Going electric in California

Electricity, EV charging and solar in California

A typical California household could keep about $4,110 a year by going electric. Charging a car at home here is like paying $2.64 a gallon instead of $6.10, and solar panels sized for an average home could cover up to $161 of the monthly bill.

See what you'd save Solar in California

Data updated October 15, 2026 · How we calculate this

$4,110

Saved a year, typical home

EV, solar and electric heat, hot water and cooking

$2.64/gal

What charging feels like

vs $6.10 for gas (California average)

$2,105/yr

EV vs gas car

Fuel plus maintenance, 12,000 miles

$161/mo

Average electric bill

California, 2024 (EIA)

The numbers behind it

Average home electricity price: 33.3¢; per kWh, January–July 2026; up 2% on a year earlier
Average home use: 503 kWh; per month in 2024; average bill $161
EV charging at home: $10.34; per 100 miles in a compact electric SUV
Solar output: 1,798 kWh; per kW of panels per year near Los Angeles (1st of 51)

What it costs to charge an EV in California

Home charging cost is simply the electricity price times how much energy the car uses. The table uses EPA ratings, which already include the energy lost while charging. At 33.3¢/kWh, charging in California costs 83% more than the national average.

Home charging cost in California for three EVs compared with a gasoline car
Vehicle (EPA rating)	Per 100 miles	1,000 miles a month
2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard RWDEfficient sedan, 24.3 kWh/100 mi	$8.08	$81
2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWDCompact SUV, 31.1 kWh/100 mi	$10.34	$103
2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Ext Range WTFull-size pickup, 47.8 kWh/100 mi	$15.89	$159
Gasoline car, 25.5 mpgregular at $6.10/gal (California average)	$23.94	$239

On these averages, a compact electric SUV charged at home saves about $136 a month in fuel over a 1,000-mile month compared with a 25.5 mpg gasoline car. Many utilities offer cheaper overnight EV rates that can cut these figures substantially. Try your own numbers in the EV charging cost calculator.

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes our recommendations. How we make money.

Our pick for a home charger · sponsored link

Lectron NEXUS Level 2

Adds up to 38 miles of range an hour, so you wake up full every morning. It plugs into a 240-volt outlet (the dryer or RV kind, NEMA 14-50), is weatherproof for the driveway, and has a 3-year warranty.

$419.99list ~~$469.99~~, when we checked October 15, 2026

Check price: most EVs (J1772)Tesla / NACS version Do I need one?

Public charging in California

The Department of Energy lists 69,279 public charging ports at 20,175 locations in California, including 19,631 DC fast-charging ports and 49,352 Level 2 ports. That is roughly one public port for every 205 residential electricity customers. Find live locations on the AFDC station locator.

How much solar a typical California home needs

The PVWatts solar model from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), run on ten years of NASA hourly weather data for Los Angeles, estimates each kilowatt of south-facing panels at a 20° tilt produces 1,798 kWh a year. To cover the average California household's 6,038 kWh a year you would need about 3.4 kW, or roughly 9 panels at 400 watts each.

If every kilowatt-hour from the panels replaced one bought at 33.3¢, each kilowatt of panels would be worth about $598 a year. Under that best case, a system installed for $5.98 per watt would pay for itself in 10 years, and one at $11.95 per watt in 20 years.

That is an upper bound. Many utilities credit exported solar at less than the retail rate, so the value depends heavily on your utility's net metering or net billing rules and how much power you use while the sun is up. Compare any installer quote's price per watt against these break-even figures.

Size a system for your own usage or find installers serving California.

Monthly output of 1 kW of panels near Los Angeles (kWh)

Monthly output of 1 kW of panels near Los Angeles (kWh)
Jan	110 kWh
Feb	125 kWh
Mar	151 kWh
Apr	168 kWh
May	174 kWh
Jun	175 kWh
Jul	181 kWh
Aug	176 kWh
Sep	158 kWh
Oct	148 kWh
Nov	126 kWh
Dec	106 kWh

Home battery backup in California

The average California home uses about 16.5 kWh a day. A single 13.5 kWh battery (the capacity of a Tesla Powerwall 3) would run that average load for about 20 hours; backing up only essentials such as the fridge, lights, internet and a furnace fan stretches that much further. Covering a full day of average use would take about 1.2 batteries of that size. Size a battery for your home, compare whole-home and portable backup or see the best portable power stations.

Incentives in California

The federal $7,500 new-EV and $4,000 used-EV tax credits ended for vehicles acquired after 30 September 2025, and the 30% homeowner credit for solar and batteries ended for expenditures after 31 December 2025. See what federal help remains. State and utility programs change often, so check the official lists for California:

AFDC: California laws and incentives for electric vehicles — US Department of Energy list of state EV incentives, utility programs and rules
DSIRE: California clean energy incentives and policies — NC Clean Energy Technology Center database of solar, storage and efficiency programs

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home in California?

At California's average residential price of 33.3¢ per kWh (January–July 2026, EIA), a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD rated at 31.1 kWh per 100 miles costs about $10.34 per 100 miles, or about $103 for 1,000 miles. Your own cost depends on your utility's rate plan and when you charge.

Is it cheaper to drive an EV than a gas car in California?

On average prices, yes for most drivers. With regular gasoline at $6.10 a gallon (California average, EIA) and a 25.5 mpg car, fuel costs about $23.94 per 100 miles, versus about $10.34 for the compact electric SUV above charged at home. Public fast charging usually costs more than home charging and narrows the gap.

How many solar panels does an average California home need?

The average California household used 503 kWh a month in 2024 (EIA). Our PVWatts model estimates 1 kW of south-facing panels near Los Angeles produces about 1,798 kWh a year, so covering all of that use takes about 3.4 kW — roughly 9 panels of 400 watts. Shading, roof direction and your own usage change the answer.

How big a home battery would an average California home need?

An average California home uses about 16.5 kWh a day. One 13.5 kWh battery such as a Tesla Powerwall 3 would cover about 20 hours of average use, and longer if you only back up essential circuits.

Estimates only. Your actual costs depend on your utility's rate plan, how and when you charge or use power, and local prices. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. See our disclaimer.

Sources

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Tables 5.6.A and 5.6.B — July 2026 YTD (year to date); latest month July 2026. Average revenue per kWh across all residential customers, including fixed charges spread over usage. Preliminary estimates.
U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2024 Average Monthly Bill- Residential — 2024 (annual)
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices (regular, all formulations) — California average, week of 2026-10-12
U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Alternative Fueling Station Counts by State — snapshot 2026-10-15 (public stations, currently available)
PVWatts v8 solar model (National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly NREL, run via its PySAM package) on NASA POWER hourly weather — Los Angeles; 1 kW DC fixed roof mount, 20 degree tilt, facing south (180 degrees), standard module, 14% system losses, 96% inverter efficiency, DC/AC ratio 1.2 (PVWatts defaults except tilt). Checked against the PVWatts web API for eight states: within 8%, 3% on average.
U.S. EPA and DOE, fueleconomy.gov vehicle data (combined kWh/100 mi, includes charging losses) — model years 2026-2027
U.S. EPA, 2025 Automotive Trends Report (model year 2024 data) — Average new-vehicle real-world fuel economy was 27.2 mpg, and 1.7 mpg lower without battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles; we use 25.5 mpg for a typical new gasoline vehicle.

Figures retrieved October 15, 2026. US comparison: 18.2¢/kWh; gasoline $4.33/gal; a 25.5 mpg car costs $16.98 per 100 miles nationally.