Which Holidays Count as Off-Peak for APS Customers in 2026?

Which Holidays Are Off-Peak for APS Customers in 2026?

APS observes six holidays as full off-peak days for all time-of-use customers in 2026: New Year's Day on January 1, Memorial Day on May 25, Independence Day on July 4, Labor Day on September 7, Thanksgiving Day on November 26, and Christmas Day on December 25. On every one of these dates, every hour of the day is billed at the off-peak energy rate, regardless of what time you use power.

That distinction matters more than it might sound. On a normal summer weekday, the hours between 3 PM and 8 PM cost APS Saver Choice customers roughly 20 cents per kilowatt-hour. On any of the six holidays above, that same electricity drops to around 8 cents. The entire afternoon window, when air conditioning works hardest and solar panels produce the most, runs at the cheaper rate.

How Does the APS Off-Peak Holiday Rule Work on TOU Plans?

On an APS off-peak holiday, the entire 24-hour day is treated as off-peak. It does not matter which TOU plan you hold or what time of day you use power. Saver Choice, Saver Choice Plus, and Saver Choice Max customers all receive the same treatment. There is no partial exception for late afternoon or early evening hours. If a holiday falls on what would normally be a peak weekday, APS still bills the entire day as off-peak.

APS states this directly on its rate page: "These holidays will be treated as off-peak (or super off-peak) for all time-of-use rate plan customers."

Independence Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, which is already off-peak under every APS TOU plan. The holiday designation makes no practical difference there. The high-value date to mark on your calendar is Labor Day, September 7, a Monday deep in the summer season. That day would normally carry five full hours of peak pricing from 3 to 8 PM. Under the APS holiday rule, it runs at off-peak rates from midnight to midnight.

Which APS Rate Plans Qualify for APS Off-Peak Holidays 2026?

All time-of-use rate plan customers qualify, which covers the large majority of Phoenix-area residential accounts: Saver Choice, Saver Choice Plus, Saver Choice Max, and the demand-charge-based Saver Plus plans that include TOU components. The holiday off-peak treatment applies automatically. You do not need to request it or adjust any settings.

If you are still on the flat-rate Premier plan, none of this applies. The Premier plan has no peak and off-peak distinction, so holidays do not change your bill one way or the other. Most APS customers who have gone solar have already migrated to a TOU plan, since the Saver Choice structure generally works better with solar self-consumption.

What Is the Difference Between Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak on APS Holidays?

Some APS commercial rate plans include a super off-peak tier with rates lower than standard off-peak. On the six holidays, customers on those plans receive super off-peak pricing for the entire day. For the residential TOU plans most Phoenix homeowners hold, Saver Choice, Plus, and Max, the holiday rate is the same off-peak rate that applies to evenings, weekends, and nights year-round. Super off-peak is a commercial plan feature.

How Much Cheaper Is Electricity on an APS Off-Peak Holiday?

The spread depends on the season, and summer is where the real savings live. Under the APS Saver Choice plan, the on-peak summer energy rate is approximately 19.87 cents per kilowatt-hour. The off-peak summer rate is approximately 8.34 cents. That gap, roughly 11.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, adds up fast on a holiday when the household is home all day running AC, cooking, and entertaining.

A household that runs its air conditioner, dishwasher, and electric dryer during what would normally be peak hours on Labor Day can consume 20 to 30 kilowatt-hours in that five-hour window. At peak rates, that is $4.00 to $6.00. At off-peak rates, it costs $1.67 to $2.50. Multiply that across a family that also charges an EV, runs a pool pump, and cooks a large meal, and the savings on a single summer holiday can easily clear $10 to $15.

Winter holidays are a different story. The gap between peak and off-peak on the winter schedule, roughly 11 cents versus 8 cents per kilowatt-hour, is much narrower. New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas carry a real but smaller discount compared to the summer dates.

How Can Phoenix Solar Homeowners Benefit from APS Off-Peak Holidays?

Solar homeowners on APS TOU plans should approach off-peak holidays with a clear strategy. On a normal summer weekday, solar panels producing power in the afternoon are offsetting electricity that would otherwise cost 20 cents per kilowatt-hour. On a holiday, that same solar production is only offsetting electricity at 8 cents per kilowatt-hour. The panels are still working, but the avoided cost per kilowatt-hour is lower.

The practical answer is to run high-load appliances when your panels are producing rather than relying on export credits. APS net billing credits exported power at the same applicable rate, which on a holiday is the off-peak rate. Self-consuming your own solar and exporting it to the grid produce equal economic value per kilowatt-hour on off-peak days. The advantage of self-consumption is that you avoid buying any grid power at all.

For a deeper look at how solar pairs with each APS rate tier throughout the year, our breakdown of APS off-peak hours and solar savings walks through the math in detail.

When Should You Run Appliances on an APS Off-Peak Holiday?

Run dishwashers, clothes dryers, and electric ovens during peak solar production hours, typically 10 AM to 3 PM in summer. If you drive an electric vehicle, charge it during midday rather than overnight. Pool pump, water heater, and any scheduled smart-home devices should all be shifted into daylight hours on these dates. Since the entire day is off-peak, you lose nothing by using grid power in the evening, but you gain more by displacing as many kilowatt-hours as possible with your own solar output.

Homeowners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Scottsdale often run pool equipment that consumes 1 to 2 kilowatt-hours per hour. Keeping the pump on during a holiday afternoon rather than overnight costs the same in dollar terms, but it frees up your evening solar battery capacity for the house. If you have a home battery paired with your solar system, the holiday is a good day to charge it fully from panels rather than from the grid.

APS Off-Peak Holidays 2026 Across the Phoenix Valley

The holiday off-peak policy covers every APS service territory customer across greater Phoenix. Whether your home is in Tempe, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Avondale, or Goodyear, the six dates and the rate treatment are identical. APS does not vary the holiday schedule by city or zip code.

What does vary is how much each household saves. A Peoria home with a backyard pool, three occupants, and a two-car EV charging setup will see a bigger dollar difference on Labor Day than a two-person household in central Phoenix with modest AC use. The more electricity your household moves during what would normally be peak hours, the more meaningful the holiday discount becomes.

Residents in SRP territory, which includes most of Chandler, parts of Tempe, and portions of Mesa and Gilbert, should note that SRP runs a different holiday schedule with different TOU peak hours. If you are unsure which utility serves your address, contact Phoenix Valley Solar to confirm your territory before making any rate plan decisions.

How Solar Pairs with APS Off-Peak Holidays for Long-Term Savings

The highest long-term savings for Phoenix homeowners come from pairing a well-sized solar system with the right APS rate plan. A solar system paired with Saver Choice or Saver Choice Plus means you offset expensive peak-rate electricity on ordinary weekday afternoons throughout the summer, not just on holidays. Phoenix averages 5.8 peak sun hours per day, which means a typical 8-kilowatt system generates 40 to 46 kilowatt-hours on a clear summer day. At off-peak holiday rates that output covers most of a full household's daily consumption.

The six off-peak holidays stack on top of that existing savings pattern, not instead of it. They are a bonus built into the rate structure, not the primary reason to go solar.

The 2026 APS solar rate plans comparison breaks down Saver Choice against the demand-charge options and helps you decide which plan fits your usage habits. If you are still deciding whether solar makes financial sense for your home, the Solar Savings Calculator gives a bill estimate specific to your home size and APS rate plan.

How to Save 30% on Solar Even After the 2025 Federal Tax Credit Expired

Anyone who did not complete a solar purchase before the federal investment tax credit for owned systems expired at the end of 2025 can still get the same 30% discount through a prepaid solar lease. The lease structure passes 48E tax credit savings to you as a reduced upfront cost, so the economics stay comparable to what buyers received under the old ITC. This is not tax advice, and you should verify the current credit status with a qualified tax professional before making any decision.

The prepaid lease is one of the options Phoenix Valley Solar presents when you get competing quotes from multiple installers across the Valley. Rather than steering you toward one company, an independent solar broker helps you compare all-in prices, financing terms, and equipment specs side by side, which is the most reliable way to know whether the number a single installer gives you is actually competitive. Reach out for a free consultation to run the numbers on your specific roof and APS bill.

Frequently Asked Questions: APS Off-Peak Holidays 2026

See the FAQ section below for quick answers to common questions Phoenix homeowners ask about APS holiday rates and solar savings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which holidays does APS treat as off-peak in 2026?

APS observes six holidays as full off-peak days in 2026: New Year's Day (Jan 1), Memorial Day (May 25), Independence Day (Jul 4), Labor Day (Sep 7), Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26), and Christmas Day (Dec 25). All time-of-use customers get off-peak rates for the entire 24-hour period on each date.

Does the APS holiday off-peak rule apply to all time-of-use plans?

Yes. APS applies the holiday off-peak rule to all residential TOU plans: Saver Choice, Saver Choice Plus, Saver Choice Max, and demand-charge TOU variants. The holiday designation is automatic. Customers on the flat-rate Premier plan are not affected because that plan has no peak and off-peak distinction.

Is Labor Day 2026 the most valuable APS off-peak holiday for solar owners?

Yes. Labor Day falls on September 7, a Monday during summer peak season. It is the only 2026 off-peak holiday that would otherwise be a summer weekday with full 3 PM to 8 PM peak pricing. Independence Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, so it is already off-peak without the holiday rule.

Should I export or self-consume solar power on an APS off-peak holiday?

Self-consumption and export are equally valued per kilowatt-hour on off-peak holidays, since both are credited at the off-peak rate. The practical strategy is to maximize self-consumption by running appliances during peak solar production hours, so you avoid purchasing any grid power at all on those days.

How much can an APS TOU customer save on Labor Day by shifting usage off-peak?

On a normal summer weekday, APS Saver Choice customers pay roughly 20 cents per kilowatt-hour during the 3 to 8 PM window. On Labor Day that drops to about 8 cents. A household using 25 kilowatt-hours in that window saves around $3 compared to what it would pay on a regular Monday.

Can I still get a 30% solar discount after the federal tax credit expired in 2025?

Yes. A prepaid solar lease passes the 48E tax credit savings through to you as a reduced upfront cost, giving you the same approximate 30% discount without requiring you to own the system. Consult a tax professional to confirm current credit eligibility before making any purchase decision.