Southern California Edison Company (SCE) Rate Selection Guide
Southern California Edison serves about 5.3 million electric customers across 50,000 square miles of central, coastal, and southern California. For C&I energy teams, SCE offers Green Button downloads and Connect My Data (OAuth 2.0), EnergyManager analytics for >200 kW accounts, EDI for ESPs, and OpenADR-based demand response. Interval data is available at 15-minute granularity for eligible non-residential accounts.
Southern California Edison Company (SCE) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOU-GS-1 | commercial | TOU energy, no demand charge (Option E) | Small offices/retail under 20 kW |
| TOU-GS-2 | commercial | TOU energy + FRD + TRD demand | Medium businesses 20-200 kW |
| TOU-GS-3 | commercial | TOU energy + FRD + TRD demand | Larger facilities 200-500 kW |
| TOU-8 | industrial | TOU energy + heavy demand charges by voltage | Industrial/large C&I over 500 kW |
Market Overview
California operates a partial-choice market. SCE is the regulated distribution/wires utility under CPUC oversight. Large C&I customers may procure supply through the Direct Access program via registered ESPs, and most customers can elect a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) for generation. SCE delivers power and bills regardless of supplier.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Southern California Edison Company (SCE) Data Access Guide →
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Options
CCA serving many communities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties within SCE territory; provides generation supply while SCE delivers.
Eligible non-residential customers can buy generation from a CPUC-registered Energy Service Provider while SCE provides delivery.
Current Rate Schedules
SCE's nonresidential rates are mandatory time-of-use (TOU) with an on-peak period of 4-9 p.m. on summer weekdays. Most commercial/industrial schedules combine a monthly customer charge, TOU energy charges (Super Off-Peak/Off-Peak/Mid-Peak/On-Peak), a year-round Facilities-Related Demand (FRD) charge per kW, and a Time-Related Demand (TRD) charge per kW tied to peak-period demand. Schedules are tiered by maximum monthly demand. Specific cent/kWh and $/kW values change with each CPUC General Rate Case / advice-letter cycle; consult the live tariff book for current figures.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOU-GS-1 | commercial | Small business customers with maximum demand of 20 kW or less. | Mandatory TOU energy charges; Option E has no demand charge (base rate), Option D adds demand charges in exchange for lower energy rates. On-peak 4-9 p.m. summer weekdays. | Structure-only; TOU energy rates per current tariff (summer on-peak is the highest period). See tariff book.+ None under Option E; demand charge applies under Option D. See tariff book for current $/kW. |
| TOU-GS-2 | commercial | Small-to-medium business customers with demand above 20 kW and below 200 kW. | Four-part: monthly customer charge + TOU energy charges + Facilities-Related Demand (FRD, year-round per kW) + Time-Related Demand (TRD, peak-period per kW). Options D (higher demand/lower energy) and E (lower demand/higher energy); optional Critical Peak Pricing (CPP). | Structure-only; four TOU energy periods per current tariff. See tariff book.+ FRD + TRD per kW; magnitude depends on Option D vs E. See tariff book for current $/kW. |
| TOU-GS-3 | commercial | Medium business customers with demand of 200 kW to 500 kW. | Same four-part TOU + FRD + TRD structure as GS-2, with Options D and E. Demand-driven billing dominates at this size. | Structure-only; TOU energy + demand per current tariff. See tariff book.+ FRD + TRD per kW. See tariff book for current $/kW. |
| TOU-8 | industrial | Large commercial and industrial customers regularly registering demand greater than 500 kW; sub-options by service voltage (secondary, primary, sub-transmission). | Large C&I TOU schedule with monthly customer charge, TOU energy charges, and significant FRD + TRD demand charges that scale with service voltage. Options D and E; Option E (solar/storage/EV) is capacity-capped. | Structure-only; demand charges are the dominant cost component. See tariff book.+ Large per-kW FRD + TRD; varies by voltage level. See tariff book for current $/kW. |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Office building
Mid-size office on a TOU general service schedule with moderate demand.
Office load peaks during weekday on-peak hours, so TOU pricing and demand charges reward HVAC pre-cooling and peak management.
- Pull 15-minute Green Button data to find peak intervals
- Pre-cool before on-peak windows
- Consider EnergyManager if demand exceeds 200 kW
Warehouse / distribution center
Refrigerated or ambient warehouse with significant motor and lighting load.
Large, schedulable loads make load shifting and demand management highly effective under TOU and demand charges.
- Shift refrigeration/charging to off-peak
- Enroll in OpenADR demand response
- Monitor demand peaks with interval data
Manufacturing facility
Industrial plant with demand above 500 kW.
High demand and continuous load make TOU-8 the standard schedule; demand charges dominate the bill.
- Use interval data to stagger equipment startups
- Evaluate Direct Access supply
- Participate in BIP/CBP demand response
EV charging / fleet depot
Fleet depot or public charging site with large, time-flexible charging load.
Charging is highly schedulable, so shifting to off-peak avoids on-peak energy and demand charges.
- Schedule charging to off-peak periods
- Explore SCE Charge Ready commercial EV programs
- Use interval data to manage simultaneous charging peaks
Retail / multi-site
Retail chain with many small-to-medium service accounts.
Smaller sites fit lower-demand TOU schedules; portfolio benchmarking helps prioritize upgrades.
- Use Green Button Connect via an aggregator for portfolio data
- Benchmark with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
Historical Rate Trends
SCE rates have risen substantially in recent years, driven by wildfire mitigation and grid hardening costs recovered through the 2021 and 2025 General Rate Cases plus periodic advice-letter true-ups. Exact per-schedule percentages vary; figures below reflect publicly reported system-average trends rather than a single schedule.
January 1, 2024
System-average rate increases tied to wildfire mitigation and capital recovery (reported double-digit cumulative increases over the prior few years).
approx. 10%+ (system average, multi-year)January 1, 2025
2025 General Rate Case decision begins phasing higher revenue requirements into C&I rates.
not separately verified per scheduleOverall trend: increasing
Next expected change: Further increases expected through 2026-2028 via the 2025 GRC revenue requirement phase-in and ongoing wildfire/grid-hardening cost recovery.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For SCE C&I accounts, the biggest savings come from managing demand (kW) and shifting load out of the 4-9 p.m. on-peak window.
Demand charge management
For: TOU-GS-2, TOU-GS-3, TOU-8
Stagger equipment startup and cap simultaneous load to lower the monthly peak kW that sets FRD/TRD charges.
Battery storage / peak shaving
For: All C&I, highest value >200 kW
Discharge storage during 4-9 p.m. on-peak to cut both peak energy and Time-Related Demand charges.
Rate option selection (D vs E)
For: TOU-GS-1/2/3, TOU-8
Choose Option D (low energy/high demand) for flat, high-load-factor profiles or Option E for peaky/solar-paired profiles.
Load shifting to Super Off-Peak
For: All TOU schedules
Move flexible winter load into the 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Super Off-Peak window for lowest energy rates.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Southern California Edison Company (SCE) interval data →
Deregulated Market Shopping
California offers partial supply choice. Large non-residential customers can buy generation through the Direct Access program via registered ESPs, and most customers can elect a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA). SCE remains the delivery utility and consolidated biller.
How to Compare Southern California Edison Company (SCE) Suppliers
- 01Determine eligibility: large C&I accounts may join Direct Access (subject to enrollment caps); most accounts can opt into an available CCA
- 02Compare ESP or CCA generation rates and renewable content against SCE bundled generation
- 03Enroll with the chosen ESP/CCA; SCE continues to deliver power and bill
- 04Monitor the generation line item separately from SCE delivery charges
Contract Terms for Southern California Edison Company (SCE) Supply Agreements
- Direct Access ESP contracts are individually negotiated and may have multi-year terms
- CCA enrollment is typically automatic for the community with an opt-out option
Common Pitfalls When Shopping Southern California Edison Company (SCE) Rates
- Direct Access has CPUC-imposed enrollment caps and periodic open windows
- Departing-load and exit fees (PCIA) may apply when leaving bundled service
- SCE delivery charges remain regardless of supply choice
Frequently Asked Questions
How does my business get interval (15-minute) data from SCE?▾
Download it yourself via Green Button in My Account (CSV/XML), use EnergyManager if your demand exceeds 200 kW, authorize a vendor through Green Button Connect (OAuth 2.0), or request it via CISR Form 14-796 Option 5. Up to 36 months is available depending on meter type.
Can a consultant or energy manager access our SCE data on our behalf?▾
Yes. They can register for Green Button Connect for ongoing API access (you authorize and can revoke anytime), or you can sign CISR Form 14-796 authorizing specific data. CISR fees range from $9 to $35 per account plus a $9 base fee.
Which rate schedule applies to my commercial facility?▾
SCE assigns time-of-use general service schedules by maximum demand: TOU-GS-1 (<20 kW), TOU-GS-2 (20-200 kW), TOU-GS-3 (200-500 kW), and TOU-8 (>500 kW). Demand charges are a major part of the bill, so interval data is key to managing cost.
Does SCE support EDI for energy service providers?▾
Yes. SCE supports ANSI X.12 EDI (814, 867, 810, 820, 997) for registered ESPs in the Direct Access program. Contact ESPSUPT@sce.com to complete the EDI Trading Partner Agreement and Profile.
Can my business buy power from a supplier other than SCE?▾
Partially. Large C&I customers can procure generation through the Direct Access program via a CPUC-registered ESP (subject to enrollment caps), and many customers can elect a Community Choice Aggregator. SCE still delivers the power and issues the bill.
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