If you use budget billing to pay your power utility a consistent payment for your electricity needs, you might be curious to know whether that billing structure works with Altus Power’s Community Solar.
If you’re not familiar, budget billing allows you to pay your utility a set amount for your electricity each month. Budget billing can be helpful in that you know what to expect each month — and how to budget for your electricity bill — no matter what seasonal weather changes come your way.
If you’re interested in Community Solar, it’s important to note that we typically do not recommend joining if you’re enrolled in your utility company’s budget billing program. To get the benefits of Community Solar as it is designed — and there are many benefits, as you’ll see below — most utility customers are encouraged to cancel their budget billing payment plan before enrolling with Altus Power. That said, some utilities can apply Community Solar credits to a budget bill resulting in immediate savings, while other utilities will only adjust your account at the end of the budget billing period.
Now sure if you should cancel your budget billing plan prior to joining Community Solar? Send us an email at hello@altuspower.com and we can help you out.
Since Community Solar subscribers receive discounted solar credits, and solar credits tend to vary from month to month, your monthly energy costs will vary from month to month, too. And in a dual billing configuration, you’ll get one bill from your utility and one from Altus Power — totaling less annually than you’d be paying without Community Solar, of course — and you’d see that variability.
The good news: Though your monthly energy costs will vary with Community Solar, you will be paying less for your energy overall — guaranteed. Altus charges Community Solar subscribers for the solar credits they get at a 5-20% discount, depending on location.
Even better news: While you’re saving money through Community Solar, you’re also helping your community go green. You’re helping reduce the use of fossil fuels. You’re helping your power grid become more resilient and more reliable. And you’re doing all of that without long-term contracts, upfront costs, or utility changes.
If you have questions about Community Solar billing or any other step of the process, you can reach Altus Power’s Customer Experience team at hello@altuspower.com. And to check your eligibility for Community Solar and start an application, head to join.altuspower.com.
Interested in getting started with Community Solar?
Reduce your electricity costs and help your community go green with Community Solar.
