Use this guide
Choose the questions relevant to your situation. Expand each answer, save the checklist and request written clarification where evidence is missing.
Questions homeowners ask
Why does my Dominion bill differ from my solar production app?
Dominion’s net meter measures electricity delivered to you and returned to the grid. Solar consumed at home does not pass through that meter. Match reading periods and measurement boundaries before treating the difference as a fault.
Source: Dominion Energy Virginia: Net Metering. Reviewed 2026-10-07.
Is a monthly export credit the same as an annual cash payment?
No. Dominion describes exported energy credits offsetting future delivered electricity. Its utility PPA addresses net excess remaining after a 12-month net metering period. Keep those arrangements separate.
Source: Dominion Energy Virginia: Net Metering. Reviewed 2026-10-07.
Does the Off-Peak Plan treat all credits as interchangeable?
Dominion says credits apply only to the tier in which they accrue. Record the actual rate schedule and time tier before comparing an annual total with household costs.
Source: Dominion Energy Virginia: Net Metering. Reviewed 2026-10-07.
Is Dominion’s excess-energy PPA the same as an installer PPA?
Dominion’s PPA purchases eligible annual net excess from the customer. An installer agreement may instead sell electricity to the household. Compare counterparties, direction of payment and actual terms; the shared abbreviation is not enough.
Source: Dominion Energy Virginia: Net Metering. Reviewed 2026-10-07.
Does net metering automatically enroll me in Dominion REC purchases?
No. Dominion describes a PPA, a one-time REC-purchase election when signing, and necessary company metering. Ask for the accepted election and applicable meter arrangement; an energy credit alone does not prove REC enrollment.
Source: Dominion Energy Virginia: Net Metering RECs. Reviewed 2026-10-07.
What records distinguish total-generation and excess-generation REC routes?
Dominion describes different metering arrangements for those routes, plus PPA and PJM consent forms. Its REC page lists yearly payment at annual review. Ask the utility and qualified installer to confirm the actual scope; do not wire equipment yourself.
Source: Dominion Energy Virginia: Net Metering RECs. Reviewed 2026-10-07.
How should I reconcile an unexplained annual settlement?
Collect the opening balance, every bill in the relevant period, accepted agreements, meter information and the utility’s calculation. Label each item with units and dates. Ask which amount is an energy credit, excess-energy payment or REC payment. Record unresolved differences and the utility response without assuming a missing amount is zero.
Your decision checklist
- Identify Dominion Energy Virginia, the actual account and rate schedule.
- Match app and utility readings by dates and measurement boundary.
- Keep monthly credits separate from annual settlement and cash payments.
- Confirm the annual review period and any time-of-use tiers.
- Read the utility PPA and REC election separately from installer contracts.
- Retain the accepted meter route, consent and payment evidence.
- Request written clarification for unexplained entries; keep records privately.
Save or print this guide from your browser. Keep completed records privately.
Reconcile energy, settlement and certificate records
| Record | Evidence to compare |
|---|---|
| Account and rate | Serving electric utility, rate schedule, time tiers and accepted program |
| Reading period | Utility read dates and app reporting period, with units identified |
| Credit balance | Opening balance, monthly changes and closing statement |
| Utility PPA | Counterparty, accepted version, annual period and payment calculation |
| REC election | Actual election, ownership/assignment terms and consent record |
| Meter route | Total or excess generation arrangement and qualified confirmation |
| Annual review | Separate energy and REC entries, received payments and open questions |
Fictional example: an app shows 900 kWh of production and a utility statement shows 300 kWh returned to the grid. The household has not yet matched the reporting dates. Start by aligning the periods and identifying what each device measures. The two numbers alone cannot diagnose performance or establish how much electricity the household used.
Fictional example: a sales comparison labels one line “PPA income” while the homeowner has both an installer contract and a utility agreement. Ask the preparer to identify the paying party, eligible quantity and applicable document for that line. Separate projected income from received payments and check whether certificate rights have already been assigned elsewhere.
Reviewed October 7, 2026 against Dominion’s Virginia net metering guidance and REC purchase explanation. The FTC’s consumer guide supports the distinction between buying power from a solar provider and a utility purchasing annual excess. This is selected utility guidance, not a complete tariff or legal interpretation. Confirm current account-specific terms and accepted agreements directly. We publish no current energy or REC price, eligibility determination or savings forecast. Our organizer and fictional examples are editorial planning aids. Electrical work belongs with qualified professionals.
Continue with bill measurement guidance, certificate ownership and environmental claims, installer financing comparisons and Fairfax permit records. Solar Survey AI’s evidence methodology and available inspection scope can help document a defined site question; they do not decide utility settlement or certificate rights. Confirm qualifications, fees, conflicts and availability. A third-party provider is not automatically independent. Homeowner provider connections and planned free remote diagnosis remain coming soon.
About these guides
Published by Solar Survey AI, a commercial survey-services company. Our original decision checklists are recommendations; linked authorities support the referenced facts. We may benefit if you purchase our services. This is not independent certification of our company, a project-specific engineering decision or personal tax/legal advice. Local rules, contracts and site evidence control individual decisions. Reviewed 2026-10-07.
For available survey or inspection services, confirm your project scope and availability with our team. Our planned free homeowner remote diagnosis remains coming soon.
Survey services · Inspection services · Monitoring early access