How Your Online SCE Account is Useful for Solar

Yesterday we explained  how to access your online account on the Southern California Edison website. Now that you can see your electricity usage in a variety of ways (monthly, daily, hourly, etc.), we will explain how it can be useful when it comes to solar panel installations.

How Online SCE Usage Helps Solar Customers

For those who have already installed solar panels, seeing this type of data can help in many different ways:

1. Keep Track of Usage: While your electricity usage is much lower now that you are using solar energy, checking in online will help you keep an eye on your net usage. SCE keeps track of your usage for 12 months and then bills you for any leftover usage. If you check in online, you will have a better idea of how much you may owe at the end of the year. That is, if you owe anything at all!

2. See How Usage Has Changed: If you recently bought a new electric vehicle or have installed central air, you may be curious about how your electricity usage will change. By comparing monthly usage to previous months and years, you can get of an idea of how much it has increased and if you need to add more solar panels to your array to offset the additional usage.

3. Troubleshoot Possible Changes: Have you noticed a big change in your electricity bill and can’t figure out why? Looking at hourly usage may help you solve the problem. For instance, you may see that you are using more electricity during the afternoon than you were before. This could lead you realize that it’s because a tree has grown over the years and is now casting some shade on your solar panels.

How SCE Online Usage Helps Those Considering Solar

If you are considering solar energy for your home or business, you can use the online data to get an idea of when you use the most electricity.

After reviewing the hourly data, you might notice how much electricity the air conditioner uses during the day or see a large spike when you plug in your electric vehicle in the early evenings. Perhaps, you’ll notice that you tend to use a lot of electricity during the winter months when you put up Christmas lights or the spring is more expensive because you are heating your pool with an electric heater.

Either way, getting a handle on your electricity usage will help you decide whether you would like to install solar panels and offset it with solar energy instead.

Find Out More About Solar Panel Installation

Now that you have access to real time data, you may consider adding panels to your existing solar array or installing a new solar system on your roof. Contact us at (888) 595-9570 and one of our solar consultants. By review your recent usage, we can figure out how many solar panels you will need to power your home with solar energy and provide you with a cost.