Generating customers, here’s how
to read your utility bill
1. Charges for the
energy you
purchased from the
grid (KWH).
2. Portion of the Net
Metering Credit
that cannot be used
during the current
billing period. This is
deposited into your
Net Metering
Reserve.
A
B
C
NOTE: There is a required
minimum charge of
53¢ per day. The Net
Metering Credit
cannot reduce your
energy charge below
this required
minimum.
1
2
3
3. Total value of the
electricity fed back
to the PUD grid
(KWH NET) during
the billing period.
How is my system reflected on the bill?
Inverters
PV
Array
DC
Utility
Grid
AC
Production
Meter
A
AC
Loads
Electrical
Panel
Net Billing
Meter
B
$
C
For details
about how bills
are calculated
and other
FAQs, please
see reverse.
Solar Billing FAQs
How are my Total Utility Charges Calculated?
Your total utility charges are Energy Charges (KWH) minus your credit for Net Metering (KWH NET) plus the portion of the
Net Metering Credit that cannot be used to offset eligible charges and is thus deposited to the Net Metering Reserve.
On the sample bill (see reverse):
$32.50
–$23.41
+$6.81
= $15.90
KWH, see note 1
KWH NET, see note 3
Net Metering Reserve, see note 2
Total Utility Charges
Other charges such as municipal taxes, water, Planet Power contributions, or energy consumption on a separate meter are not
shown on the sample bill, but could add to your total utility charges.
If your KWH (1) minus your Net Metering Credit (3) is greater than PUD’s minimum energy charges ($.53 per day x days in
bill period), you will not have Net Metering Credit deposited to the reserve (2). Instead, if you previously had credit in your Net
Metering Reserve, you may have credit applied from the reserve. It will appear on your bill as such:
Net Metering Credit from Reserve applied to this invoice ................................................. $XX.XX CR
This would be subtracted from the energy charges to contribute to your Total Utility Charges on this bill.
How can I calculate my total energy use?
Your total energy use is made up of energy generated by
your renewable energy system, plus energy you buy from the
grid, minus energy you send back to the grid. On the sample
bill, the home’s total use this bill period is 333 KWH REN (A)
+ 329 KWH (B) – 237 KWH NET (C) = 425 KWH
If I produced more energy than I used, why do I
still have to pay PUD energy charges?
Even though you produced more energy than you
consumed during the billing period, the PUD did incur costs
on your behalf. We work to maintain grid infrastructure so
that power is there for you any time you need more than what
your system is producing. All customers pay a minimum
energy charge to help pay for this service, and Net Metering
cannot offset this.
How long will I carry a balance in the Net Metering
Reserve?
During each billing period, we will apply as much of the
Net Metering Credit as possible to energy charges on your
account. Any remaining unused credit will be held in the
reserve for the future, carried over from one bill period to the
next until it is fully used or until April 30 of each year, when
any remaining unused Net Metering Credit expires according to state law. Customers are not compensated for Net
Metering Credit that expires.
When and how do I receive my Renewable Energy
Production Incentive (from the WA State Renewable Energy Cost Recovery Program)?
To be eligible for the Production Incentive, you must be
certified by the Washington State Department of Revenue.
You will need to submit a Renewable Energy System Cost
Recovery Certification form to the Department of Revenue
along with all required documentation. Once you receive
your certification letter from DOR, submit a copy to the
PUD. A blank form can be found at http://dor.wa.gov/Docs/forms/Misc/RenewEnerSystCertInvCstRecIncPrgm.pdf.
The PUD meters your renewable energy production and
shows this on statements as KWH REN (line A). After June
30 of each year through 2020, PUD will prepare an annual
incentive application for all certified customers. We will let
you know how much energy was produced and metered
during the fiscal year and the total incentive amount earned.
When the PUD receives your acceptance of these figures, we
will credit your account for the lump sum of fiscal year incentives (typically in August or September). You may request
refund of the full credit amount or leave it on your account to
pay down future PUD charges.
Can I use PUD’s Budget Payment Plan (BPP) for a
Net Metered Account?
Budget Payment Plans are not compatible with Net Metering and will be discontinued when your account is set up on
our Net Metering rate schedule. If you have concerns about
this, please contact customer service at 425-783-1000.