An electric utility will pay EV owners 5 cent per kWh of charging during off-peak hours

We previously reported on several reward programs for electric vehicles owners charging during off-peak hours, like BMW’s program in California and the Netherlands is trying to make it a nationwide standard for EVs, but now we learn of a new program that appears to be significantly more generous than those two.

Con Edison, an electric utility operating in New York City and Westchester County, will pay “5 cents in rewards for each kilowatt-hour of charging during off-peak hours.”

Most EV owners already try to charge during off-peak hours if they are on a time-based variable rate program, but now not only they will be able to save money with lower rates, they will be further compensated through what Con Edison, in partnership with FleetCarma, is calling “SmartCharge New York”.

The program is open to all EV owners, both residential and fleet, that charge in the Con Edison service territory, and the rewards, which can be redeemed for “an assortment of e-gift cards, digital pre-paid cards, and nonprofit donations”, can vary between $5 to $25 per month on top of 5 cents per kWh.

Here are the details of the reward system:

• June 1 – September 30:
  • $5 in SmartCharge Rewards each month with your C2 by charging within the Con Edison service territory. Stay clear of charging weekdays during summer peak hours: 2 pm – 6 pm – and earn a $20 bonus.
  • An additional 5 cents per kilowatt-hour for charging any day during off-peak hours: 12 midnight – 8 am.
• October 1 – May 31:
  • $5 in SmartCharge Rewards each month with your C2 by charging within the Con Edison service territory.
  • An additional 5 cents per kilowatt-hour for charging any day during off-peak hours: 12 midnight – 8 am.

When signing up, EV owners get an additional $50 in SmartCharge Rewards, but they also have to share valuable information about their charging habits by participating in the program. They get a “free cellular-enabled, FleetCarma C2 connected device that plugs into the on-board diagnostic port or connector of the vehicle and collects charging and driving data.”

EV owners will also get access to that information through Fleetcarma’s portal, which includes driving efficiency, charging habit, trip data, battery health information and more. If you live in New York City or Westchester County and you have an EV, you can apply here.

Matthew Ketschke, Con Edison’s vice president, Distributed Resource Integration, said about the new program:

“We expect the number of electric vehicles to increase the next few years as drivers realize the economic and environmental benefits. We see EVs as another technology that is helping us build a cleaner, more efficient energy future in which customers have access to the choices they want.”

Considering Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc, one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric utility, they could potentially open the same program to other markets if it proves successful.