Xcel Energy (Colorado) - EV Accelerate at Home/Optimize Your Charge

Wally5280

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Thought I'd post my experience getting set up for the EV Accelerate at Home/Xcel Optimize your Charge program along with the home wiring rebate they offer. It may be of help to others.

Basically, Xcel offers these two programs as incentives for EV owners. I'm in Colorado but I believe they have programs in other states as well. A quick summary of which each program entails:

EV Accelerate At Home - With this program, you rent a charger from Xcel for $13.29/month and they will get you set up with an electrician to get it set up and hardwired. This ONLY includes the hard wiring of the charger to a nearby 240v circuit that has the proper amperage for the charger. If you require additional electrical work then it will cost you more, however, Xcel does offer a $500 rebate for any wiring work needed for your charger. You can only select a Chargepoint Home Flex or a Enel X JuiceBox as your charger if you enroll in this program. By enrolling in EV Accelerate At Home you also agree to charge at off-peak times and also enroll in the Optimize Your Charge Program. (see following paragraph). https://ev.xcelenergy.com/ev-accelerate-at-home-co

Optimize Your Charge - This program provides a $50 rebate every year if you agree to charge your EV during off peak times. There are 3 options given for your off-peak schedule: 9pm-6am, 12:30am-9:30am, 6am-3pm. You are still allowed to occasionally charge outside of your schedule but may risk your rebate if you're always charging outside of your set schedule. Xcel doesn't actually stop you from charging any time you want so no need to worry about having to plug in at random times. You still have to use a Home Flex or JuiceBox with this option but you can purchase it yourself and not have to pay the $13.29/month. The $500 rebate is also available even if you do not utilize the EV Accelerate at Home Option. You link the ChargePoint app with the Optimize Your Charge program using a 'meter number' that Xcel emails you. This allows Xcel to track your charging and I believe they have a separate break-out on your bill for the EV charging which is nice. https://ev.xcelenergy.com/optimize-your-charge

I had initially intended to go with the EV Accelerate At Home route and rent a charger. I filled out the enrollment form on the Xcel website and received an email immediately stating that I was enrolled in the program and that "An electrician from Xcel Energy’s trusted network will contact you within 2 business days to coordinate the installation and setup of your charger". It ended up taking 5 days to hear back but someone from White Star Electric (https://www.whitestarteam.com) finally reached out to me to set up an appointment. I was able to get an appointment within a week and they came out to give me an estimate. Sidenote: I have a detached garage and would have to bury a 100 amp electrical wire through my backyard about 30' so I knew my costs were going to be more than most others' installs. Anyway, they came back at $2600 to bury the wire and install a sub-panel along with wiring up the charger. They did offer to cut $500 off the cost if I was willing to dig the trench myself.

That seemed a bit pricey to me so I got a referral for another electrician to do the same work. Next estimate came back at $2000 and he would also wire a NEMA 14-50 outlet in addition to the Home Flex (might as well future proof in the event my wife gets an EV as well). At this point I could just buy the home flex with the savings and not have to pay the rental fee so I decided to go this route. I cancelled my enrollment in the EV Accelerate at Home program and just went with the optimize your charge. I chose the 9pm-6pm charge schedule and it's been working great for me since I typically leave for work around 7am. I also submitted for my $500 rebate but have not received it yet. (edit: Submitted the rebate form yesterday and already got an email today that I was approved! I should receive a check in 6-8 weeks).

My main takeaways are:
  • The EV Accelerate At Home program would be much better if you weren't forced to use the electrician that is contracted with Xcel. Their higher costs pretty much negated the benefits of renting the charger (at least in my case). If you already are wired for the 240v outlet then you'd have no out of pocket costs so it may be worth it then. Xcel also provides a lifetime warranty and services the charger if there are any issues.
  • I wish the optimize your charge offered reduced rates for charging at off-peak times. The $50 rebate is nice but it would be great if they incentivized you a little more with a reduced rate. Note: This will change a bit as Xcel moves to time of use pricing over the next 1-2 years. (link). Basically, charging off peak will end up saving you 2-4 cents/kWh over the current rates depending on the time of year.
  • $500 wiring rebate is awesome! Take advantage while you can!
  • I was able to get everything set-up and installed before I even had my car so no need to put off your install until you get your car.
  • Xcel is great at responding to emails and answering questions. They have a dedicated email address for their EV programs and are very responsive. [email protected]
Let me know if you have questions. Happy to answer.
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phidauex

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Thanks for the write-up, that is the clearest I've heard the two programs explained. I decided to do a simple GrizzlE charger and hardwire myself because I didn't want to deal with a rental, and $50/yr didn't seem enough to sweeten the deal for me.

I'm eager for the time of use rates to come out, however - combined with my solar, and already being pretty good about using energy off-peak or self-generated, I think it could save me up to 15% on my total energy costs.
 
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Wally5280

Wally5280

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Thanks for the write-up, that is the clearest I've heard the two programs explained. I decided to do a simple GrizzlE charger and hardwire myself because I didn't want to deal with a rental, and $50/yr didn't seem enough to sweeten the deal for me.

I'm eager for the time of use rates to come out, however - combined with my solar, and already being pretty good about using energy off-peak or self-generated, I think it could save me up to 15% on my total energy costs.
Yeah, it was more the $500 wiring rebate that pushed me towards the optimize your charge. If I already had the major wiring in place I probably wouldn’t have bothered.

I’m in the same boat with the new rates. I have solar as well so the new rates will also benefit me. That $.27/kWh for summer peak may push a lot of people towards solar. The Xcel programs for solar are also great. (At least they were when I installed my panels)
 

Arsenic17

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If you drive 10k miles per year, the $50 annual bill credit is close to 2 cents per KwH.
10,000 miles / 3.3 mi/kwh = 3000 kwh / 0.02 = $60

Last I saw is that to get your $50 credit you only have to charge 25% of the energy in your specific window. 75% of the time you can charge outside you timeframe at no penalty.

Side note: All my neighbors already got switched over to TOU pricing and got the special meters installed. Except myself and my other neighbor that has solar too. Xcel is purposely leaving solar owners out of TOU (for now, possibly forever?).
 

woody

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Xcel puts their customers first! said the blind man
Xcel has only their customer's interest at hand! said the blind man again
Ask the Xcel customers who gave Xcel control of their thermostats/electrical usage.
If you want Xcel to have more control over you, go for it.
If you think Xcel is doing this for your benefit, go for it.
My experiences w/ Xcel have been and continue to be most unpleasant never beneficial.
Xcel's current anti-alternative energy campaign involves refusing to install or connect meters it requires for solar. Forcing residents and installers to wait for months to over a year before the installed solar can come on line. (CBS, ABC, Denver Post, Fox, Colorado Public Radio, etc.)

Leasing solar panels is a costly and disastrous headache. Never do it. (it is illegal in some states)
Renting or leasing anything attached to your property is ill advised.
Being forced to purchase a particular (brand) product will not be a benefit for the consumer.
 


woody

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If you drive 10k miles per year, the $50 annual bill credit is close to 2 cents per KwH.
10,000 miles / 3.3 mi/kwh = 3000 kwh / 0.02 = $60

Last I saw is that to get your $50 credit you only have to charge 25% of the energy in your specific window. 75% of the time you can charge outside you timeframe at no penalty.

Side note: All my neighbors already got switched over to TOU pricing and got the special meters installed. Except myself and my other neighbor that has solar too. Xcel is purposely leaving solar owners out of TOU (for now, possibly forever?).
We have solar. Xcel sent us their threatening form letter for their special meter install. It has not been installed as of today.
 

woody

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Yeah, it was more the $500 wiring rebate that pushed me towards the optimize your charge. If I already had the major wiring in place I probably wouldn’t have bothered.

I’m in the same boat with the new rates. I have solar as well so the new rates will also benefit me. That $.27/kWh for summer peak may push a lot of people towards solar. The Xcel programs for solar are also great. (At least they were when I installed my panels)
There were a few very short lived solar programs which are long gone. Xcel is currently blocking solar by refusing to connect meters. Covered by virtually every media outlet in CO of late.
To add insult to injury the PUC has decided to permit Xcel itself to determine its own penalties! for the delays!!!
 

Mach-Lee

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There were a few very short lived solar programs which are long gone. Xcel is currently blocking solar by refusing to connect meters. Covered by virtually every media outlet in CO of late.
To add insult to injury the PUC has decided to permit Xcel itself to determine its own penalties! for the delays!!!
Is there any way around the solar meter requirement if you never spin the meter backwards?
 

woody

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Only when you go off grid.
I hope to never have to go off grid, because I produce much/most excess energy in the summer when the grid (currently) demands the most electricity. I do not want it to go unused.
Solar saves you money.
Residential solar energy IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR ANY UTILITY by far. The utility company does not pay anything for residential solar equipment or maintenance. They "pay" me 4mils/kWh.
Utility costs to produce electricity by source: coal >6.5¢/kWh; gas >15.1¢/kWh; geothermal >5.6¢/kWh; nuclear >13.1¢/kWh; etc.*
utility solar/wind costs , low end, >2.6¢/kWh; solar w/storage >12.6¢/kWh and dropping
*2021 prices - gas and coal are now much higher now (ask anyone who still heats w/ gas)
 

EELinneman

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Great write up. Xcel has challenges, but they are a dream compared to Intermountain Flash & Flicker, um CORE make this Poor. I had a 4 month fight to get my solar connected including rejecting the interconnect as the 30 year old existing box was 1.5 inches too high! Only when I sent them the letter from the lawyer did they show up. Then it took them 3 times to bring the right net meter.

The PUC here in Colorado is worthless. They have never rejected a rate increase, so they have staff who bounce between working for the state and the utilities. My piss-poor utility has zero incentives or programs for BEV's and even put a penalty in place for usage between 4 and 8 at the highest amount in the nation. Hawaii included.

We have used Pro Power Colorado for a number of projects and the work is absolutely flawless. You pay for it, but the county inspector has been very flattering of the work they have done.

Best of luck with XCel going forward.
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