If you happen to be one of the thousands of solar customers on Long Island that have PSEG (LIPA) as your electric company and wondering why your electric bill has been higher lately, this can be why!

Earlier this year PSEG started implementing a new rate structure program called “Time of Day Use” Codes 193, 194 and 195 and may not have told some of their customers about the change.
If you have any of these codes on your bill and have a solar system installed, you might want to consider CHANGING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL RATE 180.
Rate 180 is a flat rate that charges the same regardless of the time of the day.
193, 194 and 195 rates offer a reduced charge during certain time periods, 7pm to 3pm the next day. The idea is that it encourages non-solar customers to use most of their electric consumption after 7pm and enjoy a lower rate. While users pay a higher rate during peak hours of 3 to 7pm.
Hey sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, sometimes doesn’t benefit customers that have solar.
So what time of day does your solar produce the most power? Maybe 12 noon to 7pm? Maybe a little earlier depending on your system orientation.
Well 3pm to 7pm is the peak time under “Time of Day Use” Right? Your solar is cranking then on a really nice sunny day, Isn’t it?
Well what they don’t completely tell you is that your solar generation ONLY CAN BE APPLIED TO THE PEAK RATE usage time period 3pm to 7pm but NOT the off peak period timeframe of 7pm to 3pm the next day and you get billed.
So, if you use a lot of electric after hours (normally when we all get home, typically after 7pm), you will be billed for all this usage and (GET THIS!) can’t apply any of your valued solar credits produced during the PEAK PERIOD to these hours of “Off Peak” use only “peak” usage.
Sounds wonderful right? But luckily you can change this back to your original rate of 180. PSEG says that most of us “opt out” cards in the mail but many of us didn’t, so you have your choice to go back to the original rate and get a credit for any over charges while you were under the new rate but you must ask!
So in a nutshell if your rate isn’t 180 this may be very bad for you if you have solar. Consider your usage hours vs your solar peak and off peak and see which rate fits you best.
PSEG provides a nice graph of your daily usage. Peak and off peak.