What is an allocation and why does it matter?
Your allocation is the share of the solar farm's output assigned to your account. Sized right, it covers most of your usage; sized too big, you pay for credits you never use; sized too small, your credit is far smaller than it should be.
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We size your allocation from your actual 12 months of usage, and we know which farms allocate well and which do not. We are known for getting customers the best allocation.
We read your 12-month usage history from page 2 of your bill — that is why we ask for the full bill.
Why does community solar allocation use a full year of usage?
Community solar allocation starts with actual electric consumption, not the amount due on one bill. Summer cooling and winter electric heating can create large seasonal differences. A 12-month history captures those changes. A balance can also include a past-due amount, gas on a combined bill or other charges; none is a measure of the electric energy a solar share should cover.
For an illustrative usage comparison, an account using 9,600 kWh over a year averages 800 kWh a month. Another using 14,400 kWh averages 1,200 kWh. That does not prescribe either account's monthly farm output or discount, but it shows why giving both accounts the same allocation would ignore a substantial difference. We read the full history rather than using the average as a promised monthly credit.
How do oversized and undersized allocations show up?
An oversized community solar allocation can produce credits that accumulate instead of reducing bills the household would otherwise pay. Review the running credit balance and the subscription charge together. A single large credit is not enough to diagnose oversizing; the question is whether the account regularly receives more credit than it uses over the relevant periods.
An undersized allocation can leave only a small share of electric charges covered even when the discount itself is correct. A small dollar saving is therefore not necessarily evidence of a bad discount. Lower Your Bill compares actual usage, credited production and the assigned share, then asks the farm about resizing when the account needs it.
What changes mean an allocation should be reviewed?
Tell Lower Your Bill about a move, a new account number, a change in occupancy or a major change to electric equipment. A past 12-month history may describe a different household after a tenancy changes. A new address needs its own account review. The farm allocation should not remain a guess based on conditions that no longer apply.
Send the latest full bill and describe the change. Keep any separate farm invoice with the bill for the matching production period. If the utility bill already includes rooftop credits, we read those separately. Community solar does not affect the panels, net metering or current and future panel credits; those entries are not the same as an off-site farm allocation.
What does Lower Your Bill do about allocation problems?
We are partnered with over 30 solar farms and enroll more customers than anyone else in this space. We know which farms allocate well and which do not. We are known for getting customers the best allocation, sized from actual usage. Farm capacity, utility territory and account type are checked together rather than assigning every customer a fixed share.
Call 732-314-5010 if credits are building up unused or much smaller than expected. We read the account and go back to the solar farm ourselves to work it out. We do not leave you between two phone numbers. The discount applies to the portion of the bill the farm covers, usually most of the bill, not the whole balance, and we never promise a fixed dollar saving.
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 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
- Why am I paying for credits I never use?
- Can community solar ever cost me more than I save?
- How does community solar show up on my bill?
- Why can't I find the community solar credit on my bill?
- What is a CDG Value Stack Credit?
- Why do I get two bills with community solar?
- 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 should I do about late or missing solar credits?
- Can I cancel community solar?
- Discounts by state and utility
- Income qualification by state
Call 732-314-5010 or email info@lowerurbill.com.