SDG&E Minimum Charge Increased to $54 this Month?

[NCSD]

A good number of members here have SDG&E, so I'm hoping someone might be able to answer my questions about SDG&E's change in "minimum charge adjustment". My minimum charge adjustment has historically been ~$11 most months since June 2022, with the change in minimum charge calculation to ~$0.35/day. However, it winter months there was no minimum charge on my bill, presumably because I was above the minimum charge threshold.

This pattern changed on my most recent, true-up bill. My minimum charge was $54, which is far higher than $0.35/day. SDGE tells me that they charged their minimum charge calculation to be based on the full year, so the minimum charge for the year is always $132.29 for solar customers. If your actual amount charged in the previous months was less than $132.29 due to having no minimum charge applied during winter months, then SDG&E changes the minimum charge listed in your true-up month to make up the difference. So rather than a minimum charge of $11 this month, they changed it to $54. The solar rep told me it's all explained in the 54 page CPSU document, yet I don't see anything describing this.

It got the impression the first solar specialist I spoke with was guessing an explanation about the $54 total and wrote something to that effect in my account. Some of the other comments they said were not correct, such as my totals being different because no minimum charge is applied during CA climate credit months. I may be wrong. Does anyone have addit8ional information about how SDG&E computes minimum charge, and why my charge may have increased from $11 to $54 this month?

[RichardCullip]

The same thing happened to me at my April NEM 2 True-up. SDG&E did not charge me the Minimum Charge Adjustment for a few month earlier but caught up with the yearly total ($127.94) at true-up.

[J.P.M.]

1.) What did SDG & E say when you called and asked them ? I've had pretty good luck when contacting them, but I'll have to admit some of the folks that answer the phones are more informed than others.
Still, getting information from the proper authority or the source is always the best route even if it sometimes requires climbing up the chain of command a link or two.

Everything else, including what I and everyone else thinks amounts to rumor and hearsay and is therefore without merit. Use such advice at your own risk.

2.) That written, your bill will be compiled according to the sheets for the rate schedule you're on.
Check your bill for the schedule you're on and then google "SDG & E + Effective rates and tariffs". Then, find your rate schedule.

3.) Most residential rates were updated effective 06/01/2023. The minimum daily charge has been increased to $0.38 or $138.70/yr. for all common residential rate schedules.

[NCSD]

1.) What did SDG & E say when you called and asked them ?

I listed this in the 2nd paragraph. SDG&E says they changed from a monthly minimum charge calculation to an annual calculation of $132.29 per year They say if you were over the minimum charge in winter months such that monthly bills showed $0 minimum charge, then they change the monthly minimum charge on your true-up month to make the total be $132.29 for the year.

It sounds like the rep I spoke with comments were primarily accurate, although I would have appreciated a higher level of customer service. My experience was SDGE offers no chat or email support. You can only call. After calling, navigating through menus, pressing a lot of buttons, you will eventually be connected to someone who is not a solar specialist. That person then needs to connect you to a solar specialist.

The call with the first solar specialist I spoke with did not go well. Most companies seem to go out of their way to accommodate me, if I call customer service. This call instead ending with the solar rep saying, something to the effect, that I could contact CPSU if you don't like it. I called a 2nd time a short time later after being better prepared with specific information the first rep said that I could confirm was incorrect. The 2nd one appeared to be more accomondating. They said they understood the issue and needed to analyze and review, and they'd call back in a few days with the result. I received no call back after 1 week, .so I contacted them. I was told they were still reviewing. After 2 weeks, I called again. I got the first rep this time who said she could not answer my questions and needed to connect me to someone else. The wait time was ~40 minutes. The next person I spoke with after ~40 minutes gave the responses above.

[J.P.M.]

I listed this in the 2nd paragraph. SDG&E says they changed from a monthly minimum charge calculation to an annual calculation of $132.29 per year They say if you were over the minimum charge in winter months such that monthly bills showed $0 minimum charge, then they change the monthly minimum charge on your true-up month to make the total be $132.29 for the year.

It sounds like the rep I spoke with comments were primarily accurate, although I would have appreciated a higher level of customer service. My experience was SDGE offers no chat or email support. You can only call. After calling, navigating through menus, pressing a lot of buttons, you will eventually be connected to someone who is not a solar specialist. That person then needs to connect you to a solar specialist.

The call with the first solar specialist I spoke with did not go well. Most companies seem to go out of their way to accommodate me, if I call customer service. This call instead ending with the solar rep saying, something to the effect, that I could contact CPSU if you don't like it. I called a 2nd time a short time later after being better prepared with specific information the first rep said that I could confirm was incorrect. The 2nd one appeared to be more accomondating. They said they understood the issue and needed to analyze and review, and they'd call back in a few days with the result. I received no call back after 1 week, .so I contacted them. I was told they were still reviewing. After 2 weeks, I called again. I got the first rep this time who said she could not answer my questions and needed to connect me to someone else. The wait time was ~40 minutes. The next person I spoke with after ~40 minutes gave the responses above.

As usual, and as your above related experience seems to exemplify, nothing can replace persistence.