The majority of American households qualify as low-income and must dedicate a bigger portion of their income to electricity bills than middle- or higher-income households. Community solar can help offset that imbalance by offering income-qualified subscribers up to 3x more savings on each electricity bill. Neighborhood Sun has already helped low- and moderate-income households access over $1.2 Million on electricity bills simply by subscribing for free.
Discounts vary based on a subscriber’s community solar farm, state, and income level. To be eligible for a higher discount, a subscriber must verify their income status through a method determined by state policy.
Find your state below and see the options you have for income verification to help you maximize your solar savings.
In Maryland, you can verify your income by either
(1) Proving your participation in certain income-qualifying programs (see list below)
OR
(2) Submitting financial documentation like a W2 or paystub.
*Please note that this information will be used for nothing other than determining your eligibility for a higher discount and you only need to submit one form of verification.
If you participate in any of the following programs, you should be eligible for a higher discount through our S.H.A.R.E. program. Submit proof of your participation by clicking on the green button.
Use the chart below to determine whether you qualify for a higher discount based on your household income.
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $30,120 |
| 2 | $40,880 |
| 3 | $51,640 |
| 4 | $62,400 |
| 5 | $73,160 |
| 6 | $83,920 |
| 7 | $94,680 |
| 8 | $105,440 |
If your household income is at or below the threshold listed above, click here or on the green button below to submit your documents for verification.
The following documents are accepted for Maryland residents:
In New Jersey, you can “self-attest” eligibility for a higher discount by filling out the form below using just one of the following methods:
(1) confirming you participate in one of the qualifying programs
(2) reporting household income within the range defined by your county
Qualifying Programs
County Income Limits
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $49,950 |
| 2 | $57,050 |
| 3 | $64,200 |
| 4 | $71,300 |
| 5 | $77,050 |
| 6 | $82,750 |
| 7 | $88,450 |
| 8 | $94,150 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $56,250 |
| 2 | $64,300 |
| 3 | $72,350 |
| 4 | $80,350 |
| 5 | $86,800 |
| 6 | $93,250 |
| 7 | $99,650 |
| 8 | $94,150 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $68,150 |
| 2 | $77,850 |
| 3 | $87,600 |
| 4 | $97,300 |
| 5 | $105,100 |
| 6 | $112,900 |
| 7 | $120,700 |
| 8 | $128,450 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,750 |
| 2 | $76,250 |
| 3 | $85,800 |
| 4 | $95,300 |
| 5 | $102,950 |
| 6 | $110,550 |
| 7 | $118,200 |
| 8 | $125,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $47,600 |
| 2 | $54,400 |
| 3 | $61,200 |
| 4 | $68,000 |
| 5 | $73,450 |
| 6 | $78,900 |
| 7 | $84,350 |
| 8 | $89,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,750 |
| 2 | $76,250 |
| 3 | $85,800 |
| 4 | $95,300 |
| 5 | $102,950 |
| 6 | $110,550 |
| 7 | $118,200 |
| 8 | $125,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $62,500 |
| 2 | $71,400 |
| 3 | $80,350 |
| 4 | $89,250 |
| 5 | $96,400 |
| 6 | $103,550 |
| 7 | $110,700 |
| 8 | $117,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,300 |
| 2 | $75,750 |
| 3 | $85,200 |
| 4 | $94,650 |
| 5 | $102,250 |
| 6 | $109,800 |
| 7 | $117,400 |
| 8 | $124,950 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,300 |
| 2 | $75,750 |
| 3 | $85,200 |
| 4 | $94,650 |
| 5 | $102,250 |
| 6 | $109,800 |
| 7 | $117,400 |
| 8 | $124,950 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $62,500 |
| 2 | $71,400 |
| 3 | $80,350 |
| 4 | $89,250 |
| 5 | $96,400 |
| 6 | $103,550 |
| 7 | $110,700 |
| 8 | $117,850 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $62,500 |
| 2 | $71,400 |
| 3 | $80,350 |
| 4 | $89,250 |
| 5 | $96,400 |
| 6 | $103,550 |
| 7 | $110,700 |
| 8 | $117,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,750 |
| 2 | $76,250 |
| 3 | $85,800 |
| 4 | $95,300 |
| 5 | $102,950 |
| 6 | $110,550 |
| 7 | $118,200 |
| 8 | $125,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,300 |
| 2 | $75,750 |
| 3 | $85,200 |
| 4 | $94,650 |
| 5 | $102,250 |
| 6 | $109,800 |
| 7 | $117,400 |
| 8 | $124,950 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,750 |
| 2 | $76,250 |
| 3 | $85,800 |
| 4 | $95,300 |
| 5 | $102,950 |
| 6 | $110,550 |
| 7 | $118,200 |
| 8 | $125,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,300 |
| 2 | $75,750 |
| 3 | $85,200 |
| 4 | $94,650 |
| 5 | $102,250 |
| 6 | $109,800 |
| 7 | $117,400 |
| 8 | $124,950 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,300 |
| 2 | $75,750 |
| 3 | $85,200 |
| 4 | $94,650 |
| 5 | $102,250 |
| 6 | $109,800 |
| 7 | $117,400 |
| 8 | $124,950 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $62,500 |
| 2 | $71,400 |
| 3 | $80,350 |
| 4 | $89,250 |
| 5 | $96,400 |
| 6 | $103,550 |
| 7 | $110,700 |
| 8 | $117,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,300 |
| 2 | $75,750 |
| 3 | $85,200 |
| 4 | $94,650 |
| 5 | $102,250 |
| 6 | $109,800 |
| 7 | $117,400 |
| 8 | $124,950 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,300 |
| 2 | $75,750 |
| 3 | $85,200 |
| 4 | $94,650 |
| 5 | $102,250 |
| 6 | $109,800 |
| 7 | $117,400 |
| 8 | $124,950 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $66,750 |
| 2 | $76,250 |
| 3 | $85,800 |
| 4 | $95,300 |
| 5 | $102,950 |
| 6 | $110,550 |
| 7 | $118,200 |
| 8 | $125,800 |
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $62,500 |
| 2 | $71,400 |
| 3 | $80,350 |
| 4 | $89,250 |
| 5 | $96,400 |
| 6 | $103,550 |
| 7 | $110,700 |
| 8 | $117,850 |
In New York, the criteria that qualifies you for an additional discount depends on your specific location within New York and when your community solar farm was connected to the grid. We wish it could be simpler too, but for now, this is what state policy dictates. Find your community solar farm to identify which eligibility criteria applies to you.
If you’re subscribed to Route 262 community solar farm, you can either
(1) Submit documentation of your participation in one of the income-qualifying programs listed below using this link (we recommend this option)
OR
(2) Submit financial documents via the NYSERDA income eligibility application (click on green button below) to confirm eligibility
When you enrolled in community solar for any Ferris Road community solar farms, if you selected self-attestation, the form should already be embedded in your contract, guaranteeing your eligibility for a higher discount rate.
However, if you selected “no” when prompted about self-attestation, you still need to download this form to fill it out and submit it using this link.
When you enrolled in community solar for any East Road community solar farms, if you selected self-attestation, the form should already be embedded in your contract, guaranteeing your eligibility for a higher discount rate.
However, if you selected “no” when prompted about self-attestation, you still need to download this form to fill it out and submit it using this link.
| Persons in Household | Maximum Income Amount |
| 1 | $62,500 |
| 2 | $71,400 |
| 3 | $80,350 |
| 4 | $89,250 |
| 5 | $96,400 |
| 6 | $103,550 |
| 7 | $110,700 |
| 8 | $117,850 |
If you’re subscribed to Hamilsun, you can submit proof of participation in any of the income-qualifying programs below:
Submit your documentation by clicking on this link.
Budget billing or a payment arrangement with your utility company can add some complexity when participating in community solar. When you subscribe to community solar, you receive a share of the solar farm’s energy production based on your historical usage, but this allocation doesn’t directly account for any existing billing arrangements you have with your utility company.
In many cases, utilities will apply the solar credits generated from your community solar share to your overall energy consumption, but not necessarily to the fixed monthly amount set by your budget billing plan. This could lead to higher overall payments than expected, which isn’t the goal of community solar—we aim to help you save money while supporting clean, renewable energy. To ensure community solar works effectively with your budget billing, it’s best to contact us before enrolling. We can review your utility bill and provide guidance on how community solar can fit with your payment arrangements
Budget billing means you pay the same amount every month for a utility service like electricity. If you’re also a community solar subscriber, we recommend canceling budget billing to maximize your savings.
If you stay on budget billing, your utility provider will only apply your community solar credits once a year (known as true-up) rather than once a month. When this happens, they find out if your household used more or less energy than what you were charged for, adjusting for the upcoming year, either resulting in a charge or a refund.
However, if you cancel budget billing, the savings provided through your community solar subscription will be applied monthly, avoiding the possibility of an unexpected annual charge, which is typically more beneficial to subscribers than budget billing. That’s why we recommend canceling budget billing when you subscribe to community solar.
That being said, you know what is best for your budget so we suggest doing whatever is right for your household.
Visit the MySolar portal to view all your past bills, monthly savings, and environmental impact!
There is no additional cost to subscribe to a community solar farm. You pay for the solar credits applied to your electricity bill at the discount guaranteed in your contract (usually between 10%-30% depending on income qualifications). The money you pay for credits would be paid to your utility if you were not a subscriber, so there is no cost– only savings.
We’ll email you at the start of each month to remind you of your auto-billing. Note that your invoice amount may fluctuate from month-to-month. This is because your share of the solar farm may produce more electricity in say June (sunny days!) than in January (typically less sun).
You will receive an invoice for your solar credits after the utility applies them to your electric bill. It usually takes between 30 to 60 days to receive your Neighborhood Sun invoice for the credits applied to your bill. Typically, you will receive your invoice on the 15th of the month, and it will be automatically processed seven days later. Please be aware that there may be delays in receiving the solar credit data from the utility provider. Rest assured, we will notify you via email if any delays occur!
Yes, your electricity bill will show a credit for the “share” of solar energy generated by your community solar farm and allocated to you. There is no change to your utility service. If you live in a state with dual-billing, you’ll receive a monthly invoice from Neighborhood Sun for the cost of your solar credits, but your discount will be applied, saving you money on your total monthly electricity costs.
Nothing changes with your utility provider. You’ll keep getting electricity bills, but you’ll see the total amount owed is being reduced by community solar credits.
If you have already subscribed to a community solar and need to provide documentation to verify your income and guarantee your higher discount, click below.
