It has no Social Security number, no bank info, and no credit card numbers.
The information it does have helps us save you real money.
When we start working with a New York homeowner or business owner on a solar proposal, one of the first things we ask for is a copy of your electric bill. Many people send this over no problem, but we know that request can feel strange. Your utility account feels personal. Especially when it is the first time we’re connecting with you. You might wonder what we actually need it for, or whether sharing the full bill is safe.
All fair questions. But here’s why it’s safe – and smart!
First: There's No Sensitive Financial Data on Your Bill
New York State law (GBL §399-ddd) makes it illegal to print your Social Security Numbers on mailed documents. Your electric bill has never contained your SSN. The same goes for bank accounts, routing numbers, credit cards, and PINs. None of them will appear on your NY utility bill.
What’s on your bill?
- Your name and service address
- Utility account number
- Monthly kWh usage history
- Rate class, delivery and supply charges
- No Social Security Number
- No Bank account or routing numbers
- No Credit or debit card numbers
- No Passwords or PINs
Just the Chart Isn't Enough, Here's Why
We all too often get sent images of just portions of a utility bill – zoomed in bar charts, cropped or blurry photos, blacked out account numbers – that don’t give us what we need. We appreciate the effort, but we need the full utility bill to have what we need to build an accurate system design.
Without your complete bill, we’re guessing. And guessing means a system that’s oversized, doesn’t cover your needs, or is priced on assumptions instead of facts.
| What We Need | Where It Lives on Your Bill | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months of kWh usage | Usage history | This allows us to size your system to your actual seasonal consumption. The more information we have about your usage the more accurate we can make our proposal and savings estimates. |
| Rate class/service classification | Account summary section | This helps us ensure your savings projections match your real rate. |
| Supply and delivery charges | Itemized charge breakdown | This allows us to look into your true cost per kWh including all additional fees. |
| Account number | Top of first page | This is the big one. This is required for utility interconnection and we cannot turn your solar system on without this. |
| Service address | Top of first page | This allows us to confirm your project site. |
Missing vital utility bill information? There are only a few cases where we will utilize estimation instead of hard facts to determine your electricity usage. These cases include: new builds that do not have usage information yet, projected large changes in usage (adding EV charger, electric heating, etc.) or similar.
Think you fall under one of these fringe cases? Let our team know and they’ll do their best to work with you and the information you do have.
Your Account Number is Vital
Of everything on your bill, your utility account number is the one piece we truly cannot work without. It’s not just useful, but it’s legally required at multiple stages of your solar project.
Why your account number can’t be skipped
Your account number is how your utility ties your solar system to the grid. Without it, the interconnection cannot be submitted. And without interconnection approval, your system legally cannot be turned on.
Net metering – the program that credits you for excess energy generated by your solar system – must be set up properly under your account. Your utility needs the account number to register your system for credits.
New York State’s incentive programs require your account number to verify that you are the customer on record at the service address.
Finding Your Bill Online
Click through to your utility’s website to log in and access your bill. Most utilities also offer a sample or example bill that outlines what each section means:
Region: Upstate NY, Long Island
Get started to retrieve your utility bill by logging in online here.
Learn how to read your bill, and view a sample National Grid bill here.
Region: Southern Tier and Capital Region
Get started to retrieve your utility bill by logging in online here.
Learn how to read your bill, and view a sample NYSEG bill here.
Region: Mid-Hudson Valley
Get started to retrieve your utility bill by logging in online here.
Learn how to read your bill, and view a sample Central Hudson bill here.
Region: New York City and Westchester
Get started to retrieve your utility bill by logging in online here.
Learn how to read your bill, and view a sample Con Edison bill here.
Region: Rochester
Get started to retrieve your utility bill by logging in online here.
Learn how to read your bill, and view a sample RG&E bill here.
Who You're Trusting With Your Bill
Kasselman Solar is one of only four companies out of more than 200 in New York to earn NYSERDA’s Platinum Quality Solar Installer status this year.
We’re also an Enphase Platinum Installer and an affiliate of Kasselman Electric, a licensed electrical contractor in the region since 1948. Since we began in 2014, more than 4,000 New York homeowners and businesses have chosen us for their solar, battery and generator needs. Your project is truly in the best hands.
