Time-of-day rates charge different prices for electricity depending on when you use it. If you use electricity during lower-cost hours, you pay less. If you use electricity during higher-cost hours, you pay more. Your solar system helps reduce how much electricity you need to buy from the grid, but the timing of your usage still matters.

Yes. The residential Net Metering with Banking Rate will be replaced with a Net Billing Rate starting April 1, 2026. Under Net Billing, the monthly Distribution Charge based on the installed capacity of your system will be eliminated, but you will pay a variable distribution cost ($0.09183/kWh) on all electricity received by CMLP from you. In other words, under the new Net Billing Rate, electricity received by CMLP from you is credited the retail rate less the $0.09183/kWh cost of distribution. Under the old previous Net Metering with Banking Rate, electricity received by CMLP from you was credited the retail rate including the cost of distribution.

Under time-of-day rates, exported solar electricity will be credited at different values depending on when it is sent to the grid. Exports during lower-cost hours generally receive a lower credit than exports during higher-cost hours.

Under the Net Metering with Banking Rate, all monthly kilowatt hours of solar production in excess of the kilowatt hours CMLP sent to you were credited at a wholesale rate – usually between $0.02 and $0.05/kWh. Under the Net Billing Rate, all solar electricity sent to the grid will be credited at the retail Time-of-Day rate less the $0.09183/khw cost of distribution. The new value of your solar will be no less than $0.10461/kWh and could be as high as $0.21132/kWh depending on the time of day you send the solar electricity to CMLP’s grid.

Yes.  Customers with solar continue to receive credits for electricity sent to the grid. The difference is that the value of those credits may vary by time of day instead of being the same at all hours.

The median solar customer will see a bill savings of about $36 per year, but individual customers could see either an increase or a decrease of potentially a significant magnitude. Assuming customers do not shift their behavior at all, the best-off solar customer’s bill would go down $1,200 per year. The worst-off solar customer’s bill could go up $700 per year.

The bill impact of TOD on solar customers’ bills depends on several factors:

• How many kilowatt hours you use overall?
  Customers who use more than 835 kWh per month were paying the highest Tier 3 price under the R-1 rate. Under the TOD rate there is no penalty for using more than a certain amount. If you were being billed for a lot of kWh in the third tier, you will likely see a decrease in your TOD electric bill.
• How high is your monthly solar distribution charge currently?
  The larger the installed capacity of your solar system, the higher this current charge is. The elimination of this monthly charge under Net Billing will tend to reduce your TOD electric bill.
• How many kilowatt hours do you send to the grid each month?
  If you were regularly sending more kWh to the grid than CMLP was sending to you, you were receiving a wholesale credit for that excess production. You will now receive a higher credit for all of the electricity you send to the grid, whether excess or not. That additional revenue will tend to lower your bill.
• How much of your energy usage occurs between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. on weekdays?
  Using more than the average during that time will put upward pressure on your bill. If you use less, your bill will tend to go down.

The highest TOD price is from 3–7 p.m., when solar production is lower or zero (such as in the winter.) If much of your electricity use happens during those hours, your bill may increase.

In summer, longer days mean more solar production, which can help offset usage. In winter, shorter days and lower solar output may mean you rely more on the grid, especially during higher-priced evening hours.

On days when your solar system produces less electricity, you may need to buy more power from the grid. Under TOD rates, the cost depends on when that electricity is used.

Yes. Larger systems generally produce more electricity and more credits, but timing still matters. A large system does not automatically protect you from higher costs if most of your household’s electricity occurs during peak-price hours.

No. Solar production usually peaks around midday, while the highest TOD price is from 3 to 7 p.m.

Electric demand is typically highest in the evening when people are home using lights, cooking, and appliances, and solar production has dropped off. Higher prices reflect higher system costs during those hours.

The “average” household uses between 11% and 17% of their electricity during Peak hours, depending on the month.

Solar credits are used to offset the electricity charges you incur when you use power from the grid. The value of those credits varies based on when the generation occurs. You will be charged the retail rate for the electricity CMLP sends to you and you will be credited the retail rate less distribution for the electricity you send to CMLP.

Many customers can lower their bills by shifting flexible activities—such as laundry, dishwashing, or electric vehicle charging—to lower-cost hours.

Using electricity while your solar system is producing can reduce how much electricity you buy from the grid and may help lower your bill.

Even small changes, like running appliances outside of peak hours, can add up over time, especially under time-of-day pricing.

TOD makes EV charging more affordable if you charge during Super Off-Peak hours (1 AM – 5 AM). Charging overnight at the lowest rate can significantly reduce your cost per mile compared to charging during peak hours. Consider using a smart charger or timer to schedule charging automatically.

A battery can store excess solar energy produced during the day and allow you to use it later during higher-priced hours, potentially reducing your bill.

Yes. Batteries can be programmed to discharge when electricity prices are highest or when solar production is low.