SCE Bill Help for Solar Owners
There are a number of things about SCE's bills that can be confusing or even misleading. Some are for customers with Time-of-Use (TOU) schedules and/or solar systems.
These things are not easy to find or well explained, on the bill or the SCE website. They can only be learned the hard way, through reading everything and lots of phone calls to SCE.
The tips below are the fruits of my labors to find these things out. I hope they save you some time and trouble. You can also download a pdf from SCE about their bills for solar customers, called "Understanding Your Net Energy Metering (NEM) Bill."
These things are not easy to find or well explained, on the bill or the SCE website. They can only be learned the hard way, through reading everything and lots of phone calls to SCE.
The tips below are the fruits of my labors to find these things out. I hope they save you some time and trouble. You can also download a pdf from SCE about their bills for solar customers, called "Understanding Your Net Energy Metering (NEM) Bill."
General Tips
1. Your Customer Account and its number is not the same as your Service Account and its number. You only have one Customer Account. If you have service at more than one address, you'll have multiple Service Accounts.
2. Billing Cycle Dates. In the right-hand column near the middle of the page, it says "Your next billing cycle for meter #___ will end on or about ___." But it will actually end on the day before that date. Your first day of charges will be the day after the ending date on page 3 under "Details of your new charges: Billing period ___ to ___ (__ days). This first day of the new billing period is also usually the same as the "Date bill prepared" at the top of page 1.
3. TOU Schedule. If you are on Time of Use (TOU) Schedule, which particular schedule you're on is a little hard to find. It is shown on page 3 under "Details of your new charges: Your rate: __." There will also be a table separating out your usage in kWh by TOU period (on-peak, off-peak, and super-off- peak).
2. Billing Cycle Dates. In the right-hand column near the middle of the page, it says "Your next billing cycle for meter #___ will end on or about ___." But it will actually end on the day before that date. Your first day of charges will be the day after the ending date on page 3 under "Details of your new charges: Billing period ___ to ___ (__ days). This first day of the new billing period is also usually the same as the "Date bill prepared" at the top of page 1.
3. TOU Schedule. If you are on Time of Use (TOU) Schedule, which particular schedule you're on is a little hard to find. It is shown on page 3 under "Details of your new charges: Your rate: __." There will also be a table separating out your usage in kWh by TOU period (on-peak, off-peak, and super-off- peak).
Where You Are in the 12-Month Billing Cycle
Which Billing Month number the current bill falls into is found in the upper right-hand corner of page 1: "Net energy metering annual billing month #__." You're on a 12-month cycle to accumulate net energy charges and credits, and you settle up with SCE the month after a 12-month cycle ends.
Breakdown of Your "Usage" & "Net Generation"
There is also be a table on page 1 separating out your "usage" and "net generation" in kWh.
This is confusing, because usage isn't usage and net generation isn't the electricity your PV system generated.
To repeat from the article on Net Metering, here are the relevant definitions:
From SCE's point of view, everything is broken up into hours, and all that they know is how much electricity their meter on your house recorded during that hour going into your house or coming back to the grid from your PV system. What you did with the rest of the electricity produced by your PV system is invisible to the meter.
Non-confusing terminology would be the following:
But on your SCE bill, the amounts drawn and sent back are netted for each hour, and the net amount is thrown into the "usage" category by SCE if it's positive and the "net generation" category if it's negative. Then all the positive ones are totaled in the section of this table on page 1 under Usage, and all the negative ones totaled under Net Generation.
You can monitor your system's production through the PV system's own monitoring tools and website, but nothing shows you your total consumption. For each hour, your total consumption is the sum of what the PV system produced plus the amount shown by SCE as drawn or sent. For example, if the system produced 4 kWh that hour and SCE's Green Button Data shows you drew another 1 kWh from SCE that hour, you must have consumed a total of 5 kWh that hour. If it shows you sent SCE 1 kWh during that hour, you must have consumed only 3 of the 4 kWh produced.
This is confusing, because usage isn't usage and net generation isn't the electricity your PV system generated.
To repeat from the article on Net Metering, here are the relevant definitions:
- Usage
- To you, this means electricity consumed, whether from SCE or your PV system. Should be called "consumed."
- To SCE, it means electricity drawn from their grid. Shoud be called "drawn."
- Generation
- To you, this means electricity produced by your PV system. Should be called "produced."
- To SCE, it means electricity you sent back to their grid. Should be called "sent."
From SCE's point of view, everything is broken up into hours, and all that they know is how much electricity their meter on your house recorded during that hour going into your house or coming back to the grid from your PV system. What you did with the rest of the electricity produced by your PV system is invisible to the meter.
Non-confusing terminology would be the following:
- Your PV system produces electricity
- You consume some of that and send the rest back to SCE's grid
- You also draw electricity from SCE's grid, and always consume all of that.
But on your SCE bill, the amounts drawn and sent back are netted for each hour, and the net amount is thrown into the "usage" category by SCE if it's positive and the "net generation" category if it's negative. Then all the positive ones are totaled in the section of this table on page 1 under Usage, and all the negative ones totaled under Net Generation.
You can monitor your system's production through the PV system's own monitoring tools and website, but nothing shows you your total consumption. For each hour, your total consumption is the sum of what the PV system produced plus the amount shown by SCE as drawn or sent. For example, if the system produced 4 kWh that hour and SCE's Green Button Data shows you drew another 1 kWh from SCE that hour, you must have consumed a total of 5 kWh that hour. If it shows you sent SCE 1 kWh during that hour, you must have consumed only 3 of the 4 kWh produced.
The Table titled "Your Daily Average Electricity Usage (kWh)"
This table is found on page 3 of your bill. It can be very confusing.
The y-axis scale is the number of kWh you used in an average day for the month of the bar labeled on the x-axis below it. It is your daily average for that month, not your total usage for that month.
This daily average is calculated for the billing period whose starting date is in the month shown in the x-axis. For example, if the month shown is Sept. 2016, the bar for that month means the daily average for the bill beginning sometime in Sept. 2016, even though it will probably end in Oct. 2016.
If that billing period had only 29 days in it, the daily average usage would be the total usage for that bill divided by 29.
The months shown are, from right to left
The numbers under the title of the chart, titled "2 Years ago: ___" etc. are the actual numbers plotted on the chart below. But again, they are daily averages, not monthly totals.
The y-axis scale is the number of kWh you used in an average day for the month of the bar labeled on the x-axis below it. It is your daily average for that month, not your total usage for that month.
This daily average is calculated for the billing period whose starting date is in the month shown in the x-axis. For example, if the month shown is Sept. 2016, the bar for that month means the daily average for the bill beginning sometime in Sept. 2016, even though it will probably end in Oct. 2016.
If that billing period had only 29 days in it, the daily average usage would be the total usage for that bill divided by 29.
The months shown are, from right to left
- The month that the current bill you're looking at is considered to be for
- The preceding 11 months
- The current month (per bill start date) 1 year ago
- The current month (per bill start date) 2 years ago.
The numbers under the title of the chart, titled "2 Years ago: ___" etc. are the actual numbers plotted on the chart below. But again, they are daily averages, not monthly totals.
New Minimum Delivery Charges
This is shown on page 3 under "Details of your new charges."
The minimum Delivery Charges changed in October 2015. For a long time, it used to consist only of the Basic Charge, which is the number of days in the billing period times $.031, plus a tiny amount of state tax. This Basic Charge remains unchanged.
But a new charge was added in October 2015: "Minimum (Delivery) Charge," and the rate for this charge went up from $.059 (about a nickel) per day to $.329 (about 33 cents per day). This is shown on the line below the Basic Charge as "Bal. of minimum charge," and good luck trying to compute it.
Here's how. From the last non-boilerplate page in your statement, called "Details of your tracked charges," add up your total Delivery Charges - the right hand column for the top section of the page (not the Generation Charges in the next section). Then there are 3 possibilities:
Wasn't that fun?
These minimum charges will add up to about $5.44 per month on average for a solar owner. This amount happens, at present, to be a bit more than offset by the semi-annual California Climate Credits ($40 each).
The minimum Delivery Charges changed in October 2015. For a long time, it used to consist only of the Basic Charge, which is the number of days in the billing period times $.031, plus a tiny amount of state tax. This Basic Charge remains unchanged.
But a new charge was added in October 2015: "Minimum (Delivery) Charge," and the rate for this charge went up from $.059 (about a nickel) per day to $.329 (about 33 cents per day). This is shown on the line below the Basic Charge as "Bal. of minimum charge," and good luck trying to compute it.
Here's how. From the last non-boilerplate page in your statement, called "Details of your tracked charges," add up your total Delivery Charges - the right hand column for the top section of the page (not the Generation Charges in the next section). Then there are 3 possibilities:
- If your Total Delivery Charges (from step above) plus your Basic Charge is greater than the number of days times $.329, your "Bal. of minimum charge" is 0.
- If your Total Delivery Charges (from step above) plus your old Basic Charge is less than 0 (because of your Net Metering credits, e.g.), then your "Bal. of minimum charge = the number of days times $.329, minus the Basic Charge.
- Otherwise, your "Bal. of minimum charge" = the number of days times $.329, minus your Total Delivery Charges.
Wasn't that fun?
These minimum charges will add up to about $5.44 per month on average for a solar owner. This amount happens, at present, to be a bit more than offset by the semi-annual California Climate Credits ($40 each).
Your Main Electricity Charges
Those were the easy parts of the bill. Here's the last part, which is the hardest. It's the section on the last non-boilerplate page, called "Details of your tracked charges." It's the section you need if you want to verify that you've been charged and credited correctly. It's particularly tricky for SCE solar customers, so that's the example used below.
The charges and credits are broken into two sections: Delivery Charges and Generation Charges. If you're on a TOU schedule, each of these 2 sections are broken down into the 3 time periods (on-peak, off-peak, and super-off-peak).
The kWh shown for each time period are your usage minus your generation, as shown on page 1. That is, if from page 1 you subtract the on-peak kWh in the Net Generation section from the on-peak kWh in the Consumption section, the result should = the on-peak kWh shown on this last page we're talking about - once in the Delivery Charges section and again in the Generation Charges section.
Rates. The rates per kWh for each of these time periods is found in the latest tariff for your rate schedule on sce's website at Residential Rates. Once there, click on your rate schedule for the pdf with the latest tariff.
Alas, you're not through yet. On sheet 2 of the pdf tariff, you'll find the rates for your schedule. If you have solar, you'll probably be using Schedule TOU-D, so that will be uses as an example, but these notes apply to other schedules as well. Be sure you pick the page for the right Option, A or B, that applies to you. They're 2 different rate schedules.
In the Generation columns, look under the UG heading. Those are the current Generation Charges for each time period. These rates should be identical to the ones on the bill in the Generation Charges section.
However, to get the rates for the Delivery Charges section, you must first find the DWRBC (DWR Bond Charge), which is on sheet 3 of the tariff in the DWRBC column. This should agree with the amount shown on the last page of your bill, there called DWR bond charge.
Add the DWRBC to each rate shown on tariff sheet 2 in the Delivery Service Total column, and it should equal the rate shown on your bill in Delivery charges, for each time period.
Now just multiply each line on your bill, kWh x rate, to confirm the total charge or credit in the right hand column, and you're almost through.
A tiny item on your bill will say "DWR energy credit." This rate is found on sheet 2 of the tariff in the column titled DWREC under Generation. It is multiplied by your total net usage in kWh to get a tiny credit, shown on this last page of your bill.
Baseline Credit.
Now that you've verified each number in the right column of this page, you can add them up and see if you agree with SCE as to what the bill calls your Energy Charge Total. This is the amount of money that is rolled over into the 12-month cycle if you have solar.
This Energy Charge Total plus the total on page 3 (Basic Charge plus the new Minimum Delivery Charge, called Your New Charges) equals the total charge for the month on page 1 of the bill.
The charges and credits are broken into two sections: Delivery Charges and Generation Charges. If you're on a TOU schedule, each of these 2 sections are broken down into the 3 time periods (on-peak, off-peak, and super-off-peak).
The kWh shown for each time period are your usage minus your generation, as shown on page 1. That is, if from page 1 you subtract the on-peak kWh in the Net Generation section from the on-peak kWh in the Consumption section, the result should = the on-peak kWh shown on this last page we're talking about - once in the Delivery Charges section and again in the Generation Charges section.
Rates. The rates per kWh for each of these time periods is found in the latest tariff for your rate schedule on sce's website at Residential Rates. Once there, click on your rate schedule for the pdf with the latest tariff.
Alas, you're not through yet. On sheet 2 of the pdf tariff, you'll find the rates for your schedule. If you have solar, you'll probably be using Schedule TOU-D, so that will be uses as an example, but these notes apply to other schedules as well. Be sure you pick the page for the right Option, A or B, that applies to you. They're 2 different rate schedules.
In the Generation columns, look under the UG heading. Those are the current Generation Charges for each time period. These rates should be identical to the ones on the bill in the Generation Charges section.
However, to get the rates for the Delivery Charges section, you must first find the DWRBC (DWR Bond Charge), which is on sheet 3 of the tariff in the DWRBC column. This should agree with the amount shown on the last page of your bill, there called DWR bond charge.
Add the DWRBC to each rate shown on tariff sheet 2 in the Delivery Service Total column, and it should equal the rate shown on your bill in Delivery charges, for each time period.
Now just multiply each line on your bill, kWh x rate, to confirm the total charge or credit in the right hand column, and you're almost through.
A tiny item on your bill will say "DWR energy credit." This rate is found on sheet 2 of the tariff in the column titled DWREC under Generation. It is multiplied by your total net usage in kWh to get a tiny credit, shown on this last page of your bill.
Baseline Credit.
- First, you have to know what Baseline Zone you're in. You can look that up on SCE's Index of Communities page.
- Go back to the page you linked to the map from ("Standard Residential Rate Plan" page). Scroll down a bit below that link you clicked on and you'll see a table called, "Daily Baseline Allocation (kWh) for the Residential Rate Plan - non-All Electric Households." This is a misleading title. The table has 2 columns, one for non-all-electric households and the other for all-electric households (called "allocation" in the column heading). All-electric households can mean either what it says or households whose primary source of permanently-installed heating is electric and who have applied for this designation.
- For summer, look up your baseline area number in the left-hand column and read off the "Summer (Daily kWh Basic Allocation)" figure in the center column across from it in kWh.
- Do the same for winter in the next section of the table.
- If you're an "all-electric household," use the figures in the far right column instead. This figure is the number of kWh per day you are allocated as your baseline, with different numbers for summer and for winter.
- Multiply this figure times the number of days in the billing period for the bill you're looking at. That should be the number of kWh that appears on your bill, on the last page, at the bottom of the Details of your tracked charges, on the line called, "Baseline credit." If it isn't, try it again for your second guess as to what your Baseline Region is. Whew.
- Unless your net usage for the billing period is less than this figure, in which case the kWh shown on the bill will be your actual usage. If that usage is negative (you sent more to SCE than you drew from it), your Baseline credit will instead be a charge: that negative kWh times the baseline rate/kWh.
- Not there yet. To get the $ figure for your baseline credit on that bill, you also need the baseline credit rate. That is found on sheet 2 of the tariff, about the middle of the page, called Baseline Credit - $/kWh/meter/day. That should be the same rate you see on the last page of your bill.
- Now, finally, multiply that rate times whatever number you and the bill agree on for number of kWh of baseline credit for that billing period. That will be the amount shown on that line at the right, either positive or negative, depending on how much electricity you used or sent back to SCE.
Now that you've verified each number in the right column of this page, you can add them up and see if you agree with SCE as to what the bill calls your Energy Charge Total. This is the amount of money that is rolled over into the 12-month cycle if you have solar.
This Energy Charge Total plus the total on page 3 (Basic Charge plus the new Minimum Delivery Charge, called Your New Charges) equals the total charge for the month on page 1 of the bill.
