. The unique rate schedule is designed for overnight charging, which can save homeowners money compared to a regular rate schedule.

Pacific Power – California, Oregon, Washington

Pacific Power is a utility company in the Pacific Northwest. They offer an EV charger rebate up to $1,000 for qualified customers. Certain requirements include specific eligible chargers and enrollment in their time-of-use rate schedule.

Hawaii Power

Hawaii Power is an electric utility company in the State of Hawaii. They have a brand new program for commercial and multi-family residential customers to install EV chargers. Eligible multi-family residential customers can receive up to $4,500 per charger. Certain restrictions apply.

TXU Energy – Texas

TXU Energy is an utility company in the State of Texas. Their extremely unique program offers free charging to residential EV customers. Eligible customers can get charging for free thanks to the utility company. This can add up to thousands of dollars in savings over time. Plus, the energy is sourced from 100% renewable energy.

Austin Energy – Texas

Austin Energy is an utility company in the State of Texas. Currently, they provide a rebate of up to $1,200 to eligible residential customers who install an EV charger at their residence. They also provide a rebate up to $15,000 to multi-family residential sites.

Firelands Electric Cooperative – Ohio

Firelands Electric Cooperative is a local electric co-op in the State of Ohio. They offer a rebate of $250 to eligible residential customers for the installation of a home EV charger.

Ameren Illinois

Ameren Illinois is an electric utility company that serves the majority of the State of Illinois. The utility company has a special EV TOU rate schedule that can save drivers money by shifting their electrical load to off-peak hours.

Danville Utilities – Virginia

Danville Utilities is a utility company in the State of Virginia. They offer a $200 EV charger rebate for eligible residential customers. Certain rules and restrictions apply, such as qualifying charger models, so it’s best to check with program staff before applying.

*** You can find more electric utility EV charging rebates at the Electric For All website or by contacting your local provider.

What Are Some of the Typical Program Requirements for EV Charging Rebates and Incentives?

As mentioned earlier in this post, almost all of the aforementioned programs have a handful of requirements you’ll need to meet in order to qualify, the most common of which are listed below:

• Wi-Fi connected/managed/smart chargers
• Enrollment in a specific time-of-use rate schedule
• Data reporting to the utility company
• Income restrictions

To ensure proper compliance, it’s recommended that you speak with program staff before submitting an application and before the installation begins. In many cases, applicants can benefit from technical assistance provided by the staff members that support each of these programs.

Put Those EV Charging Rebates and Incentives to Use!

If you’re ready to add EV charging stations to your home and have identified one or more EV charging rebates and incentives that you qualify for, you can shop for EV chargers on our website, or learn more about becoming a residential host on EVmatch.

If you have any questions about getting started, reach out to our team and we’ll be more than happy to help you bring your project to life. Get started today while these incentive programs and rebates last!