Now Offering New Ways for EV Owners to Save

Upcoming SmartHours Program Pilot to Offer New Ways for EV Owners to Save Starting October 2025

VPPSA has requested approval from the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) to launch the SmartHours Program Pilot, which if approved, will introduce dynamic EV charging rates starting October 1, 2025.

As we approach October 1, 2025, more information will become available here on how you may register for the SmartHours Program Pilot. Please bookmark this page and check back for updates as we get closer to launch!

This limited pilot program is designed to help customers save on electricity costs by charging their EVs during lower-demand, lower-cost hours. It builds on VPPSA’s commitment to innovation, affordability, and smarter energy use.

VPPSA’s EV Tariff Rider Pilot gives you a new way to take control of your energy use by giving you the ability to partake more directly in market-based pricing. Rather than having a fixed or tiered rate, eligible customers can use hourly energy prices to charge EVs at home when energy costs are lowest.

Participants will be able to see and receive notifications on tomorrow’s energy prices to take advantage of the best charging times (typically before 4pm and after 9 pm). Participants in this pilot can monitor prices, react to high price notifications and the opportunity to save on their charging relative to their current base rate.

Eligibility & How to Participate

To register, you must have an eligible EV and receive service from a VPPSA utility.

To register for the pilot:

Pre-Enrollment Process

Enter your EV make, model, and year into the form to instantly determine your eligibility.
Fill out the registration form with the required information. You will need your utility account number at this stage.
Your utility will get in touch with you to confirm your information and complete your pilot registration.

EV Registration Process & Ongoing Device Monitoring/Management

You will receive an email inviting you to create a customer account, where you can enroll your EV, check EV tariff prices, view your usage, and opt in to notifications.
Enroll your eligible EV to the pilot by giving us permission to view your home charging data. Only data that is necessary for the pilot will be collected from your vehicle.
Charge your EV at home. Whether you actively manage your EV charging against hourly prices or check in only occasionally, you’ll be able to view your EV energy usage, pilot participation credits, and more on a dedicated online dashboard for participants.

EV Tariff Rider Credits

Credits for pilot participation depends on both the hourly EV Tariff Rates and your EV charging.

To determine your credits, we will use your EV’s home charging energy usage data and calculate your costs based on your default rate and pilot hourly rates. The difference between the two will be the credit or bill for the billing period and will be reflected on your normal bill.

Given hourly pricing correlates with market-based energy pricing fluctuations, there may be brief periods where hourly prices are high, resulting in higher than normal charging costs. You can opt in to email notifications after registration to help avoid these times. Learn more about hourly prices and current prices on our dedicated pricing page.