Community solar discount by state and utility
The community solar discount depends on your state and your electric utility, and it applies to the portion of your bill the solar farm covers — usually most of the bill, not the whole bill. Community solar discounts differ by utility; send your bill and we will tell you the current figure. Community solar is not available in Pennsylvania or Ohio.
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Full comparison
Figures come from our discount data and update when rates change. In Maryland, income-qualified households receive a higher discount; in New Jersey income does not change the discount.
| Utility | State | Standard discount | Income-qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
| JCP&L | New Jersey | Ask us — depends on capacity | Same as standard |
| PSE&G | New Jersey | Ask us — depends on capacity | Same as standard |
| Atlantic City Electric | New Jersey | Ask us — depends on capacity | Same as standard |
| BGE | Maryland | Ask us — depends on capacity | Higher than standard |
| Pepco | Maryland | Ask us — depends on capacity | Higher than standard |
| Central Hudson | New York | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| NYSEG | New York | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| National Grid | New York | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| Orange & Rockland | New York | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| PSEG Long Island | New York | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| ComEd | Illinois | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| Eversource | Massachusetts | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| Delmarva Power | Delaware | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
| Potomac Edison | Maryland | Ask us — depends on capacity | Higher than standard |
| RG&E | New York | Ask us — depends on capacity | — |
The discount applies to the portion of the bill the solar farm covers. Not available in Pennsylvania or Ohio.
Why a figure can say "Ask us"
A figure only appears where a solar farm we work with can deliver it right now. Where it says "Ask us", the discount depends on which project has open capacity.
What does each discount in the community solar table measure?
The community solar discount measures the saving on credits from the solar farm, not a reduction applied to every dollar of the utility account balance. The farm-covered portion is usually most of the electric bill, not the whole bill. Gas charges on a combined bill, old balances and other account items should not be silently included when calculating a solar saving.
The credit's face value minus its discounted charge is the saving. Do not multiply the combined balance by a percentage without identifying farm coverage. The table separates standard and income-qualified figures where they differ.
How can I calculate a saving using the live table?
Start with the credit value on the utility bill and the applicable discount from the row for your utility and qualification. Saving equals credit value multiplied by the discount expressed as a fraction. The discounted charge equals credit value minus saving. Do not multiply a credit already expressed in dollars by a retail electricity price a second time: that mixes two different quantities.
For an illustrative $150 farm credit, let D be the percentage in your utility's live row. The saving is $150 × D ÷ 100; the charge is $150 minus that saving. This uses the current discount, not a made-up rate or promised credit amount.
If the farm charge is billed separately, compare the farm invoice and utility credit for the same production period. Different statement dates can make a correct credit and charge look unrelated. Use the relevant periods before comparing totals. If the charge cannot be reconciled with the credit, send both documents to Lower Your Bill and we will read the actual account.
Why do Maryland standard and income-qualified discounts differ?
Maryland household qualification increases the residential discount. Income for the household size or participation in an accepted programme can qualify; a household does not need both. Programme routes include SNAP, OHEP/MEAP, TCA, Medicaid and HUD housing assistance. The table's standard and qualified columns show the maintained figures rather than treating the qualified discount as a fixed add-on.
BGE, Pepco and Potomac Edison accounts each belong to their own utility territory. A Baltimore BGE account should not read a Pepco row as its offer. Small commercial BGE accounts use the commercial review rather than a residential household-income tier. This guide's residential comparison is not a promise that every business receives a household-qualified figure.
Why does New Jersey income qualification leave the discount unchanged?
New Jersey income qualification helps place a residential household on a farm sooner; it does not increase the discount. The qualified column therefore uses the same figure as the standard column for JCP&L, PSE&G and Atlantic City Electric. Qualification should not be presented as a way to win a higher New Jersey percentage.
New Jersey programme routes include SNAP, Medicaid, NJ FamilyCare, USF and LIHEAP, alongside the applicable household-income review. Lower Your Bill matches those answers to suitable capacity. Our New Jersey community solar enrollment is residential only. Commercial New Jersey customers can ask about supply rates and bill auditing, which are different services and should not be represented by this residential solar table.
How should New York and Illinois utility rows be read?
New York rows include Central Hudson, NYSEG, National Grid, Orange & Rockland, PSEG Long Island and RG&E. Read the named utility on your bill rather than assuming every New York account shares one figure. Central Hudson community solar entries can be described as CDG or Value Stack credits; the name of a credit is not itself its discount. Lower Your Bill does not currently enroll Con Edison accounts.
ComEd is the Illinois utility row for Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and the other ComEd service-area pages. The utility account identifies the applicable route; city or neighbourhood alone is not an account-level check. Household-qualified availability and proof are confirmed with the project. We do not copy one state's documentary requirements into another state's discount claim.
What does an Ask us entry mean for Massachusetts or Delaware?
Eversource in Massachusetts and Delmarva Power in Delaware are included in the utility reference. An Ask us entry means the available data does not supply a deliverable published figure for that row. It is not zero savings, a guaranteed future offer or a number being withheld. Our team checks the account and project availability before quoting a percentage.
A standard row alone is not enough to promise placement: the public data excludes figures without an active farm behind them. Where an available farm can beat a maintained standard, the public figure can reflect the better discount. We do not expose internal farm capacity, commissions or inventory on this page. The useful customer information is what can actually be offered for the named utility.
Why can the same discount produce different dollar savings?
Community solar allocation and discount are separate inputs. The allocation determines the share of farm production credited to the account; the discount determines the saving on those credits. Two homes at the same utility can have different electric usage and different credit values even when the applicable discount is identical. A fixed percentage is not a guarantee of a fixed dollar saving.
Lower Your Bill sizes allocations from actual usage, including the 12-month history. An oversized share can leave credits building up unused; an undersized share can cover much less than it should. Changes in occupancy, equipment or address are reasons to review the account. We are known for getting customers the best allocation and know which farms allocate well and which do not.
What should a customer with multiple electric accounts compare?
Treat each electric utility account as its own review. A building with separate tenant accounts has separate usage histories; a property with multiple meters should not have one balance split evenly across accounts as if that establishes allocation. Send the bill for each account being reviewed. A residential account and a business account may also follow different eligibility rules.
The service address, utility account number and actual usage identify the allocation. A shared mailing address or owner name does not merge accounts for farm credits. Compare the relevant utility row for each account and keep each farm invoice with its matching utility statement. Lower Your Bill reads the bills in detail rather than applying one household's percentage to every property a customer owns.
What do terms, timing and cancellation mean alongside the discount?
Subscription terms are maintained separately from discount figures and are shown in our term guide. BGE's programme term differs from most other utility terms, but a subscription term is not a cancellation penalty: customers can cancel at any time with no fee. Community solar enrollment needs no credit card, credit check, signup payment or installation, and electricity supply stays unchanged.
Credits appear within the next 2-3 billing cycles after the utility processes enrollment. Do not treat an online submission date as a promised first-credit date. If a credit is missing or the allocation looks wrong, call 732-314-5010 with the full bill. Lower Your Bill goes back to the solar farm ourselves to work it out. We are partnered with over 30 farms and our single focus is saving the customer money.
Related questions
How do I qualify as income-eligible?
Maryland households can qualify by household income or participation in an accepted assistance programme. Income qualification increases Maryland's discount. In New Jersey it helps placement on a farm sooner but does not change the discount. The online form asks household questions, not income-document uploads.
Read the full answerCan renters get community solar?
Renters can join community solar when the electric bill is in their name. Nothing is installed at the rental property, so no landlord permission is needed. An apartment with electricity included in rent does not have an individual utility account to enroll.
Read the full answerWhat is a community solar allocation?
A community solar allocation is the share of farm production assigned to a utility account. Lower Your Bill sizes it from actual usage, including the 12-month history, so credits are neither much smaller than the account needs nor accumulating unused.
Read the full answerWhat should I do about late or missing solar credits?
Community solar credits appear within the next 2-3 billing cycles after the utility processes enrollment. Send Lower Your Bill the latest full bill if credits are missing or have stopped; we check the account and go back to the solar farm ourselves to work it out.
Read the full answerCan I cancel community solar?
You can cancel community solar at any time with no fee. Contact Lower Your Bill to handle cancellation with the solar farm. A subscription term is not a lock-in; moving to a different utility territory calls for ending the old subscription and checking the new account.
Read the full answerRelated
- Community solar reference guides
- Which states have community solar?
- Income qualification by state
- Community solar subscription term by utility
- How the community solar credit appears on each utility's bill
- Is community solar worth it?
- Community solar vs rooftop solar panels — what is the difference?
- Does community solar require a credit check?
- JCP&L community solar in New Jersey
- PSE&G community solar in New Jersey
- BGE community solar in Maryland
- Central Hudson community solar in New York
- ComEd community solar in Illinois
- How do I qualify as income-eligible?
- Can renters get community solar?
- What is a community solar allocation?
- What should I do about late or missing solar credits?
- Can I cancel community solar?
Call 732-314-5010 or email info@lowerurbill.com.