Hawaiian Electric Company Rate Selection Guide
Hawaiian Electric is an investor-owned utility regulated by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, serving Oahu, Maui County, and Hawaii Island through three operating companies. It runs an SAP-based billing portal (eService) and a My Energy Use portal that delivers 15-minute interval data via Green Button download and Connect My Data. Hawaii has the highest electricity rates in the US and very heavy rooftop solar adoption.
Hawaiian Electric Company Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule J | Commercial | Energy $0.282338/kWh + ECRC; demand $15.77/kW (Oahu, 1/1/26) | Medium commercial <300 kW |
| Schedule P | Industrial | Energy $0.249875/kWh + ECRC; demand $32.14/kW (Oahu) | Large loads >=300 kW |
| Schedule DS | Industrial | Energy $0.237637/kWh + ECRC; demand $27.89/kW (Oahu) | Primary-voltage directly served |
| TOU-J | Commercial | Daytime $0.190970 / Peak $0.567267 /kWh (Oahu) | Daytime-weighted load |
Market Overview
Vertically integrated, PUC-regulated monopoly across all islands; no retail competition or CCA. Rates are set in PUC rate cases and adjusted monthly via cost-recovery clauses.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Hawaiian Electric Company Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Rates are set by the Hawaii PUC and published monthly in Effective Rate Summaries. Verified effective rates below are for Oahu (Hawaiian Electric Company) as of January 1, 2026, and already fold in base rates plus surcharges. Energy charges are stated per kWh; commercial schedules add demand ($/kW) and customer charges, and an Energy Cost Recovery Clause (ECRC) of $0.184490/kWh (Oahu) applies on top of most non-TOU schedules, making all-in commercial rates among the highest in the US.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule J - General Service Demand (Oahu) | commercial | Medium commercial; loads over ~5,000 kWh/month but under 300 kW. | Verified Oahu effective rates (1/1/2026): customer charge $80.04/mo (1-phase) or $119.09 (3-phase); demand charge $15.77/kW; energy charge $0.282338/kWh (effective). ECRC of $0.184490/kWh and other surcharges add on top. | Energy $0.282338/kWh (effective) + ECRC $0.184490/kWh+ $15.77/kW |
| Schedule P - Large Power Service (Oahu) | industrial | Large commercial/industrial; loads at or above 300 kW. | Verified Oahu effective rates (1/1/2026): customer charge $454.76/mo; demand charge $32.14/kW; energy charge $0.249875/kWh (effective). ECRC $0.184490/kWh and other surcharges apply. | Energy $0.249875/kWh (effective) + ECRC $0.184490/kWh+ $32.14/kW |
| Schedule DS - Large Power Directly Served (Oahu) | industrial | Large customers taking service at primary/transmission voltage (directly served). | Verified Oahu effective rates (1/1/2026): customer charge $515.40/mo; demand charge $27.89/kW; energy charge $0.237637/kWh (effective). Lower energy charge reflects customer-owned transformation. | Energy $0.237637/kWh (effective) + ECRC+ $27.89/kW |
| Schedule G - General Service Non-Demand (Oahu) | commercial | Small commercial accounts without significant demand. | Verified Oahu effective rates (1/1/2026): customer charge $42.44/mo (1-phase) or $76.40 (3-phase); energy charge $0.337116/kWh (effective). No demand charge. ECRC $0.184490/kWh applies. | Energy $0.337116/kWh (effective) + ECRC+ None |
| Schedule TOU-J / ARD TOU J - Medium Commercial TOU (Oahu) | commercial | Medium commercial customers opting into time-of-use pricing. | Verified Oahu ARD TOU J effective rates (1/1/2026): customer $61.96/mo; Grid Access $5.15/kW; energy by period - Daytime (9a-5p) $0.190970/kWh, Overnight (9p-9a) $0.379119/kWh, Evening Peak (5p-9p) $0.567267/kWh. TOU schedules embed ECRC differently (small per-period adders). | Daytime $0.190970 / Peak $0.567267 /kWh (effective)+ Grid Access $5.15/kW |
| Schedule ARD TOU G - Small Commercial TOU (Oahu) | commercial | Small commercial customers opting into time-of-use pricing. | Verified Oahu ARD TOU G effective rates (1/1/2026): customer $12.60/mo; Grid Access $23.45/mo; energy by period - Daytime $0.213276/kWh, Overnight $0.425001/kWh, Evening Peak $0.636725/kWh. | Daytime $0.213276 / Peak $0.636725 /kWh (effective)+ Grid Access $23.45/mo flat |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large industrial / 300 kW+ facility
Large loads belong on Schedule P (or DS at primary voltage), where demand management and on-site generation drive the biggest savings given Hawaii's rates.
Oahu Schedule P effective energy is $0.249875/kWh plus an ECRC of $0.184490/kWh and a $32.14/kW demand charge; DS lowers the energy charge to $0.237637/kWh for customers taking primary-voltage service. With all-in costs well above $0.40/kWh, peak-demand reduction and solar+storage have short paybacks.
- Take Schedule DS if you can own transformation to cut the energy charge
- Use My Energy Use 15-minute data to shave coincident peak kW
- Evaluate solar+storage given fuel-driven ECRC exposure
Medium commercial business
Medium commercial sites under 300 kW fit Schedule J, and should evaluate the TOU-J option to exploit cheap midday solar hours.
Oahu Schedule J effective energy is $0.282338/kWh plus ECRC and a $15.77/kW demand charge. ARD TOU J prices daytime energy at $0.190970/kWh versus an evening peak of $0.567267/kWh, so shifting load to 9a-5p materially lowers cost.
- Compare flat Schedule J vs TOU-J using your interval data
- Move HVAC and process load into the 9a-5p daytime window
- Reduce billed demand to cut the $15.77/kW charge
Small commercial / sustainability-focused
Small commercial accounts on Schedule G, and any site with solar, benefit from TOU enrollment and DER programs given Hawaii's high rates and solar penetration.
Oahu Schedule G effective energy is $0.337116/kWh (no demand charge) plus ECRC. ARD TOU G daytime energy of $0.213276/kWh rewards daytime operation, and DER programs (CGS, Smart Export, Battery Bonus) offset costs.
- Switch to ARD TOU G if usage is daytime-weighted
- Apply for DER programs via the Customer Interconnection Tool
- Track generation vs consumption in My Energy Use
Historical Rate Trends
Hawaiian Electric base rates change through periodic PUC rate cases, but the most visible month-to-month movement comes from the Energy Cost Recovery Clause (ECRC), which tracks imported fuel costs, plus the annual RBA Rate Adjustment. Rates have trended upward over the past decade and remain the highest in the nation.
January 1, 2026
January 2026 effective rates set base rates plus Oahu ECRC of $0.184490/kWh and a 21.27% RBA Rate Adjustment on most charges.
RBA +21.27% (Oahu)Overall trend: Long-term upward, dominated by fuel-driven ECRC swings; effective rates reset monthly via cost-recovery clauses.
Next expected change: Monthly ECRC and adjustment updates; periodic PUC rate-case decisions.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Given the highest electricity rates in the US, the strongest levers for Hawaiian Electric commercial customers are demand-charge reduction, time-of-use load shifting into midday solar hours, and on-site solar plus storage.
Reduce billed demand (kW)
For: Schedule J, P, DS demand-metered accounts
Stagger equipment startup and cap coincident peaks to lower the $15.77/kW (Schedule J) or $32.14/kW (Schedule P) demand charge.
Shift load to daytime TOU window
For: TOU-enrolled commercial accounts
On ARD TOU J/G, daytime energy (~$0.19-0.21/kWh) is roughly a third of evening peak (~$0.57-0.64/kWh); move flexible load into 9a-5p.
On-site solar + storage
For: Sites with roof/land for PV
High fuel-driven rates and the ECRC make customer solar and battery storage strongly economic; storage also discharges into evening peak.
Demand response (Fast DR)
For: Facilities with curtailable load
Enroll in Fast Demand Response for incentives in exchange for automated load curtailment during grid events.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Hawaiian Electric Company interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
What commercial rate schedules does Hawaiian Electric offer on Oahu?▾
The main C&I schedules are Schedule G (small, non-demand), Schedule J (medium, general service demand, under 300 kW), Schedule P (large power, 300 kW and above), and Schedule DS (large power directly served at primary voltage). Time-of-use variants (ARD TOU G/J, TOU-P) are also available. As of January 1, 2026, Oahu effective energy charges are about $0.337/kWh (G), $0.282/kWh (J), and $0.250/kWh (P), each before the ECRC and other surcharges.
Why are Hawaiian Electric bills so high, and what drives monthly changes?▾
Hawaii has the highest electricity rates in the US because it relies heavily on imported fuel. On top of base rates, bills carry an Energy Cost Recovery Clause (ECRC) - $0.184490/kWh on Oahu in January 2026 - that tracks fuel costs and changes monthly, plus an RBA Rate Adjustment (21.27% on Oahu), Public Benefits Fund surcharge, DSM/DRAC adjustments, and a Green Infrastructure Fee. These adjustments, not base rates, drive most month-to-month movement.
How does a business access its 15-minute interval data?▾
Register at eservice.hawaiianelectric.com, then open the My Energy Use portal (myenergyuse.hawaiianelectric.com). You can view 15-minute interval data and download it as Green Button XML or CSV, with a typical 24-hour lag. For automated access, third parties use Green Button Connect My Data (OAuth 2.0) or Nectar's API — see docs.nectarclimate.com; there is no public billing API from the utility.
Can a consultant or vendor get my data without my login?▾
Yes. You can add a view-only secondary user in eService, authorize a third-party app through Green Button Connect My Data (OAuth 2.0, scope-limited, revocable), or share data via Nectar (docs.nectarclimate.com). Hawaiian Electric does not provide shared credentials or a public EDI program for customer data.
Is there electricity supplier choice in Hawaii?▾
No. Hawaii is a fully regulated, vertically integrated market with no retail competition or community choice aggregation. Hawaiian Electric (and its Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light subsidiaries) is the sole provider in its territory, with all rates set by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.
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