Xcel Energy Time of Use in Minnesota: Peak Hours, Rates and How to Save (2026)

Updated November 2026 by Wolf River Electric

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Xcel Energy’s peak hours in Minnesota are 6 pm to 9 pm on weekdays. On Xcel’s optional Time of Use rate, power during those three hours costs about 21 cents per kWh in summer and 17 cents in winter, while power from midnight to 6 am costs about 7.5 cents all year. Every other hour, including weekends and holidays, is mid-peak at about 13 cents in summer and 11 cents in winter.

That gap is the whole game. If you can move dishwashers, dryers, EV charging and other big loads out of the 6 pm to 9 pm window, Time of Use can lower your bill. A home battery makes that much easier, because it can run the house through the peak window for you.

What are Xcel Energy’s Time of Use hours in Minnesota?

Xcel’s residential Time of Use rate has three periods. Summer prices run June 1 to September 30. Winter prices run October 1 to May 31.

Prices are the per-kWh figures Xcel Energy shows on its Minnesota Time of Use page as of November 2026. Holidays follow the weekend schedule, so there is no on-peak period on holidays. Check Xcel’s Time of Use page or your bill for the latest numbers, fees and riders.

How much more does peak power cost?

In summer, a kWh at 7 pm on a Tuesday costs almost three times as much as a kWh at 2 am. In winter it costs a little over twice as much. Mid-peak is priced close to the standard flat rate, so most of your hours cost about what they do today. The savings or losses come from the 6 pm to 9 pm window and from how much you can push into the overnight hours.

A simple example: moving 5 kWh a day of summer use from on-peak to off-peak saves about 67 cents a day (5 kWh times the 13.5 cent difference), or roughly $20 a month. Moving the same 5 kWh from on-peak to mid-peak saves about 40 cents a day.

Who should switch to Time of Use?

Time of Use is optional for Xcel residential customers in Minnesota. It tends to fit homes that:

• Charge an electric vehicle and can schedule charging after midnight.
• Can run the dishwasher, laundry and other flexible loads before 6 pm or late at night.
• Have a home battery that can cover the 6 pm to 9 pm window.
• Are often away from home on weekday evenings.

It can cost more for homes that cook, do laundry and run electric heat or air conditioning hard every weekday evening and cannot move that use. Xcel’s rate comparison tool in My Account shows what your last year of usage would have cost on each plan.

How does a home battery help on Time of Use?

A home battery stores energy when it is cheap or free and uses it when power is expensive. On Xcel’s Time of Use rate, that means the battery can carry most or all of a typical home through the three peak hours each weekday.

Most homes use about 1 to 3 kW during a weekday evening, so the 6 pm to 9 pm window takes roughly 3 to 9 kWh. One Tesla Powerwall 3 stores 13.5 kWh, a FranklinWH aPower 2 stores 15 kWh, and an Enphase IQ Battery 10C stores 10 kWh, so a single battery usually covers the peak window with room left for backup if the power goes out.

Wolf River Electric installs all three. See home battery backup for how we size and install them, or our guide on how long a Tesla Powerwall lasts.

Do solar panels help with Time of Use?

Solar panels make most of their power in the middle of the day, which falls in the mid-peak period, and production drops off as the sun goes down in the evening. On their own, panels do little during the 6 pm to 9 pm window, especially in winter when it is dark well before 6 pm.

Solar paired with a battery works best: the panels charge the battery during the day, and the battery covers the evening peak. If you already have solar or are planning it, ask Xcel how Time of Use works with your net metering setup before you switch, and ask us to model both plans when we design your system. Start with a free solar energy audit.

Time of Use and EV charging

The easiest Time of Use win is charging an electric vehicle after midnight, when power costs about 7.5 cents per kWh. Most EVs and Level 2 chargers can be scheduled from an app. Xcel also has separate EV charging programs with their own hours, so compare those with the whole-home Time of Use rate before you choose. See EV charger installation.

Tips to save on Xcel Time of Use

• Run the dishwasher, washer and dryer before 6 pm or after 9 pm. Overnight is cheapest.
• In summer, pre-cool the house a few degrees before 6 pm and let the thermostat drift during the peak window.
• Schedule EV charging to start after midnight.
• Set a home battery to discharge from 6 pm to 9 pm on weekdays and recharge from solar or overnight power.
• Remember weekends and holidays have no on-peak period, so heavy chores on Saturday and Sunday cost the mid-peak price.

Xcel Time of Use questions

What time is peak hours for Xcel Energy in Minnesota?

6 pm to 9 pm, Monday through Friday. Weekends and holidays have no on-peak hours.

What is the cheapest time to use electricity with Xcel?

Midnight to 6 am, every day, at about 7.5 cents per kWh on the Time of Use rate.

Is Xcel Time of Use mandatory in Minnesota?

No. For residential customers it is an optional rate. You can compare plans in your Xcel My Account or call Xcel at 800-895-4999.

Can a battery pay for itself on Time of Use alone?

Usually not on rate savings alone, because the peak window is only three hours on weekdays. The bigger value of a battery is backup power during outages, with Time of Use savings and any utility battery program on top. We can show you the numbers for your home.

Want to know whether Time of Use, a battery or solar makes sense for your home? Get a free quote from Wolf River Electric.