Fewer than 12 months of usage

Solar pays off over a whole year: summer production covers winter, and air conditioning months weigh the most. A few months of bills can’t show that, so Cali-Graf asks for a full year.

What Cali-Graf needs

One of these, for the last 12 months:

• every bill — 6 for LADWP or 12 for SCE;
• a yearly total in kWh;
• a Green Button file with at least a full year of hours.

With some bills empty, Calculate doesn’t run and the calculator says which bills are missing. A Green Button file shorter than a year isn’t accepted.

What to do with less than a year

• Ask about the previous home or year. If the family moved from a home of similar size, their old yearly usage is a good start.
• Estimate the year from the months you have — carefully. Multiplying a few winter months by 12 understates the summer; a few summer months by 12 overstates the year. Think about which season the bills cover.
• Enter the estimate as a yearly total. In Usage, pick Yearly total. Cali-Graf spreads it over the billing periods the way similar Los Angeles homes use power — see Use a yearly total.

How accurate it is

Only as accurate as the estimate. Tell the customer the numbers are based on an estimated year, and recalculate when a full year of bills is in.