Grid only
Your usual schedule. No solar or battery.
Per dayDaily energy costs
What could a smarter energy plan save?
Start with an example home. See the difference that solar, a battery and better timing could make.
Start with a price for your area
Enter your ZIP code for a state-average electricity price, then refine it to match your bill.
Your ZIP code stays in this browser. You can also enter rates directly below.
Where the starting price comes from
We match your ZIP code to a state and use its published residential average from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This is a starting benchmark, not your utility’s tariff. The average includes billed fees and taxes; your bill’s per-kWh charges give a closer savings estimate.
The ZIP estimate sets one import price for all hours and starts export credits at $0. Enter your plan’s peak, off-peak and export prices in the details below. The example peak window remains 4 pm to 9 pm.
EIA residential prices · Price methodology · ZIP geography: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).
Same home. Three ways to power it.
Example electricity costs after export credits. Equipment, installation, fixed fees and incentives are not included.
Add solar + battery
Same schedule, with solar and stored electricity.
Per dayAdd smarter timing
The same equipment as B, with flexible tasks shifted.
Per dayWhat that could save
Total savings · A to C
Daily
Monthly estimate*
Yearly estimate*
From smarter timing · B to C
Daily
Monthly estimate*
Yearly estimate*
The total already includes the savings from smarter timing.
* Monthly and yearly estimates repeat this example day for 30 and 365 days. They are not a seasonal forecast. Negative savings mean higher costs.
Example prices, not a utility quote.
See what changes in the schedule
Usual timing · A and B
EV charging starts at 6 pm. Water heating runs in the morning and evening.
Smarter timing · C
Flexible charging and water heating move to lower-cost hours or available solar. The EV is connected all day in this example.
Hourly rates and schedules
| Time | Import / kWh | Grid A · kWh | Grid B · kWh | Grid C · kWh | EV C · kWh | Hot water C · kWh |
|---|
Read the assumptions
Synthetic hourly demand and solar profiles. EV charging is available all day at up to 7.2 kW; water heating at up to 3 kW. The battery charges only from solar, with a 5 kW limit and 95% efficiency each way. Reserve is held unchanged and usable storage begins and ends empty. Grid charging, seasonal variation, thermal losses, taxes, fixed charges, equipment costs and battery wear are excluded. Scheduling uses a simple rule, not the production optimizer.
Outage readiness
How prepared could your home be?
Choose what matters during an outage. See how three example setups compare.
Model assumptions
Unrestricted use carries over daily household, vehicle and water-heating electricity. An adjustable 30% share of household electricity is assigned to heating or cooling by default, without adding to the total. Heating uses the selected efficiency; cooling, hot water and vehicle charging use their entered electrical demand. Thermal storage offsets heating only. EV charging begins at 6 pm, up to 7.2 kW; hot-water electricity is split between morning and evening. Household and climate demand use repeating example profiles. Water volume is a separate input. These are daily demand assumptions, not measured loads or appliance-starting checks. When power runs short, the accounting serves household loads first, then pumps, heating, cooling, hot water and vehicle charging. Unrestricted use still counts any unmet service as a shortfall; it does not assume unlimited equipment output. With municipal water checked, continuing supply and pressure are assumed: water does not draw from storage or use backup pump power, and cannot limit the comparison. When unchecked, water requires the tank reserve and powered pumping. Hot water still needs energy.
Hourly model with a repeated household load and solar profile, 95% battery efficiency each way, a fixed heat-pump COP and no grid supply. Essential electricity is prioritized, then pumping and heat. Water pumping uses 0.001 kWh/liter; heating controls use 0.02 kWh/hour. Initially stored useful heat is consumed first and is not recharged in this preview. It is assumed available after storage losses. Equipment startup surges, temperature dynamics, seasonal change, water quality and internet-provider availability are not modeled.
The indefinite check also tests a seven-day repeating energy balance without finite fuel or an initial thermal-storage credit. The final daily battery balance must not decline, and water must have a continuing supply when used. A separate 30-day run checks the starting setup. Real weather, maintenance and resource interruptions can change the result.