SC and sub-rate codes, in two minutes
Every Central Hudson tariff has two layers. The outer layer is the Service Classification (SC): SC-1, SC-2, SC-3 and so on. The SC is the actual tariff schedule, with its own fixed charges, per-kWh delivery rate, demand charges (where applicable) and time-of-use rules.
The inner layer is the sub-rate code, written as E100, E110, E120, E149, E150, E180, E190, E191 (electric) or G100, G120, G130 (gas). The sub-rate code does not change the per-kWh price you pay. It is a population-tracking field that records which appliances Central Hudson believes are at the address: electric water heater, electric space heating, three-phase service, residential heating versus non-heating. Two SC-1 households with different sub-rate codes pay the same rate per kWh.
The exceptions are the low-income sub-rate codes (E190, E191 electric; G190, G191 gas) and the voluntary time-of-use codes (E600, E610, E680), which do reflect different pricing through the EAP or time-of-use schedule.
Electric service classifications
SC-1 — Residential
The default for single-family homes, apartments, condos, churches and not-for-profit veterans' offices. Also covers mixed-use properties where residential use is dominant. Single-phase service. Most Central Hudson customers are SC-1.
Sub-rate codes
- • E100 — residence rate, single-phase service residence or church
- • E110 — standard electric water heater rate, residence or church
- • E120 — apartment space heating without electric water heater
- • E130 — residential unbilled
- • E149 — residence rate, three-phase service (PSL 76 customers only)
- • E150 — apartment heating
- • E180 — single-family dwelling space heating with electric water heater
- • E190 — low-income programme, residential non-heating
- • E191 — low-income programme, residential heating
SC-2 — General service
Catch-all for non-residential use: small offices, retail, restaurants and three-phase residences with high power load (rare, mainly large estates or homes with major workshops). Includes both single-phase and three-phase service options.
Sub-rate codes
- • E200 — secondary, single or 3-phase, with secondary measured demand
- • E201 — secondary, single or 3-phase, demand over 50 kW
- • E203 — secondary with hourly pricing
- • E209 — secondary with economic development discount
- • E230 — single or 3-phase without measured demand
- • E240 — primary metered with primary measured demand, customer-owned transformer
- • E243 — primary metered with hourly pricing
- • E290 — commercial unbilled
SC-3 — Large commercial / industrial
Higher-demand non-residential service: factories, large commercial buildings, demand-metered industrial customers. Combines a kW demand charge with a per-kWh energy charge. Specific eligibility thresholds are defined in the Central Hudson tariff schedule.
SC-6 — Voluntary residential time-of-use
Same eligibility as SC-1, but with a delivery rate that varies by time of day and season. Useful for households with shiftable load: overnight EV charging, scheduled heat-pump or pool-pump operation, off-peak laundry and dishwasher use. Opt-in, not automatic.
Sub-rate codes
- • E600 — residential time-of-use service
- • E610 — residential TOU with electric heat without electric water heater
- • E680 — residential TOU with electric heat pump without electric water heater
SC-13 and other minor classes
Street and traffic lighting, large institutional users, agricultural irrigation pumps. Specialised tariffs that apply to a small minority of accounts. See the Central Hudson tariff schedule on cenhud.com for the full list.
Gas service classifications
Gas SC-1 — Residential
Default residential gas service. Covers heating, water heating, cooking and dryer use at single-family homes, apartments, condos and small mixed-use properties.
Sub-rate codes
- • G100 — residence rate
- • G120 — space heating rate
- • G130 — residential unbilled
- • G190 — low-income programme, residential non-heating
- • G191 — low-income programme, heating
Gas SC-12 — Residential core transportation
For residential customers who buy gas commodity from a non-utility supplier and use Central Hudson only for transportation (the gas-side equivalent of buying electricity from an ESCO). Delivery rate set by Central Hudson; commodity price set by the gas supplier.
Sub-rate codes
- • G300 — residence, transportation
- • G320 — full heating rate, core transportation
- • G330 — residential unbilled, transportation
Other gas classes
SC-2 (small commercial gas), SC-3 (large commercial / industrial gas), interruptible service for industrial customers willing to switch to backup fuel during peak demand, and several gas transportation-only classes for large customers. See the gas tariff schedule on cenhud.com.
Most customers do not know they could request a reclassification
Your service classification is not permanent. When you first opened the Central Hudson account, the agent matched you to an SC based on the address type and the equipment list at the time. If your usage profile has changed materially since, you can ask Central Hudson to review whether a different SC fits better. Three real scenarios where reclassification can save money.
Scenario 1. SC-1 to SC-6 (voluntary time-of-use) after an EV or heat-pump install. The default SC-1 charges a flat per-kWh delivery rate regardless of when you use power. SC-6 charges a high on-peak rate and a much lower off-peak rate. If you have added an EV (charging overnight) or a heat pump on a smart schedule, your usage profile may have shifted enough off-peak that SC-6 beats SC-1. Look at your bill\'s hourly usage breakdown for the last 12 months; if more than 50 to 60 percent of usage happens off-peak, SC-6 is worth modelling.
Scenario 2. SC-2 to SC-1 after a home-based business closes. Hudson Valley residences that ran a home business (workshop, salon, in-home daycare) sometimes ended up on SC-2 because the original account application flagged commercial use. SC-2 carries higher fixed charges and a demand component. If the business has wound down and the address is fully residential again, request a re-rate to SC-1; the savings can be material.
Scenario 3. Sub-rate code mismatch after a heat-pump retrofit. If you replaced a fossil-fuel furnace with electric heating (heat pump, heat-pump water heater), your account may still be on a non-heating sub-rate code (E100 or E110) when E120, E150 or E180 better describes the load. The sub-rate code does not change your price per kWh, but it can affect whether you are eligible for certain rate-design programmes (EAP enrolment, electric-heating-specific incentives). Call Central Hudson to update the sub-rate code after major equipment changes.
Process: call 1-845-452-2700, explain the change in your usage profile or equipment, and request a tariff review. The agent will either reclassify on the spot or send a technician for a load survey. There is no charge for the review.
How to find your current service classification
Your Central Hudson bill prints the SC and sub-rate code near the top of the delivery section, formatted like SC-1, E100 or SC-1, E180. If you cannot find it on the bill:
- ✓Log in to SmartBill on cenhud.com; the account-summary page lists the SC.
- ✓Call 1-845-452-2700 and ask the agent to read the SC and sub-rate codes for both electric and gas service.
- ✓If you are in a multi-family building with sub-metered units, the SC may be the building owner\'s rather than yours. Ask your landlord which tariff applies.
Common service classification questions.
A service classification (SC) is the tariff schedule Central Hudson uses to bill your account. It determines fixed charges, the per-kWh delivery rate, demand charges (where applicable) and which time-of-use options you can choose. Each SC carries one or more sub-rate codes that record which appliances are at the address.
Look near the top of the delivery section on your Central Hudson bill. It will read something like SC-1, E100 or SC-1, E180. You can also find it in SmartBill on cenhud.com, or call 1-845-452-2700 and ask the agent.
SC-1 is the default residential tariff with a flat per-kWh delivery rate. SC-6 is voluntary residential time-of-use, where the delivery rate varies by time of day and season. SC-6 makes sense if a meaningful share of your usage is off-peak (overnight EV charging, scheduled heat-pump operation, off-peak laundry).
The sub-rate code (E100, E110, E120, E180, etc.) records which appliances Central Hudson believes are at your address: electric water heater, electric space heating, three-phase service. Two SC-1 homes can have different sub-rate codes without paying different per-kWh prices. The exceptions are the low-income E190 / E191 codes and the SC-6 time-of-use codes, which do reflect different pricing.
Yes, with limits. If your usage profile or equipment has changed (added a heat pump, EV, home business closed, gas-to-electric conversion), call 1-845-452-2700 and request a tariff review. SC-1 to SC-6 is opt-in. SC-2 to SC-1 requires confirming the address is fully residential again. The review is free.
The low-income sub-rate codes correspond to the NY PSC Energy Affordability Program (EAP), a fixed monthly bill credit for income-eligible Central Hudson customers. Enrolment is usually automatic if you already receive HEAP or SNAP, but you can apply manually through Central Hudson or your county Department of Social Services.
Yes. Central Hudson maintains separate SC tables for gas. Residential gas customers are typically on Gas SC-1 (G100 base, G120 heating, G190 / G191 low-income). Customers who buy gas from a non-utility supplier and use Central Hudson only for transportation are on Gas SC-12 (G300, G320, G330).
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