Solar Messaging in Bill Forecast

Solar customers who navigate to the Bill Forecast tool in the Digital Self Service - Energy Management Web Portal can view information about their projected bill. The Bill Forecast shows customers standard information about their bill, which includes:

  • Current usage or cost so far in the billing period.
  • Projected usage or cost for the billing period.
  • How the current and projected usage compares to their typical usage or cost for the period, based on their past usage.

This informs customers before the end of the billing cycle if they are likely to have higher usage or cost compared to the same time period from the previous year. Customers can then take action to reduce their consumption before the billing period ends.

For solar customers, the messaging displays the projected bill in terms of net energy usage. It also includes an explanation of charges for net energy usage, where they are applicable, how they accrue, and when they are due.

Depending on whether rates are modeled, customers will see one of the following views:

  • Projected bill view
  • Projected usage view

For additional information about the Bill Forecast tool, see the Oracle Utilities Opower Digital Self Service Energy Management Product Overview.

Design

Net Metering customers will see a projected bill view and a projected usage view in the Bill Forecast.

Projected Bill View

If rate information is available, solar customers who navigate to Bill Forecast in the Digital Self Service - Energy Management Web Portal can view their projected bill for the current bill period.

The following image is an example of the Projected Bill view for Net Metering customers.

Figure 2-14 Projected Bill View


The following image is an example of the Projected Bill view for Net Metering customers.

Projected Usage View

If rate information is not available, solar customers who navigate to the Bill Forecast tool in the Digital Self Service - Energy Management Web Portal can view their projected usage for the current bill period.

Configuration Options

There are no solar-specific configuration options for this feature. For additional information about this feature, see the Digital Self Service - Energy Management Web Portal Configuration Guide.

User Experience Variations

This section describes how the Bill Forecast widget can vary for Net Metering and Net Billing customers.

Net Metering Annual Billing Customers

For annual billing customers, the Projected Bill view and Projected Usage view vary as follows:

  • Bill Period Date Range: The date range includes the monthly billing cycle.
  • Disclaimer Statement: One of these statement is used, depending on whether the true-up date is available:
    • True-up date available: "Charges for net electricity use are not paid monthly. They accrue and will be due on [Mon DD, YYYY], the end of your billing cycle. Each month you pay only the service fee for electricity delivery."
    • True-up date not available: "Charges for net electricity use are not paid monthly. They accrue and will be due at the end of your billing cycle. Each month you pay only the service fee for electricity delivery."
  • Learn How Solar Billing Works link: This link can be included at the end of the disclaimer statement, and it will direct customers to the Solar Welcome Experience in the Data Browser.

Net Billing Customers

The Bill Forecast for Net Billing customers displays a cost view and a usage view. If cost is not available, then customers will see the Usage view (instead of dollar amounts, they will see kWh amounts). What customers see on their Projected Bill will change based on the bill period dates, the number of days into the billing period, data history, cost availability, and import/export values.

The following image is an example of the Cost view for Net Billing customers.

Figure 2-15 Cost View - Net Billing Customers


This image is an example of the Cost view for net billing customers.

Note:

The text outlined in green will change based on the bill period dates, the number of days into the billing period, data history, cost availability, and import/export values.

The following describes the sections of the Cost view as illustrated in the above image:

  1. Energy Usage Statement: A statement explaining that the amount of energy purchased and sold can fluctuate based on weather, and when and how a customer's home uses energy.
  2. Energy Usage Period: These dates represent the start date of the current bill period and the projected end date.
  3. Days Remaining Insight: The number of days left in the bill period.
  4. Energy Purchased Insight: The amount of energy purchased so far during the current billing cycle and the amount of energy purchased last year by the end of the equivalent billing period.
  5. Energy Sold Insight: The amount of energy sold so far during the current billing cycle and the amount of energy sold last year by the end of the equivalent billing period.
  6. Help Lower My Bill Button: This link opens the Ways to Save widget.
  7. Disclaimer Statement: A statement that explains that the amounts shown on the Bill Forecast tool do not include taxes and fees, and that the cost of electricity purchased and sold may change over time.

Buy All/Sell All Customers

Customers on a Buy All/Sell All solar tariff will see both usage and production (when available) in their bill forecast.

In scenarios where the customer has less than a year of solar data, but more than one bill period of solar data, the comparison is made between this bill period and the previous bill period. For example:

  • Last month, you used 680 kWh of electricity by the end of the bill period.
  • Last month, you produced 504 kWh of electricity by the end of the bill period.

In scenarios where the customer is in their first solar billing period, with no prior solar history, the statements vary as follows:

  • So far you've used about 405 kWh of electricity.
  • So far you've produced about 325 kWh of electricity.

In scenarios where there is no usage yet in the current period, the statement reads as follows with no additional insights:

  • Your bill forecasting insights will be ready withing the next few days.

In scenarios where the end date of the bill period is unknown, the module varies as follows:

  • The date range statement is replaced with "Your bill period began Dec 15".
  • The main statement reads, "You are <X> days into your bill period."

In scenarios where there is no usage, the module varies as follows:

  • The usage insight statement reads, "So far, you haven't used any electricity."

In scenarios where there is no solar production, but there is usage, the module varies as follows:

  • The production insight statement reads, "So far, you haven't produced any electricity."