TECO and FPL Solar Credits: Reconcile the Year-End Balance

Identify the statement that answers your question

Save the bill immediately before settlement, the statement containing the annual adjustment and the next statement. Label each by provider, service period, issue date and rate year. A billing statement issued in a later month may describe earlier energy activity, so do not select it from the filename alone. These utility-specific examples do not apply automatically to Duke Energy, OUC, KUA or LCEC accounts.

FPL says its remaining December reserves receive a credit based on average annual generation cost, with the net-metering rate recalculated each year. [1] Tampa Electric identifies the February bill for its year-end excess credit. [2] Ask the actual utility for the applicable annual calculation; do not insert a retail purchase rate, an old online example or another provider’s rate into the settlement worksheet.

Create separate energy and money ledgers

Use one ledger for kWh and a second for dollars. For the energy ledger, copy the opening reserve, additions, energy applied, adjustments and closing reserve using the bill’s labels. For the money ledger, record the settlement entry, other credits, charges and resulting amount due. Keep the two ledgers linked by the relevant statement rather than adding incompatible units together.

Hypothetical example: an energy reserve starts at 600 kWh, receives 250 kWh of additional eligible energy and has 400 kWh applied. With no other adjustments, the closing energy balance is 450 kWh. That is not $450 and is not a cash-withdrawal promise. If a later annual settlement converts a reserve to a dollar entry, record both entries and the utility’s calculation. Do not count the settled energy a second time as an available bank.

Read the sign convention before alleging a discrepancy

Tampa Electric’s sample bill illustrates a negative sign for a net-metering energy balance and shows energy applied against that reserve. [3] Copy the sign and label as printed, then explain them in your worksheet. A negative energy figure is not automatically a fee or a negative cash balance. The sample is a guide to fields, not evidence of today’s rates or your account’s settlement.

For a mismatch, write one specific question: which opening balance, addition, application or adjustment is not explained? Attach the relevant statements privately and identify the exact line. Ask utility billing support to reconcile the record. Keep the response and any corrected statement, and mark the previous copy as superseded rather than overwriting the history that explains the question.

Keep utility accounting separate from production diagnostics

An inverter production total and a utility bill do not measure the same boundary. FPL explicitly notes that solar energy consumed at home does not pass through its meter. [1] Comparing a calendar-month app total directly with a different meter period can therefore create an apparent problem even when both records are internally consistent.

If you suspect a production issue, make a separate service record containing the equipment models, app reporting dates, alerts and comparable production history. Do not ask a technician to replace equipment solely because the annual bank was reduced or settled. Conversely, a correct settlement does not certify that the system is healthy. Billing support and equipment service answer different questions and may both be needed. Never open electrical equipment or climb onto the roof to reconcile a statement.

Use the annual record before buying more panels

An expansion comparison should separate the current system from the added equipment. Ask how much additional annual generation is projected, how much is likely to serve demand or receive useful credits before settlement, and how much may remain at year-end. Keep seasonal occupancy and proposed new loads visible. A larger energy bank is not itself proof of a better household outcome.

For an Origin Direct review, bring the twelve-period usage record, settlement statements and the proposed equipment schedule. Ask for the incremental installed scope and ongoing obligations without assuming every extra kWh offsets electricity at the same value. Keep any uncertain future rate or usage change as a labeled scenario. Origin can help evaluate the proposal; the utility resolves its bill and accepted credit calculation. No worksheet here establishes a guaranteed bill reduction or payback date.

Primary sources

1. FPL: Net Metering FAQs

   Checked October 16, 2026 for December reserve settlement, annual rate recalculation and the meter boundary. This does not establish a current-year settlement rate for another utility.

2. Tampa Electric: Solar 101

   Checked October 16, 2026 for the February year-end credit statement. Generic system-price and savings examples on this source are not Origin quotes or predictions.

3. Tampa Electric: Net Meter Sample Bill

   Checked October 16, 2026. Use the sample to identify fields, not to quote current prices or reproduce a customer bill.

Planning examples and questions are Origin’s editorial guidance, not a property-specific diagnosis, engineering design, tax determination or promise of savings. Manufacturer and utility references do not imply an affiliation with Origin.

Related guidance

• Check a TECO rate-plan transition
• Compare monitoring and billing periods
• Document seasonal occupancy
• Understand continuing utility charges