Key facts, October 1, 2026 rate sheets
| Item | South (Nevada Power, Las Vegas area) | North (Sierra Pacific, Reno area) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard plan | RS: 11.379 cents consumption, 11.514 cents total effective | D 1: 11.240 cents consumption, 11.386 cents total effective |
| Time of use plan | ORS TOU | OD 1 TOU |
| Summer on peak (June 1 to Sept 30, 6:01 to 9 p.m. daily) | 46.912 cents | 49.514 cents |
| Summer off peak (all other summer hours) | 7.062 cents | 8.710 cents |
| Winter, all hours (October to May) | 8.415 cents | 8.705 cents |
| Per kWh riders and charges added to every price | about 0.174 cents (DEAA credit, TRED, EE, NDPP, ESAP, UEC) | about 0.146 cents (same items) |
| Basic service charge | $18.00 on both plans | $18.50 standard, $18.25 time of use |
| First year guarantee | Credit of any amount by which time of use consumption charges exceeded the standard rate | |
Sources: Nevada Power d/b/a NV Energy residential rate schedules effective October 1, 2026; Sierra Pacific Power d/b/a NV Energy residential rate schedules effective October 1, 2026. Prices in this guide are per kWh before the local government fee, which both sheets show at 5 percent in their sample bills.
How the riders were added
The time of use prices on both sheets are consumption charges only. Each sheet lists the same per kWh items below them. In the south: DEAA, a credit of 0.250 cents; TRED, 0.044 cents; EE, 0.267 cents; NDPP, 0.029 cents; ESAP, 0.006 cents; and the Universal Energy Charge, 0.039 cents. Together they add 0.174 cents, which is exactly the gap between the standard RS consumption charge of 11.379 cents and its total effective rate of 11.514 cents. In the north the items are a DEAA credit of 0.500 cents, TRED 0.064, EE 0.223, NDPP 0.316, ESAP 0.004 and UEC 0.039, adding 0.146 cents, again matching the gap between D 1's 11.240 cent consumption charge and its 11.386 cent total. All in, time of use costs about 8.589 cents in a southern winter and 8.851 cents in a northern one; summer off peak is 7.236 cents south and 8.856 cents north; summer on peak is 47.086 cents south and 49.660 cents north.
The break even, worked out
In winter there is nothing to solve. Every winter hour on time of use is cheaper than the standard plan, by about 2.9 cents per kWh in the south and 2.5 cents in the north. In summer, set the cost of added use on time of use equal to the standard rate. South: 7.236 plus 39.850 times the on peak share equals 11.514, so the share is about 10.7 percent. North: 8.856 plus 40.804 times the share equals 11.386, so the share is about 6.2 percent. The northern plan is less forgiving because its off peak price sits closer to the standard rate. If more than a tenth of a southern load, or more than a sixteenth of a northern one, runs between 6:01 and 9 p.m. in summer, time of use costs more for that load.
Hot tubs: easiest load to schedule
A 4 kW heater, the size in the MyHotTub Mazara, uses 4 kWh in an hour at full power. All in, that hour costs about 46 cents on either standard plan, 34 to 35 cents on a winter time of use day, 29 cents (south) or 35 cents (north) off peak in summer, and $1.88 (south) or $1.99 (north) during the summer peak. A tub that heats about 240 kWh in a winter month costs about $27.63 on RS and $20.61 on ORS TOU in the south, or $27.33 on D 1 and $21.24 on OD 1 TOU in the north. Las Vegas summers are hot enough that the heater barely runs, so the summer question for a southern tub is mostly the circulation pump. Set filter cycles to finish before 6 p.m. A 120 volt plug and play tub such as the MyHotTub Terra has a 1 kW heater, a quarter of every figure above, but it recovers slowly, which matters more in a Reno winter than a Las Vegas one.
Saunas: the summer evening session is the problem
A 6 kW heater such as the one in the Almost Heaven Salem draws 6 kWh in an hour of heating and use. All in, an hour costs about 69 cents on RS or 68 cents on D 1. On time of use it is about 52 cents (south) or 53 cents (north) at any winter hour, which makes time of use a straightforward win from October through May. In summer, four evening sessions at 7 p.m. use 24 kWh and cost about $11.30 on the southern peak or $11.92 on the northern one, against about $2.76 or $2.73 on the standard plans. Move those sessions to the morning, the afternoon or after 9 p.m. and they cost about $1.74 (south) or $2.13 (north). Few Las Vegas owners want a hot sauna on a July afternoon, but a late night session counts as off peak.
Cold plunges: watch the chiller in summer
A cold plunge chiller works hardest in exactly the months that have a peak. The Penguin Chillers premium acrylic plunge lists 450 watts. Assume it runs 8 hours a day, about 108 kWh a month. On the standard plans that costs about $12.44 (south) or $12.30 (north). If the run time is spread evenly across the day, 12.5 percent of it lands in the 6:01 to 9 p.m. window, above both break even shares, and the same chiller costs about $13.19 on ORS TOU or $15.07 on OD 1 TOU. Schedule it off for those three hours and the cost falls to about $7.81 (south) or $9.56 (north). A well insulated lid shortens run time on any plan. In winter the chiller costs about $9.28 (south) or $9.56 (north) on time of use for the same 108 kWh, and in a Reno winter it may run far less than that assumption.
The whole house decides
Time of use is a meter level plan. Summer air conditioning between 6:01 and 9 p.m. is billed at the peak price too, and in a Las Vegas July that load is usually far larger than a tub or plunge. Before enrolling, look at how much of your past summer use fell in that window. The first year guarantee written into both rate sheets lowers the risk: after a year on time of use, the company compares what you paid for consumption with what the standard schedule would have charged for the same kWh and credits the difference if time of use cost more, then asks whether you want to stay.
Wiring the equipment
Changing rate plans needs no permit, but adding a 240 volt circuit for a tub or sauna does. For Las Vegas and Clark County rules see our hot tub permit and electrical guide for Las Vegas and sauna electrical permits in Las Vegas. For Reno and Henderson fees and owner builder steps, see hot tub and sauna permits in Reno and Henderson.
Related guides
- Rocky Mountain Power time of use with a hot tub or sauna in Utah
- Cold plunge chiller power in Las Vegas
- What a sauna costs to run
- 120 V plug and play vs 240 V hot tubs
- How to drain a hot tub or cold plunge in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Reno
- Hot tubs and cold plunges in North Las Vegas: permits, power and draining
- Sparks, Nevada permits for hot tubs, saunas and cold plunges
Frequently asked questions
What are NV Energy's time of use peak hours?
On both the southern plan (ORS TOU, Las Vegas area) and the northern plan (OD 1 TOU, Reno area), on peak is 6:01 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day from June 1 to September 30, weekends included. Every other summer hour is off peak, and October through May has a single winter price for all hours.
Is NV Energy time of use cheaper for a hot tub?
From October through May, yes for the tub itself: all winter hours cost about 8.6 cents per kWh in the south and 8.9 cents in the north, all in, against 11.5 and 11.4 cents on the standard plans. In summer it depends on how much of the added use lands between 6 and 9 p.m. The break even is about 10.7 percent on peak in the south and 6.2 percent in the north.
How much does a sauna session cost on NV Energy?
A 6 kW heater at full draw uses 6 kWh an hour. All in, that is about 69 cents on the standard southern plan and 68 cents on the northern one. On time of use it is about 52 to 53 cents in winter, 43 cents (south) or 53 cents (north) off peak in summer, and $2.83 (south) or $2.98 (north) during the summer peak.
Should a cold plunge chiller run during the summer peak?
Not on time of use. A 450 watt chiller running 8 hours a day uses about 108 kWh a month. If its run time is spread evenly through the day, about 12.5 percent falls in the peak window, which is above both break even points, so it costs more than the standard plan. Keep it off from 6 to 9 p.m. and the summer bill for that chiller drops to about $7.81 in the south or $9.56 in the north.
What happens if time of use costs me more in the first year?
Both rate sheets include a Time of Use Guarantee: at the end of the first year, NV Energy compares what you paid for consumption on time of use with what the standard residential rate would have charged, and credits the difference if time of use cost more.
Are Las Vegas and Reno on the same NV Energy rates?
No. Southern Nevada is served under Nevada Power's schedules and northern Nevada under Sierra Pacific Power's. The peak window is the same, but the prices differ: the northern summer peak is 49.514 cents per kWh before riders, the southern one 46.912 cents.
Does time of use apply only to my hot tub?
No. The plan applies to the whole home's meter, so summer air conditioning between 6 and 9 p.m. counts too. Check your past summer bills before switching.
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