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Solar/Net Energy Metering (NEM)

If you already have solar installed or you are considering having solar installed at your home or business, you’ll be interested in learning how our Net Energy Metering Program can work for you.

OCPA works together with SCE to provide your account(s) with the Net Energy Metering (NEM) service. Under this arrangement, SCE is responsible for NEM delivery service charges and credits and OCPA is responsible for NEM generation charges and credits. Any NEM credits received from OCPA cannot be used to offset SCE charges, and NEM credits received from SCE cannot be used to offset OCPA charges. At the end of the annual billing period (your true-up), if your system has generated more power than you have used, you are eligible to receive a credit (a.k.a. Net Surplus Compensation (NSC)) from OCPA.

Here are a few differences between OCPA’s NEM program and the generation portion of SCE’s NEM program:

  • As a joint SCE/OCPA customer, you will be switched to monthly billing and have an annual true-up in April for the generation portion of your bill.
  • Your electric generation charges will be tracked throughout the month, billed monthly, with net generation banked and used to offset any charges in subsequent monthly billing periods.
  • Net generation credits accrued during the billing period will be used to offset electric generation charges on a monthly basis.
  • OCPA will true-up all customers on an annual basis each April, rather than on a unique date for each customer. True-up in April may allow our solar customers to benefit from their NEM program in the summer, when excess credits are often generated, and benefit in the winter, when those credits are often used up.
  • If you have excess generation at your annual true-up you will receive Net Surplus Compensation (NSC).

OCPA’s Net Surplus Compensation (NSC) rate for your excess generation (kWh) is 10% higher than SCE’s prevailing NSC rate.

For more resources, visit the Understanding Your True-Up Period, NSC and Look Back Credit and How to Understand Your NEM Bill.

Solar/NEM frequently asked questions

  • How does OCPA’s Solar/Net Energy Metering (NEM) program work?

    Your transition to OCPA and our NEM program happens within a month of your annual true-up with SCE, to ensure you do not lose any credits. Every April we look at how much electricity in kWh you generated and how much electricity you consumed from the grid during the year. OCPA will true up all customers on an annual basis in April of each year, rather than on a unique date for each customer. Using an April true-up allows our solar customers to benefit from their NEM program in the summer, when excess credits are banked, and benefit in the winter, when those banked credits can be used. At the time of true-up, OCPA also conducts a lookback to determine whether a customer that has unused remaining bill credits is able to offset any charges they may have incurred after OCPA enrollment. If any unused bill credits remain, OCPA will refund the customer credits (“Look Back Credit”) to reimburse for any billing paid monthly to OCPA.

  • How does this work with my solar panel system?

    If you have solar panels installed, your electricity meter tracks how much electricity you are using from the grid and how much surplus you send into the grid every month. The difference between the energy you produce and the energy you use from the grid is called ‘net energy’. The net energy is shown on the bill as negative usage when you’re a net generator (generate more electricity than you use), or positive usage when you’re a net consumer (use more electricity than you generate). SCE automatically tracks your net energy and appropriately credits or charges you monthly based on your rate schedule.

  • When will Solar/Net Energy Metering (NEM) customers be transitioned to OCPA?

    Click here to review the NEM enrollment phases

  • What if I am grandfathered into SCE's NEM 1.0 or 2.0 program?

    Enrollment in OCPA’s NEM program will not affect the grandfathered status of NEM 1.0 or 2.0 customers. NEM customers will continue to retain their grandfathered NEM status, as well as their legacy rates, while also enjoying OCPA’s higher Net Surplus Compensation rate.

  • Will I still receive my CARE, FERA, or Medical Baseline discounts with OCPA?

    Yes. CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline is available to OCPA customers and provides the same discount. Customers enrolled in OCPA continue to receive their CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline discount within their Southern California Edison delivery charges; there is no need to reapply with OCPA. New CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline enrollments or renewals must still be done through Southern California Edison’s customer service center or website.

  • Am I still able to offset my energy charges with the energy I generate?

    Yes, you are still able to offset your charges with excess generated energy. If you generate more electricity than you use, excess credits will be banked at retail rates and used to offset any future charges. If you use more energy than you generate, excess charges will be billed for payment at retail rates on a monthly basis.

  • Will I get billed separately by OCPA?

    No. We work with Southern California Edison so you will receive just one bill each month. When you begin receiving our service, the charges for electric generation that were previously provided by Southern California Edison are replaced by electric generation charges from OCPA. Southern California Edison will continue to charge for the transmission and delivery of electricity, along with a variety of other CPUC regulatory and program charges already included on your SCE bill. OCPA charges will show as separate line items on the bill and there are no duplicate charges for electricity generation.

  • Why are residential customers being charged a monthly fixed charge?

    OCPA does not charge a fixed monthly fee.
    SCE charges customers a flat, daily charge that is applied if a customer’s total delivery charges fall below a minimum. This charge applies to a customer’s bill whether you are served by SCE-only or joint-served by OCPA and SCE. For residential customers, it is typically about $10 a month. This charge supports SCE’s monthly billing operations.

  • Why is OCPA billing monthly?

    We bill you monthly, so you do not end up with a year’s worth of charges in an annual true-up. Most customers use more energy than they generate and can have substantial electric bills due at their annual true-up. There are no hidden costs and no duplicate costs for OCPA customers.

    If you generate more electricity than you use in a month, you will see a credit on your monthly bill which will be banked and used to offset any charges in subsequent monthly billing periods. We credit you monthly for the electricity you produce and send into the grid at the same retail rate we would have charged you if you were drawing power from the grid. The annual true-up statement will reconcile all the cumulative energy charges and credits for the entire annual billing cycle.

For more information or if you have additional questions, please call us at 1-866-262-7693 or email us at info@ocpower.com or use the contact form on our Contact Us page.