# electric company surcharge for running solar panels?



## wtxprepper (Jul 13, 2013)

anybody hear about this? electric company is saying if your running solar panels they are no longergoing to pay you for unused power but charge a surcharge because you are not using their electricity, so just wondering everybody's thoughts opinions or if you have heard about this


----------



## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

That sounds so much like what happened in Seattle!

Seattle Light (city owned "co-op") pushed hard for conservation and got a very good response. So good in fact they put a surcharge on our bills to make ends meet. The didn't sell enough electricity to cover their costs so they just "temporarily" raised the rates. After a court battle they had to refund the increases.


----------



## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I thought it was some kind of a federal mandate that electric companies buy your unused power. I think it OK that wanted a tax? on the people who sold power back to the utilities because they were using the utilities wires to sell it back to them????


----------



## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

I suspect if you were using their wires the company could add a fee or decrease what they pay you. Guess if I were still making money I wouldn't complain too much. When Inor and I get a solar set up I think we will not even bother to offer to sell back.

Just like our suburb now wants to start charging for rain water you collect. So far it hasn't gotten approval.


----------



## wtxprepper (Jul 13, 2013)

from the way they were taking they would stop paying for your unused electricity if it doesn't meet a certain output, and charge you a surcharge also

so the way I'm taking it is if your not meeting x amount of output they were still going to use it but not pay you for it, and then tack on the surcharge for being hooked into their lines, so in the end your biting the bullet twice and they are making profit

just found out that the specified electric company is going bankrupt, so I'm wondering if the electric company that takes over this area will do the same


----------



## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

wtxprepper said:


> from the way they were taking they would stop paying for your unused electricity if it doesn't meet a certain output, and charge you a surcharge also
> 
> so the way I'm taking it is if your not meeting x amount of output they were still going to use it but not pay you for it, and then tack on the surcharge for being hooked into their lines, so in the end your biting the bullet twice and they are making profit
> 
> just found out that the specified electric company is going bankrupt, so I'm wondering if the electric company that takes over this area will do the same


Wouldn't be surprised - new company = new rules.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

My suggestion is to do an Off Grid Solar Power System instead of the Grid Tie System. More expensive with the addition of regulators and batteries but if your goal is self sustainability then why tie to the Power Grid and be the victim of whatever regulation that the Power Co decides?


----------



## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Slippy said:


> My suggestion is to do an Off Grid Solar Power System instead of the Grid Tie System. More expensive with the addition of regulators and batteries but if your goal is self sustainability then why tie to the Power Grid and be the victim of whatever regulation that the Power Co decides?


Maybe there is a law/regulation that you can't have an off grid system?


----------



## Beach Kowboy (Feb 13, 2014)

I agree with a total off grid system if you can do it. I wouldn't do a grid tie system myself and if they wouldn't allow an off grid system, I would just have to move.. That is just me. I know there are times when ya just can't go but I would make it my mission to make it where I was able to move and then go on to whatever the next mission might be..


----------



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

I have a small set up 600 watts and I didn't want to tie into the grid.
So when my batteries are full I guess I just wast the electric.
But I didn't want to be documented as having solar power. paranoid? Maybe, Maybe not
Do you think that if you have solar power that you might be on a list of some kind? 

Soon free thinkers will be punished,,,,,We can't have that 

If an EMP happens most stuff plugged in or tied to the grid will be toast.


----------



## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

If you have a battery system and an inverter, why couldn't you put in an isolation type transfer switch (all wires, hot and neutral switch) so you can switch safely between grid and batteries for a certain few, 120VAC systems and utilize your battery power and when it is too far down, switch back to the grid power?


----------



## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

They are a regulated monopoly. As such they are required to invest in infrastructure, and the regulators entitle them to a set return on investment for that. This is one of the things that woman in FL who they kicked out of her off grid home didn't get. She still had the infrastructure there in place and it has to be paid for even if she doesn't want it. 

My home town, Ripon CA switched utilities from PGE to a local irrigation district with cheaper power (MID). PGE sued to recover the investment in the city's infrastructure and the city settled out of court for they'd have lost. The people pay MID less but still pay PGE a surcharge for those lines, and it's still 33% less.


----------



## wtxprepper (Jul 13, 2013)

I think I'll just pay the electric bill and add it all together at the bol without tying into any wires granted there isn't a electric wire within 60 miles of my bol


----------



## bad (Feb 22, 2014)

Your solar system will be toast with an emp that is strong enough to take down the power grid. Just sayin...



budgetprepp-n said:


> I have a small set up 600 watts and I didn't want to tie into the grid.
> So when my batteries are full I guess I just wast the electric.
> But I didn't want to be documented as having solar power. paranoid? Maybe, Maybe not
> Do you think that if you have solar power that you might be on a list of some kind?
> ...


----------



## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

budgetprepp-n said:


> I have a small set up 600 watts and I didn't want to tie into the grid.
> So when my batteries are full I guess I just wast the electric.
> But I didn't want to be documented as having solar power. paranoid? Maybe, Maybe not
> Do you think that if you have solar power that you might be on a list of some kind?
> ...


They have or had a program called microfit up here. Its like $5 to connect yourself to the grid at like 80 cents per khw. So the first 5 or 6 KWH are supplied for free. If you produce more than that in a month you start being paid. However I think you also need a regular hydro hookup at like 30 something dollars per month service fee (without using any electricity) so you need to produce like 44 KWH per month to be "neutral" with the hydro company before making money by being grid tied.


----------

