What is a true-up statement?
Learn what a true-up statement is and what to expect when you receive it
The bill that the utility will give you at the end of your solar billing cycle is a true-up argument. The solar billing period is normally 12 months, so at the end of your first 12 months as a solar customer you will typically receive your first true-up message. The true-up statement reconciles all the cumulative energy charges, credits and any compensation for the entire solar billing cycle that you may be entitled to. If after all charges and credits are reconciled, you have a balance due, that amount will appear on your statement of true-up. If you have extra credits, your company will either reset your remaining credits to zero (typical) or move your credits to the next solar billing cycle, depending on your interconnection agreement.
By paying attention to your electricity bill every month throughout your solar billing cycle, you can prepare for your true-up statement (no surprises!). Many utilities provide a monthly snapshot of projected real-up charges (or credits) based on what you’ve generated and what you’ve consumed up to now. Keep in mind that if you are on a time-of-use (TOU) rate plan, charges and credits can differ depending on the time of day when energy is being used. Here you can learn more about the different schedules of prices. Most solar customers switch from a single-rate or flat-rate system to a TOU schedule when they go to solar, so they may be surprised how charges differ with the time of day. That’s why it’s important to monitor your electricity bill to make sure you take advantage of solar generation and reduce consumption when rates are higher… so you won’t be surprised when you receive your true-up message.
What does PG&E track?
Whenever your solar generates more energy than you are currently using, you send the extra energy to the grid, and PG&E gives you credit for the energy value. In that particular moment, when your home needs more electricity than your network, you draw on the power that PG&E produces through the grid, and PG&E monitors the energy’s value. This makes it possible for them to monitor the “net” energy, or how much energy your machine contributes to the grid and how much energy your home absorbs from the grid.
PG&E will give you a Net Metering Report every month. It records the output of the “net,” aka the excess power your solar system sends to the grid and the absorption of the “net,” the total power your home draws from the grid. Until the end of your True-Up duration, you are not billed for this batch.
Considering Going Solar? Solar Harmonics is Here to Help
Most of our clients are looking for a company they can trust to help them go solar. Based on our decade in business, online reviews, and Diamond Certification, Solar Harmonics is the best choice to trust to complete your solar project on time, on budget, and with the expected results. It is our mission to design the best value solar panel system that produces reliably over the next 30 – 40 years and saves the most money for our clients. If the financial goals of our clients intersect with the global and environmental goals of our founder, it is a win for everyone except the utility companies. Contact us today for your free quote!
