Our Community Advocacy Board wrapped up its first quarterly meeting of 2026 with a packed agenda — covering how community solar billing works across different states, a celebration of B Corp Month, and an introduction to our new Solar Rewards Loyalty Program. Here’s a recap of what we discussed.
One of the most common questions we hear is: “Why does my bill look different from someone else’s?” The short answer is that community solar in the U.S. is a patchwork of state-by-state policies, and those policies determine a lot about your experience as a subscriber — including whether you receive one bill or two.
Dual Billing means you receive your regular electric utility bill (with solar credits applied as a line item reducing the amount you owe your utility), plus a separate Community Solar bill from Neighborhood Sun. In that case, your utility bill decreases because you pay Neighborhood Sun for the majority of the electricity you use, and we apply your guaranteed discount, saving you money. When dual-billing subscribers add up the total cost of both these bills, it’s less than what they would be paying without community solar, because of the discount you get on your solar credits.
Consolidated Billing means the utility handles the billing for your solar credits, rather than Neighborhood Sun, so you get the same total savings, but you only deal with one invoice.
Neighborhood Sun would love for all projects to use consolidated billing because it simplifies billing by eliminating the need for us to collect a payment method. Unfortunately, it’s not up to us to decide. Whether or not consolidated billing is available depends on a subscriber’s state legislature, the state’s Public Utility Commission (PUC/PSC), and ultimately the utility itself. Where no mandate exists, utilities often drag their feet when it comes to implementation because they bear the burden of software updates, administrative costs, and potential revenue loss involved with facilitating the transition to consolidated billing, despite there being no real benefit or incentive to them.
How has consolidated billing been determined across some of the states we serve?
Have billing questions? Contact Neighborhood Sun
Moving or changing utilities? Let us know so we can update your subscription.
March is B Corp Month, and we’re proud to celebrate as a Certified B Corporation. B Lab — the global nonprofit behind B Corp certification — is a community of over 10,600 companies across 104 countries and 163 industries, all working toward a more inclusive, equitable, and fair economic system. Learn more at bcorporation.net.
Under B Lab’s updated certification standards, companies must meet two types of requirements: Foundation Requirements (confirming basic eligibility for certification) and Impact Topic Requirements covering seven areas tailored to a company’s size, sector, and location. Here’s how Neighborhood Sun approaches each area:
We also introduced our Solar Rewards Loyalty Program — a new way for subscribers to earn points and unlock additional savings. You can earn points by:
Points can be accumulated up to 10,000 at a time and redeemed as gift cards or donations to your favorite non-profit organization. Every successful referral also adds a solar panel to your virtual farm — expanding your community’s clean energy impact.
We have several Earth Day events on the horizon this April — a great opportunity to connect with your community and spread the word about clean energy:
We hope to see you there!
Fill out the form below to join the CAB. It’s as easy as that!
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