Your bill
How to Read Your Electric Bill for Solar
Three things on your bill size a solar array: your kilowatt-hours over the last 12 months, your rate schedule, and which charges change with usage. Here is where each one sits on a Dominion or NOVEC bill.
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Answer first
The short answer
Add up 12 months of kilowatt-hours, not dollars. That annual number sizes the array, because a Northern Virginia roof produces about 1,250 kWh per kW per year as a modeled estimate. A home that uses about 12,500 kWh a year points to a modeled 10 kW array, which installs for $24,000–$28,500 cash at $2.40–$2.85/W.
- Dominion bills show a 13-month usage history chart; NOVEC bills compare each month to the same month a year earlier.
- Per-kWh charges are what solar offsets. Fixed monthly charges stay.
- For a quick planning rate, the EIA Virginia average residential rate is 17.22 cents per kWh. Your own bill gives the real one.
The Dominion bill fields that matter
Dominion labels its bill clearly, and five fields do the work for solar.
| Field on the bill | What it tells you | Why it matters for solar |
|---|---|---|
| Billable Usage (kWh) | Electricity used this billing period, from the meter readings | The monthly number you add up for the year |
| Usage History | A chart of the last 13 months | The fastest way to get a full year of kWh |
| Average Daily Usage | Average kWh per day this period | Shows seasonal swings: summer cooling, winter heat |
| Rate Schedule | The rate plan used to calculate the bill | Net metering needs a compatible schedule |
| Distribution Service and Electricity Supply charges | Delivery, generation, transmission, and fuel costs | The per-kWh parts are what solar credits offset |
Field names from Dominion Energy Virginia, Understand My Bill.
The NOVEC bill fields that matter
NOVEC's bill puts the numbers in the Meter Readings table and the Current Service Detail box.
| Field on the bill | What it tells you | Why it matters for solar |
|---|---|---|
| kWh Usage (Meter Readings table) | Energy used this billing period | The monthly number you add up for the year |
| Rate(s) | The rate schedule on file with the SCC | Confirms residential service |
| Usage History | Each billing period next to the same period a year ago, plus average daily kWh | Shows a full year of use |
| Monthly Service Charge | Fixed cost of the delivery system; usage does not change it | Stays on the bill with solar |
| Distribution, Supply, and Power Cost Adjustment | Per-kWh charges; the PCA can be a credit or a charge | What net metering credits offset |
Field names from NOVEC, Understanding Your New NOVEC Electric Bill, and the NOVEC Power Cost Adjustment page.
Turn a year of kWh into an array size
Everything in this example is a modeled estimate. The free quote replaces it with a shade analysis of your roof and your actual usage. A typical 8 to 12 kW array in Northern Virginia is $19,000–$34,000.
- 01
Add 12 months of kWh
Use the usage history chart or twelve bills. Dollars mislead because rates change; kilowatt-hours do not.
- 02
Divide by the planning yield
At about 1,250 kWh per kW per year, 12,500 kWh points to a modeled 10 kW array. Shade and roof direction change it.
- 03
Check the utility's cap
Dominion allows up to 150 percent of expected annual use; NOVEC allows up to 100 percent of the prior 12 months. Sizing to usage is the best value on both.
- 04
Add planned loads
An EV charger or heat pump raises next year's usage. Bring the plan to the quote so the design accounts for it.
Find your real cost per kWh
Divide the year's total charges by the year's kWh and you have your all-in rate. Payback math should use that number. If you do not have the bills handy, the EIA Virginia average residential rate is 17.22 cents per kWh, from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Electric Power Monthly; it is a statewide average across utilities, not a Dominion or NOVEC tariff.
Net metering credits offset the charges that change with usage. In a month when your credits cover your usage, both utilities still bill the fixed, non-usage charges, so those do not belong in the savings math.
Straight answers
Questions
- What do I need from my electric bill for a solar quote?
- Twelve months of kWh usage, the rate schedule, and the service address. A single recent bill with the usage history chart usually covers all three.
- Should I size solar from dollars or kWh?
- Kilowatt-hours. Rates change and bills include fixed charges; annual kWh is what the array has to produce.
- Will solar remove my whole electric bill?
- No. Net metering offsets usage-based charges. Fixed monthly charges stay on the bill even in months your credits cover your usage.
- What electricity rate should I use for payback?
- Your own: the year's total charges divided by the year's kWh. The EIA Virginia average residential rate, 17.22 cents per kWh, works for a first look.
Sources
- Dominion Energy Virginia, Understand My Bill
- NOVEC, Understanding Your New NOVEC Electric Bill
- NOVEC, Power Cost Adjustment
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A
- Dominion Energy Virginia, Net Metering
- NOVEC, Schedule NEM-10 Net Energy Metering Rider
- Dominion Energy Virginia, revised Terms and Conditions XXV, Net Metering (filed July 30, 2026)
Next step
Send the bill, get the size
Upload a recent Dominion or NOVEC bill with the address. The free quote comes back with a modeled system size, the cash price, and the modeled production.
Solar energy company
AJ Long Electric Solar
AJ Long Electric
7138 Little River Turnpike #305
Annandale, VA 22003
Serving Annandale, Fairfax County, and Northern Virginia.