Lancaster Energy or SCE: what a household pays beta
Lancaster Energy buys the electricity; SCE delivers it and sends the bill. Pick your city, rate plan and usage to see the official comparison of a typical bill on each Lancaster Energy product and on SCE, with an estimate for your own usage.
Every plan on the official comparison
The typical monthly bill printed on the comparison for each residential rate plan, and the difference from SCE (red: more, blue: less).
Lancaster
SCE–Lancaster Energy joint rate comparison: SCE rates are current as of June 1, 2026. LCE rates are current as of August 21, 2024. Source (fetched 2026-10-20).
| Plan | Typical use | SCE | Clear Choice default | Smart Choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D Tiered · sheet: DOMESTIC | 659 kWh | $249.05 | $292.00 +17.2% | $302.00 +21.3% |
| D CARE Tiered · sheet: D-CARE | 659 kWh | $152.61 | $195.56 +28.1% | $200.56 +31.4% |
| D FERA Tiered · sheet: D-FERA | 659 kWh | $193.15 | $236.10 +22.2% | $246.10 +27.4% |
| TOU-D-4-9 Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm · sheet: TOU-D-4 | 659 kWh | $249.30 | $292.33 +17.3% | $302.33 +21.3% |
| TOU-D-4-9 CARE Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm · sheet: TOU-D-4-CARE | 659 kWh | $152.77 | $195.80 +28.2% | $200.80 +31.4% |
| TOU-D-4-9 FERA Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm · sheet: TOU-D-4-FERA | 659 kWh | $193.34 | $236.37 +22.3% | $246.37 +27.4% |
| TOU-D-5-8 Time-of-use, peak 5–8 pm · sheet: TOU-D-5 | 659 kWh | $249.48 | $292.46 +17.2% | $302.46 +21.2% |
| TOU-D-5-8 CARE Time-of-use, peak 5–8 pm · sheet: TOU-D-5-CARE | 659 kWh | $152.90 | $195.88 +28.1% | $200.88 +31.4% |
| TOU-D-5-8 FERA Time-of-use, peak 5–8 pm · sheet: TOU-D-5-FERA | 659 kWh | $193.50 | $236.48 +22.2% | $246.48 +27.4% |
| TOU-D-PRIME Time-of-use PRIME · sheet: TOU-D-PRIME | 659 kWh | $250.75 | $293.32 +17.0% | $303.32 +21.0% |
| TOU-D-PRIME CARE Time-of-use PRIME · sheet: TOU-D-PRIME-CARE | 659 kWh | $153.75 | $196.32 +27.7% | $201.32 +30.9% |
| TOU-D-PRIME FERA Time-of-use PRIME · sheet: TOU-D-PRIME-FERA | 659 kWh | $194.54 | $237.11 +21.9% | $247.11 +27.0% |
- Smart Choice: the typical bill includes a fixed $10.00 a month.
- Smart Choice (CARE): the typical bill includes a fixed $5.00 a month.
- Smart Choice (FERA): the typical bill includes a fixed $10.00 a month.
Why the bills differ
The delivery part of the bill goes to SCE whichever provider you choose. What differs is the price of the power itself and the exit fee (the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment, PCIA): a charge on CCA customers for power contracts the utility signed before they left, set by the CPUC each year by the year the customer's community left (its “vintage”). How it moved since 2018, by utility and vintage: the exit fee by year.
Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm (TOU-D-4-9PM), Clear Choice: the power price is 15.70¢ a kWh against SCE's 11.74¢ (3.96¢ higher). The exit fee and franchise fee (SCE's “surcharges”: the Cost Responsibility Surcharge, which includes the PCIA, and the franchise fee) is 3.16¢ for Lancaster Energy customers and 0.00¢ for SCE customers (3.16¢ more). (SCE prints no surcharge for its own customers: their share is inside its generation rate.) Delivery is printed 0.59¢ lower for Lancaster Energy customers. Net: 6.53¢ a kWh, or $43.03 on the typical 659 kWh bill (+17.3%).
Time-of-use, peak 4–9 pm (TOU-D-4-9PM), CARE, Clear Choice: the power price is 15.70¢ a kWh against SCE's 11.74¢ (3.96¢ higher). The exit fee and franchise fee (SCE's “surcharges”: the Cost Responsibility Surcharge, which includes the PCIA, and the franchise fee) is 2.57¢ for Lancaster Energy customers and 0.00¢ for SCE customers (2.57¢ more). (SCE prints no surcharge for its own customers: their share is inside its generation rate.) Delivery is the same. Net: 6.53¢ a kWh, or $43.03 on the typical 659 kWh bill (+28.2%).
The difference over time
Every comparison found from 2021 on, most of them from archived copies (utilities overwrite these sheets in place).
| Rates as of | Plan | Utility bill | Products (vs the utility) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCE June 1, 2026 / CCA August 21, 2024 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 659 kWh | $249.05 | Clear Choice default $292.00 +17.2% Smart Choice $302.00 +21.3% | source |
| SCE January 1, 2026 / CCA January 1, 2026 (as printed) City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 659 kWh | $250.02 | Clear Choice default $292.98 +17.2% Smart Choice $302.98 +21.2% | source |
| June 1, 2025 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 613 kWh | $216.05 | Clear Choice default $243.54 +12.7% Smart Choice $253.54 +17.4% | source |
| March 1, 2024 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 690 kWh | $261.24 | Clear Choice default $258.66 −1.0% Smart Choice $268.66 +2.8% | source |
| SCE January 1, 2024 / CCA July 1, 2023 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 690 kWh | $258.26 | Clear Choice default $261.88 +1.4% Smart Choice $271.88 +5.3% | source |
| June 1, 2023 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 707 kWh | $258.94 | Clear Choice default $247.06 −4.6% Smart Choice $257.06 −0.7% | source |
| SCE March 1, 2023 / CCA February 1, 2023 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 707 kWh | $244.81 | Clear Choice default $240.31 −1.8% Smart Choice $250.31 +2.2% | source |
| SCE June 1, 2022 / CCA May 20, 2022 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 690 kWh | $216.60 | Clear Choice default $220.96 +2.0% Smart Choice $230.96 +6.6% | source |
| SCE February 1, 2021 / CCA March 1, 2021 City of Lancaster (Lancaster Energy, formerly Lancaster Choice Energy) | DOMESTIC (D) · 613 kWh | $155.19 | Clear Choice default $160.60 +3.5% Smart Choice $170.60 +9.9% | source |
Your options
Switch to another Lancaster Energy product
Web form (embedded on /opt-up/). Lancaster Energy: change your product.
Return to SCE
Lancaster Energy: opt out · (844) 288-4523.
“You have the right to opt out of LCE without penalty at any time. ... If you decide to opt back in to SCE after the 60-day opt out period, SCE will charge a one-time account processing fee.” source
“Customers who opt out before or within the first 60 days of Lancaster Energy (LE) service may return to LE at any time. Customers who opt out after the first 60 days of service with LE will be prohibited by Southern California Edison from returning to LE for one year.” source
SCE's rules for returning customers
Within the first 60 days: “If you opt out within the first 60 days after transferring to CCA Service, your account will be transferred from CCA Service and to the same bundled service you were on prior to being transferred to CCA Service. at no cost to you and with no penalty.” source
After 60 days: six months’ notice: “If you opt out of CCA service more than 60 days after being transferred to CCA Service, you will be required to provide a completed Six-Month Advance Notice to Return to Bundled Portfolio Service (Form 14-955) before you will be eligible to return to SCE bundled service.” source
Or return at once: “Request an immediate return to SCE (during the six-month advance notice period), in which case your service account will be served on Schedule Procurement Charge — Transitional Bundled Service (Schedule PC-TBS) for the six-month advance notice period. You will continue to pay CCA CRS charges while on TBS service.” source
Then a minimum stay: “Following the end of the six-month advance notice period, your account will be returned to SCE's bundled service for a minimum commitment of 12 months. During this 12-month period, customers will not be allowed to switch to CCA Service or Direct Access Service until their 12-month commitment has been fulfilled ... *The time served under TBS shall apply toward the 12-month minimum commitment with SCE.” source
Re-entry fee: “Note: Either option is subject to a one-time re-entry fee to cover costs associated with account processing. Please see CCA Info Tariff.” source
Member cities and their default product
The default product is the one a city's customers are enrolled in unless they choose another; where a CCA offers several, each member city's council chooses it. Every city's default and the council decisions behind it.
| City | Default product | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | Clear Choice since 2015-05 (CCA service start per cca_members.csv | source |
Lancaster Energy in the CCA money pages: finances, credit ratings, money returned to customers, and money between Lancaster Energy and its member city governments. · Every CCA