Import price
The retail price paid for grid electricity can change by season, hour, usage tier, and rate schedule.
Utility Rate Guide
Your electric rate is the operating system behind the savings.
A battery does not create energy. It changes timing. Understanding your tariff helps explain when storage is useful, what solar exports may be worth, and where estimates can go wrong.
MIDDAYSolar production often peaks
Use energy directly, charge a battery, or export excess.
EVENINGHousehold demand and prices may rise
Stored solar can reduce grid purchases during selected periods.
Export value
Compensation for energy sent to the grid may vary by hour and is not necessarily equal to the retail import price.
Battery dispatch
Controls decide when to charge, hold reserve, export, or discharge. The strategy affects savings and backup readiness.
Read the whole bill
Review delivery, generation, non-bypassable charges, credits, minimums, and community-choice line items—not just the total.
Rates change.
Use your utility’s current tariff and your own interval data for a financial model. Examples on this site intentionally avoid presenting a current cents-per-kWh figure as universal.