What it costs, what's permitted, and what to ask before you hire.
Last verified: 2026-05-31 · Data building
Likely first step
Get itemized quotes from 2–3 licensed contractors
Panel / electrical
Verify your panel capacity with an electrician
Complexity
Verify locally
Permit likelihood
Confirm with your building department
Rebate sensitivity
Verify current programs
Best first call
A licensed contractor for an itemized quote
Utility impact
Electric & gas: SDG&E
San Diego Gas & Electric
As of 2026-05-30, SDG&E's default residential plan is TOU-DR1, a three-period time-of-use plan with on-peak / off-peak / super off-peak windows and a 4-9 PM peak. TOU-DR2 offers a simpler two-period structure with the same 4-9 PM peak. Households with EVs, batteries, or heat pumps may benefit from TOU-ELEC (designed for electrified homes), or from EV-specific plans: EV-TOU-5 (whole-house TOU with the lowest overnight pricing for home charging and the Solar Billing Plan) and EV-TOU (a separate-meter option). TOU-DR-P and EV-TOU-5-P are event-based variants that add Reduce Your Use events (up to 18/year) with a $1.16/kWh event adder during 4-9 PM. Plans require 12-month commitments; homeowners should verify the current default and rate cards on the SDG&E pricing plans page before assuming a peak window or rate.
$400–$3,500 — Typical SoCal repair-cost band for a residential gas furnace or central AC, covering the most common service categories listed in the Bay Area counterpart record. Excludes full equipment replacement (compare with socal-cost-heat-pump-hvac), heat-exchanger replacement (commonly $1,200–$3,000 on its own), and A2L refrigerant transition retrofits.