PSE&G peak hours are the windows when electricity demand on the grid is highest — and when rates on time-of-use (TOU) plans are most expensive. For most utilities, weekday peak hours are 2 PM to 8 PM in summer and 6 AM to 10 AM plus 5 PM to 9 PM in winter. Weekends and holidays are typically off-peak all day. Exact peak windows depend on your specific TOU plan, so check your PSE&G rate schedule for the windows that apply to your account.
Most PSE&G TOU plans have three pricing tiers: peak (highest cost, mid-afternoon to early evening on weekdays), mid-peak or shoulder (moderate cost, mornings and late evenings), and off-peak (cheapest, overnight and weekends). The cost difference between peak and off-peak can be 2x to 4x — so even small shifts in when you use electricity make a real difference. Some plans add a "super off-peak" overnight tier that's even cheaper, designed for EV charging.
The biggest savings come from moving heavy-use activities out of the peak window. Run your dishwasher and laundry after 9 PM or before noon. Pre-cool your home before peak begins (set thermostat 2–4°F lower at 1 PM in summer, then let it drift up during peak). Charge your EV overnight on a delayed-start timer. Run pool pumps off-peak only. If you can shift 50% of usage to off-peak, expect 15–30% bill savings on a TOU plan.
TOU plans benefit customers who are flexible — work from home, retired, EV owners, and households where someone can program timers. They hurt customers who must run heavy loads during peak (e.g., afternoon child care, medical equipment, work-from-home with HVAC). Use our free bill check to see whether your current usage pattern fits a TOU plan or a flat-rate plan better.
Some PSE&G commercial plans add demand charges (a fee based on your single highest 15-minute usage spike during peak) on top of TOU energy charges. A few residential pilots use Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) where rates spike 5–6x on a handful of "event" days when grid stress is highest. If you're enrolled in a CPP-like program, PSE&G will notify you the day before each event so you can pre-cool and avoid heavy use.
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