Benefit from energy and solar metering

EBCE’s Net Energy Metering (NEM) program encourages our residential customers to install solar systems that produce clean renewable energy.

How it works

Net Energy Metering creates a two-way conversation between your solar system and the utility grid based on the variation in energy production and usage. Your interconnection application is with PG&E; you don't need EBCE's approval.

When you have solar and are a PG&E bundled customer (not on EBCE service), you pay PG&E a monthly minimum charge and then the rest of your charges and credits are trued-up annually. On EBCE service, PG&E continues that process for their part of the bill (transmission, distribution, fees - but not generation), and you have a separate bill page showing your generation credits and debits with EBCE.

With Net Energy Metering:

• Your meter tracks the amount of electricity you use versus the amount of electricity your solar system delivers to the grid.

• When you produce more electricity than you consume, like in the middle of the day, that excess generation is credited and put in a “savings account.”

• When you consume more than your solar system produced, you withdraw credits from that account. If you have insufficient credits accrued, EBCE will charge you for the net amount of energy you needed that month.

• EBCE's NEM customers receive the same credits and charges from EBCE they received with PG&E. The key difference is that EBCE will bill customers for any generation charges on a monthly basis, rather than waiting to send one bill per year (true-up) as PG&E does. This reduces the "bill shock" some customers experience if they are net annual consumers.

• Every April will be the EBCE “cash-out” period when customers who produced more electricity during the year than they used will receive a cash-out payment for each kWh.

• You continue to pay PG&E their minimum monthly delivery charge, and have your annual True-Up with PG&E on your interconnection anniversary date for the services they provide.

Learn more about our NEM Tariffs (PDF), or the NEM FAQ.