{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Citizens Utility Board","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org","title":"You\u2019re a community solar customer in Ameren territory? Here\u2019s what's happening to your bills | Citizens Utility Board","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"u0ipIUiAN1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2023\/04\/05\/youre-a-community-solar-customer-in-ameren-territory-heres-whats-happening-to-your-bills\/\">You\u2019re a community solar customer in Ameren territory? Here\u2019s what&#8217;s happening to your bills<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2023\/04\/05\/youre-a-community-solar-customer-in-ameren-territory-heres-whats-happening-to-your-bills\/embed\/#?secret=u0ipIUiAN1\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;You\u2019re a community solar customer in Ameren territory? Here\u2019s what&#8217;s happening to your bills&#8221; &#8212; Citizens Utility Board\" data-secret=\"u0ipIUiAN1\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","description":"By: Marina Minic Solar Programs Coordinator Community solar customers in Ameren territory have seen &#8220;bill adjustments.&#8221; CUB can explain:\u00a0\u00a0 If you\u2019re subscribed to community solar, you get a credit on your Ameren bill that corresponds to the amount of solar energy your subscription produced. That credit shows up as a number of kilowatt-hours (kWhs) multiplied by a rate in dollars or cents.\u00a0 Previously, the number of kWhs was multiplied by your electricity supply rate plus the \u201csupply cost adjustment\u201d (SCA). But starting June 1, 2022, utility companies were expected to change their crediting methodology.\u00a0 Rather than multiplying the amount of kWhs by the supply rate and SCA only, Ameren is now supposed to multiply it by Ameren\u2019s Price to Compare (the Ameren supply rate, the SCA AND the transmission charge).\u00a0 However, when it came time to implement the change, Ameren\u2019s billing system was not fully updated. So, the utility continued to use the old crediting methodology (just multiplying the number of kWhs by the supply rate plus the SCA) until their system was fully updated.\u00a0 So for months, customers were receiving bill credits that were slightly smaller than they should have been and were therefore paying slightly smaller subscription fees back to their community solar companies.\u00a0\u00a0 In October 2022, Ameren updated its billing system to 1) use the Price to Compare and 2) switch from kWh credits to monetary credits.\u00a0 In November, customers were rebilled by Ameren\u2013and the utility had to make up for those months when they were crediting customers at a rate that was too small. For customers, this rebilling process resulted in a lump sum addition of credits on their Ameren bill.\u00a0 But because customers had been \u201cunder-credited\u201d for those months, it also meant they were \u201cunder-paying\u201d their community solar provider, since subscription fees are based on the size of the credit on their Ameren bills each month. This is why community solar customers are now seeing extra charges labeled as \u201cbill adjustments\u201d on their recent community solar bills. Things to note: Although you are being charged for these \u201cnew credits\u201d by your community solar provider, you are also receiving a corresponding amount of credits on your Ameren bill. This means your credit bank on your Ameren bill should reflect what you are being billed by your solar provider.\u00a0 The good news is that under a change in utility policy, community solar excess credits no longer expire.\u00a0 Pay attention to your bill. If it seems like you are rapidly accumulating excess credits, you may want to reach out to your community solar provider and ask them to reduce your subscription size. If you are accumulating fewer credits each month, you will be able to use up your banked credits faster.\u00a0\u00a0 For a more in-depth explanation, and a bill example, see the announcement made by the Illinois Shines program administrator, Energy Solutions. About the author: Marina Minic joined CUB in February 2022 after graduating from UW Madison with a degree in chemistry and environmental studies. She helps coordinate the Grow Solar Chicagoland program and educates consumers about clean and affordable energy. Marina is interested in community organizing and [&hellip;]","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/of-kWh-x-Supply-Charge-Community-Solar-Credit-300x232.png"}