Switched to Clean Power Alliance? SCE's Oct. 1 Rate Change Still Reaches Your Bill

Many Southern California homeowners moved to a community choice provider hoping to take control of their bill. But a big part of that bill still comes from SCE, and it just changed again.

What changed on October 1

SCE's rate advisory shows the typical residential bill (500 kWh a month on TOU-D-4-9pm) moving from $185.85 to $188.64, an increase of $2.79 or about 1.5%. The average residential rate edged from 34.4¢ to 34.5¢ per kWh. That is a modest step, not a spike. It also follows years of increases, and it is what a typical household sees, not every household.

Why it happened

SCE says its latest rate case shifts a somewhat larger share of costs to residential customers. It also lists Woolsey Fire restoration costs of about $49.7 million and recovery bonds of about $140.1 million that apply to all customers. Those increases were partly offset by other items coming off the books.

What a Clean Power Alliance customer pays

With a community choice provider, the company sets your generation price. SCE still delivers the power and charges for it. In SCE's own comparison for a home using 523 kWh a month, the SCE delivery rate is about 25.6¢ per kWh, and community choice customers also pay surcharges of about 2.4¢ per kWh. Switching providers changes the generation line, not the wires.

The part you can shrink

Delivery charges apply to every kilowatt-hour you pull from the grid. The fewer you pull, the less of that charge you pay. That is where solar and a battery come in. Your panels cover daytime use, and the battery covers the evening.

How third-party ownership (TPO) works

In a TPO program, a company installs, owns and maintains the solar and battery system at your home. You pay for the power it produces without buying, leasing, or financing equipment. Many programs are designed to come in below utility rates, with savings of up to 40% depending on your home and program. Here is what homeowners with a community choice provider often ask us to check on a TPO solar and battery program:

How will my system work with my provider's generation rate?

Is maintenance covered for the term of the agreement?

Will I have backup power if the grid goes down?

Want to see what it could mean for your own bill? Check your options here.

To find out if your home qualifies for a TPO solar and battery program, visit myhomesolution.org

SCE Rate Advisory, effective Oct. 1, 2026: https://www.sce.com/save-money/rates-financing/sce-rate-advisory

SCE and Clean Power Alliance Joint Rate Comparisons: https://www.sce.com/customer-service-center/community-choice-aggregation/sce-cpa-joint-rate-comparisons

Rates shown are SCE examples for a typical home. Your bill will vary.