Understanding My NEM Bill
We believe all San Franciscans should have access to affordable, clean electricity. That’s why we set our rates with the customer in mind—always.
Thank you for being a CleanPowerSF Net Energy Metering (NEM) customer! We’re here to help you understand your electric bill.
What is Net Energy Metering (NEM)?
Net Energy Meeting (NEM) is a special billing arrangement that allows customers with onsite renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, to receive credits on their bill when they generate more energy than they use. To help CleanPowerSF customers understand their NEM bill, we have included two sample bills: a monthly NEM bill and an annual True Up bill.
What is the annual True Up process?
CleanPowerSF’s 12-month NEM billing cycle runs from May to April. Following your April bill, CleanPowerSF will review your account to determine if you produced more energy than you used over the course of the year and are therefore eligible to receive Net Surplus Compensation (NSC). This is called the annual True Up. CleanPowerSF credits this excess energy at a rate of $0.0893 per kWh, more than PG&E. Your True Up adjustments will typically be reflected in your May, June, or July PG&E bill.
Your Net Surplus Compensation will be issued as a bill credit that will apply to future CleanPowerSF charges. Unused compensation will roll over each year. You can also choose to receive your payment via check by submitting a Cash Out Form, which can be found on our website at cleanpowersf.org/solar.
What are the benefits of being a CleanPowerSF NEM customer?
Convenient Monthly Billing
CleanPowerSF bills monthly for any electricity usage that is not covered by bill credits.
Premium Credit for Annual Net Surplus Generation
At the end of your billing cycle, CleanPowerSF pays more for your excess energy compared to PG&E.
Option to Upgrade
Upgrading to SuperGreen, CleanPowerSF’s 100% renewable service, ensures that you can be powered by renewable energy, even if your solar panels do not cover all of your annual electricity usage.
Understanding Your Monthly CleanPowerSF NEM Bill
This customer was a net generator, meaning they generated more energy than they used during this month.
This customer was a net consumer, meaning they generated less energy than they used over this month.
1. Account Number
This ten-digit number identifies your account. You’ll need this to check your account status or make changes to your service.
2. Production / Generation
This is the breakdown of electricity you either consumed from CleanPowerSF or produced from your solar PV system. Production indicates that your system produced more energy than you used. Generation indicates that you used more energy than your system produced.
3. Net Charges
This is the total of your CleanPowerSF charges and credits on your bill. A positive number expresses a charge, whereas a negative number expresses a credit.
4. Credited to NEM Balance / Charged to NEM Balance
This number represents the credits you earned over this billing period or credits deducted and applied to this bill. If you were a net consumer and had no credits available, you will not see this line.
5. CleanPowerSF NEM Credit Balance
The total credit amount that will carry forward and be applied to future CleanPowerSF charges until your Annual True Up.
6. CleanPowerSF NEM Energy Balance
Represents your total net energy usage and production since your last CleanPowerSF True-Up. A negative number indicates you are a net generator. A positive number indicates you are a net consumer.
Understanding Your CleanPowerSF True Up Bill
This customer was a net generator, meaning they generated more energy than they used over the annual True Up Period
This customer was a net generator, meaning they generated less energy than they used over the annual True Up Period
1. NEM True Up Adjustment
This is how we adjust your NEM Credit Balance to reflect your NEM Annual True Up amount. For customers with no compensation available, this is how we reset your NEM Credit Balance to zero.
2. NEM Cash Out Available
This number indicates how much money you have available to cash out. This includes compensation that you received for current year net generation as well as any remaining compensation from prior years. You may receive a check for this amount by submitting a cash out form, otherwise the funds remain in your NEM Credit Balance and can be used as a credit on your bill. Unused compensation will roll over each year.
Customers with no compensation available will not have this line on their True Up bill.
3. NEM Credit Reset
This is how we adjust your NEM Credit Balance to reflect your available cash out. For customers with no cash out available, this is how we reset your NEM Credit Balance to zero.
4. NEM Energy Balance
Your NEM Energy Balance is reset to zero as part of the true up process. The NEM Energy Balance will show the running total for the current annual True Up Period. Since the May bill is the first bill of the new True Up Period and because the NEM Energy Balance has been reset, the NEM Energy balance shown here includes only the monthly usage for this bill.
Resources
View our Understanding My Bill page to learn more.
Questions?
View our Frequently Asked Questions, or contact us. We’re here to help!