Solar is producing but the bill looks wrong: separate production, export, and billing

A true-up question is different from an equipment fault

A Bay Area Reddit customer could not reconcile the NEM charges and non-bypassable charges shown on an annual true-up statement. The discussion is evidence of billing confusion, not proof of a meter error or a correct formula in the replies. Start with the tariff and bill period, then distinguish utility-delivered energy, exported energy and the charges that credits can actually offset.

Source: Reddit: PG&E True Up question

Separate production, export and the value of a credit

An inverter app measures production; the utility meter records exchanges with the grid. Solar used immediately in the home may never appear as export. PG&E's legacy NEM billing accumulates energy charges and credits through a 12-month true-up cycle. Its Solar Billing Plan has monthly bills and an annual reconciliation, with export values that vary by time and are different from retail import prices. Equal monthly kWh does not mean equal dollars.

Some charges remain despite generation credits. Review non-bypassable charges separately, and use the bill applicable to the period: PG&E says the residential Base Services Charge replaced the Minimum Electric Charge beginning in March 2026 and is not offset by solar-generation credits. An older screenshot's labels may therefore differ from a current bill.

Source: PG&E: Understand your NEM solar bill · PG&E Solar Billing Plan: monthly bills, credits, and true-up

Illustrative scenario: 20 kWh produced, 8 kWh exported

Illustrative scenario: an array produces 20 kWh during a day, the home uses 12 kWh directly from that production, and 8 kWh reaches the grid in a simplified example. The inverter's 20 kWh and the utility's 8 kWh export can both be correct. Later evening imports are a separate flow. The value of those imports and exports depends on the applicable billing rules and timing, not simply the fact that both are measured in kilowatt-hours.

Align meter, app and billing periods

Start by confirming the billing period, meter identifier, tariff, and written operating authorization. Then compare aligned time intervals rather than screenshots from different days or months. If storage is present, include charging and discharging flows and whether monitoring sensors are installed and configured correctly. Ask the installer to verify suspicious monitoring data rather than using an app anomaly as proof that the utility meter is wrong.

Identify who supplies generation before reconciling credits

A Community Choice Aggregator may supply generation while PG&E provides delivery. PG&E ordinarily presents these on one consolidated bill. Read the generation and delivery sections separately; the CCA may use different solar credit or true-up terms. Two providers do not necessarily mean two separate invoices, and PG&E's generation-credit explanation may not describe the CCA portion.

Source: PG&E: Community Choice Aggregation and consolidated billing · PG&E Net Energy Metering program: April 14, 2026 deadline and exceptions

Build a discrepancy packet for the responsible provider

Build a concise discrepancy packet: the relevant bill pages with unnecessary personal information removed, aligned production and import/export data, authorization date, and a description of the expected versus observed result. Direct a billing setup question to the utility and a production or sensor question to the installer. If both may be involved, keep a shared chronology so each party can see what the other has confirmed.

Verify the next bill after a correction

After a correction, check the next complete billing cycle and any written adjustment explanation. Preserve the records in case the discrepancy recurs. Avoid changing system settings, adding equipment, or assuming theft based solely on two dashboards disagreeing. The fastest path to a useful answer is to identify which energy flow each system measures and which billing rule is supposed to apply.

Reconcile a bounded period before alleging a meter error

Use one complete day or a few aligned intervals to check units and time zones. A graph in kW is not a kWh total. Include battery charging and discharging, and ask the installer to explain the platform’s sign convention before alleging a meter error. For a remaining billing issue, identify the exact line, date and tariff treatment expected; retain the provider’s case number and written explanation.

Put it into practice

A decision table to keep handy