Shandong province will implement a new schedule for peak and valley electricity pricing starting October 1, 2026, according to an official announcement. The adjustment follows a directive from the Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission aimed at strengthening the signal of time-of-use tariffs to encourage users to shift consumption away from peak periods, balance supply and demand, and boost the integration of renewable energy.
Scope of Commercial and Industrial Time-of-Use Pricing
The new policy applies to capacity compensation charges, grid connection line loss fees, and system operation costs for commercial and industrial users. It also covers the agency purchase prices for users purchasing electricity through grid enterprises, excluding electric railway traction power which has separate national regulations. Other electricity costs related to shared profit and loss allocations will not be subject to the time-of-use pricing mechanism.
Price Fluctuation Ratios
Under the revised framework, prices during peak periods will rise by 70%, while valley periods will see a 70% reduction. Sharp peak periods will carry a 100% surcharge, and deep valley periods will benefit from a 90% discount.
New Time Periods for Commercial and Industrial Users
From October 1, 2026, the time bands have been restructured to reflect seasonal demand patterns. From November through February and December, valley periods are set from 2:00 to 6:00 and 10:00 to 15:00, with deep valley hours from 11:00 to 14:00. Peak hours run from 7:00 to 9:00 and 16:00 to 21:00, with sharp peak from 16:00 to 19:00. All other hours are considered standard periods.
Between March and June, valley periods are scheduled from 8:00 to 15:00, including deep valley from 10:00 to 14:00. Peak hours are from 17:00 to 23:00, with sharp peak between 17:00 and 22:00. For July and August, valley pricing applies from 1:00 to 6:00, while peak hours run from 16:00 to 23:00, featuring sharp peak from 17:00 to 22:00. From September through November, valley periods occur from 9:00 to 15:00, with deep valley from 11:00 to 14:00, and peak hours from 16:00 to 22:00, including sharp peak from 17:00 to 20:00.
Voluntary Participation for Other Sectors
Residential electric vehicle charging stations, electric bicycle charging and swapping facilities, agricultural production electricity, and electric-coal replacement users under residential aggregate metering in Qingdao and Zibo may opt into the time-of-use pricing scheme voluntarily. For these participants, the off-peak window remains from 23:00 to 7:00, while other peak and valley periods will follow the commercial and industrial schedule.
Local Headlines
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