Seattle City Light wants to ensure you know its new voluntary option for how you’re billed for electricity at home, the “Time of Use Rate,” is available, and it’s launched an online tool to help you evaluate it. Here’s how the rate is explained by SCL:
With TOU, when you use electricity affects how much you pay. Electricity costs more during peak hours (from 5 to 9 PM), when demand is highest, but it will cost less during other times.
By shifting some of your electricity use to off-peak hours, you can reduce your bill. Plus, you’ll help make our power grid more efficient.
Our TOU rate has three pricing periods:
-Peak hours (most expensive): 5 to 9 PM, Monday through Saturday (excluding observed holidays).
-Mid-peak hours (moderate pricing): 6 AM to 5PM and 9 PM to midnight, Monday through Saturday. On Sundays and holidays, mid-peak pricing lasts all day (6 AM to midnight).
-Off-peak hours (least expensive): Midnight to 6 AM, every day.Learn more about TOU rates on our Residential Rates page.
City Light’s announcement today explains how to access the new online tool that can help you figure out whether changing to this kind of rate would save money.

