12/08/2025
What the $5/kW charge actually means
This is almost certainly a demand charge or coincident peak charge based on your highest kW used during the 5–9 pm window (sometimes taken as a monthly or seasonal value).
Example for a typical house:
You run the A/C, EV charger, oven, etc. at 7 pm and hit 12 kW for even 15 minutes.
Utility sees a 12 kW “peak demand” for that window.
They bill: 12 kW × $5/kW = $60 that month (on top of your normal kWh charges at ~13 ¢/kWh).
So a family that uses 800–1,000 kWh/month could easily see an extra $50–$100/month just from this charge alone during summer.
