Path-Q Solar
How many months of electricity bills should I provide for a solar quote?
Answer
Provide roughly a full year of bills or an equivalent annual usage history whenever possible, because it captures seasonal demand. More history can help identify unusual changes, but the bills should be checked for estimated readings, missing periods, occupancy changes, and planned future loads.
Key points
- A full annual cycle is more useful than one or two recent bills.
- Usage data in kilowatt-hours is generally more important for sizing than the bill's total currency amount.
- If a full year is unavailable, provide all available bills and explain the gap.
- Include information about new or planned electric loads.
What it depends on
- Seasonality of electricity use
- Availability and accuracy of bill history
- Changes in occupancy or appliances
- Whether interval usage data is available
- The quote's production and savings assumptions
Risks and trade-offs
- A short history may miss winter heating, summer cooling, or other seasonal peaks.
- Old bills may not represent current use after major efficiency or equipment changes.
- A quote based only on currency totals may not reflect actual energy demand.
Information you may need
- A full year of usage if available
- Monthly kilowatt-hours and billing periods
- Notes about estimated readings or unusual months
- Current and planned major electrical loads
Your next step
What to do next
Collect the latest year's bills or download the provider's usage history, then flag any periods that do not represent normal use.
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