How to read your solar bill

As a PG&E solar and renewable energy customer, you are enrolled in the NEM program to monitor both your solar energy production and home’s consumption. PG&E installs a specially programmed net meter to measure the net energy—the difference between the energy produced by your renewable generating system and the amount of electricity supplied by PG&E. Each month you pay only for your monthly minimum delivery charges and any gas charges. Your meter is read monthly, and the net energy usage during each billing period appears as either a credit or a charge on your NEM statement. These credits and any charges are carried forward month to month for 12 billing months. The final amount is reconciled on your annual True-Up statement.

As a Private rooftop solar customer, you will receive your annual True-Up statement at the end of the 12th month of your billing cycle. The True-Up statement reconciles all the cumulative energy charges, credits and compensation for the entire 12-month billing cycle. If you have a balance due after all charges and credits are reconciled, that amount will appear on the last PG&E bill of your 12-month billing cycle. By law, any remaining credits will be reset to zero before the beginning of your new 12-month billing cycle.

Many factors can affect your True-Up bill. Changes in your household or lifestyle, such as adding another person to the household, acquiring large new appliances, buying an electric car or installing a pool, may result in higher energy usage. Remember, each solar system is unique and can be affected by other factors such as system size, roof orientation and weather.

At True-Up, you may be entitled to compensation for surplus energy—if your system produced more energy than your home used over the 12-month billing cycle. The rate is set by California Public Utilities Commission at approximately two to four cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). As a Private rooftop solar customer, you do not need to take any action to receive compensation. PG&E will determine your eligibility automatically at the end of each True-Up billing cycle and calculate any amount owed to you on the True-Up Statement.

The rate at which a charge or credit is calculated is based on your electric rate schedule. When you become a solar customer, you must be on a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate schedule, either remaining on your existing TOU rate schedule or request an interconnection agreement with a different metered TOU rate schedule. Your contractor should help you understand the different rate schedules for which you qualify.

On a TOU rate schedule, your account may show a credit even when your system has not generated a net energy surplus. This is because the rate per kWh is higher during certain times of the day and/or certain times of the year. If your system generates more energy than your home consumes during these peak periods, the rates at which you are credited are higher than the rates you may be charged for consuming energy during non-peak periods.