New Hampshire’s SB 575 and Time of Use Rates for EVs

On August 11, 2018, New Hampshire’s SB 575, a bill establishing requirements for, and restrictions on, electric vehicle charging stations, went into effect. SB 575 required the state’s Public Utility Commission to determine whether certain rate designs should be implemented for electric vehicle charging stations, specifically requiring the Commission to determine whether to implement electric vehicle time of use rates for residential and commercial customers.

On April 7, 2022, the NH PUC issued an order adopting time of use rates for separately metered EV supply equipment, while reducing associated demand charges by 50%. The Commission found that time-varying rate methodology has the potential to limit system-related costs caused by both residential and commercial EV charging by sending price signals to encourage charging during times when system capacity is abundant and energy costs are low. The Commission further found that a 50 percent demand charge reduction along with the proposed TOU rates strikes an appropriate balance between the objective of removing unnecessary barriers to EV deployment, and the need to limit potential cross subsidization by imposing costs on those customers causing the costs.