Massachusetts electric customers who receive solar bill credits will soon have a new option to address accumulated excess credits. On June 1, the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued a Hearing Officer Memorandum under docket 25-117. In it, the Department accepts the electric utilities’ proposed solution to address the customers who have accumulated excess bill credits: a one-time transfer of excess credits and the ability to re-allocate future credits to other Accounts. The electric utilities will offer this to affected customers during the period between July 1 and the end of 2026.
Who does this affect?
This proposal will be available to electricity customers served by Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil.
What does it do?
If you subscribe as an offtaker of bill credits from a solar farm, and you find yourself amassing a negative balance on your electric bills, you can take action to allocate negative balances to other Accounts and re-allocate percentages of your subscription to other Accounts going forward.
When can this happen?
Applications are expected to open in July 2026 and run through December 2026.
Where do I sign up?
The utilities have not yet published a communication beyond the DPU proceedings. We will update this alert when details become available, and you can sign up for notices at the DPU website: Dashboard-Mass DPU Fileroom. Enter Docket #25-117.
Can we cash out our credits and receive a payment for our accumulated balance?
A cash-out option is not available.
We’ve signed on for more credit value than we need. What are our options?
Solect can help you understand your bill credit profile against total electric spend across your accounts and meters. Some options that have worked well include:
- Forecast before you act. Project your electric use and anticipated spend, typically driven by electrification projects like switching heating systems, and by increases in electric vehicle charging. Perhaps your bill credits don’t need to be re-assigned after all!
- Put credits to work on building efficiency. improvements. Use accumulated bill credits to pay for energy efficiency upgrades offered by your utility.
- Re-assign a portion of your credits. Find another qualified offtaker to step in and take a portion of bill credits going forward. Save them money, save yourself the hassle. This is the “structural fix.”
If you schedule a bill credit review with us, we can help you understand your options. Use the button below to schedule your review.