Overview
As a subscriber with a community solar project, you will receive solar credits and subscription fees on your electricity bill throughout the year. In most cases, you can expect to receive bill credits and fees consistently on each month’s bill. However, depending on the date(s) when you receive your existing electricity bill, you may experience some solar billing inconsistencies. Specifically, there may be months when you receive no bill credits and fees and instead receive bill credits and fees for two-months’ worth of solar production on the next month’s bill.
This resource explains how to identify if your current billing date is likely to experience solar billing inconsistencies and explains how to change your billing cycle if you would like to see your community solar credits and fees on a more predictable, monthly basis.
Please note that there is no requirement to change your billing cycle in order to participate in the community solar program. The steps below are optional.
Identifying Impact Based on Billing Due Dates
Your current billing due date determines when you receive your monthly bill (also known as the billing cycle). In order to change the billing cycle, you can select a new due date, otherwise known as a “preferred due date.”
Portland General Electric
The following utility bill due dates are likely be impacted by this irregular schedule:
- 23rd of the month
- 24th of the month
- 25th of the month
- 26th of the month
- 27th of the month
- 28th of the month
Pacific Power
If your typical billing statement dates fall within this range, then it will be impacted by this irregular schedule:
- 5th of the month
- 6th of the month
- 7th of the month
- 8th of the month
Idaho Power
The following bill cycles are likely to be impacted by this irregular schedule:
- Bill cycle 5
- Bill cycle 6
- Bill cycle 7
If your typical due date falls within the above date range, you may experience solar billing inconsistencies. Follow the steps below for your utility to align your bill cycle with your solar credits and fees.
Process to Change to a Preferred Due Date
You can change your billing due date to a preferred due date online or over the phone.
To change your billing cycle online:
- Sign in to your PGE account online at https://new.portlandgeneral.com/
- Choose “Billing and Payment Options”
- Choose “Select your due date”
- Choose a date that falls outside of the 23rd – 26th.
You’ll see a notice after you change your due date informing you that your date change will take effect with your next month’s bill.
To change your billing cycle over the phone:
- Call the PGE call center: 1-800-542-8818
- Inform the PGE representative that you are a part of the Oregon Community Solar Program and you’d like to change your preferred due date so it does not land between the 23rd through the 26th of the month.
- The date you choose will be your new billing date moving forward.
Process to Change to a Preferred Due Date
You can change your billing due date to a preferred due date over the phone.
To change your billing cycle over the phone:
-
Call the call center at 1-888-221-7070
-
Tell the PAC representative that you are a part of the Oregon Community Solar Program and you would like to change your billing date outside of the 5th – 8th in order to see your credits and fees presented on your bill regularly.
-
The new due date will be your due date moving forward.
Process to Change to a Preferred Due Date
You can change your billing due date to a preferred due date over the phone.
To change your billing cycle over the phone:
-
Call 1 (800) 488-6151
-
Ask if your bill cycle falls within cycle 5-7 and if so ask to be moved out of that bill cycle range.
-
Be advised that you can only move your current bill due date +/- 10 days
-
This will go into effect on your next bill cycle and may take several bill cycles to be completely effective.
There are no guarantees that taking the steps above will prevent skipping/doubling of solar bill credit and fees in all cases, but it will minimize these inconsistencies from occurring throughout the year.