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Updating the Usage Phase Restriction

Updating the Usage Phase Restriction

Handled by: Software Support Team

Background: A block on the usage phase was placed on 11/7 to stop sales reps from inputting a yearly usage larger than 50,000 kWh. These jobs will require support to review the homeowner's utility bill to verify the real usage before updating the usage phase to allow yearly usage to be higher than 50,000 kWh.

Do NOT mention to the Sales Rep/Installer what the kWh limit amount is

 


Table of Content:


Process: 

Step

Action

Step

Action

1

  • Sales Representative/ Installer will try to quote a project with an annual usage above 50,000 kWh. However, the system will block it by showing the following error:

 

 

image-20241105-150623.png

“Error USG-036: The entered usage information is outside of an allowable range”

2

  • Have the sales rep/ Installer upload the homeowner's utility bills that covers the last 3 months, at a minimum, through the documents side menu.

Validate that the most recent utility bill is for a billing period within the past 31 days

 

image-20241118-160051.png

An exception can be made only if the customer has not lived in the residence for 3 billing periods. If so; we will ask for at least 1 utility bill (The most recent one)

3

  • Have the Utility Bills been uploaded?

IF YES:

 

IF NOT:

  • Notify the Sales Rep/ Installer that the only way to proceed with a project when the Historical usage exceeds the limit is by providing the homeowner’s utility bill from the last 3 months, at minimum to reflect that usage.

Do NOT mention to the Sales Rep/Installer what the limit amount is

 

4

  • If the Utility Bill has been uploaded, then click the 3 dots next to the uploaded utility bill

 

image-20241105-214714.png

 

  • Click on “Download

 

image-20241105-214821.png

 

5

  • Once you open the Utility bill, locate the Historical Usage (kWh)

 

Verify the following information in the Utility Bill:

  • Name:

    • (It needs to match the one in the job)

  • Address and Zip Code:

    • (It needs to match the one in the job

  • Utility Company:

    • The Utility Company’s Name in the Utility Bill should match the Utility Company’s Name listed in the Usage Phase

  • Utility Bill Status:

    • The Utility bills have to be the most recent utility bills, and it should cover the last 3 months at a minimum and it should have a due date within the past 31 days

      • Reminder: An exception can be made only if the customer has not lived in the residence for 3 billing periods, if so; we will accept at least 1 utility bill (The most recent one)

  • kWh for the Month:

    • (We will need this to confirm if the kWh showed in the utility bill is matching the one registered by the Sales Rep in the Usage Phase)

  • Rate Schedule:

    • If the “Rate Schedule” is not matching, we will need to educate the Sales Rep to update it in the Usage Phase in order to match

 

 

6

  • Go to the “Usage Phase

  • Click on “Manage Usage Profile

    • Then click on the 3 dots next to the drop down menu and select “Duplicate

image-20241118-162837.png
  • From the Duplicated profile: Select the “Monthly Usage” Option from the “Edit Usage By” Drop down menu

 

image-20241118-163517.png

 

  • Verify if All months provided on the utility bills match the values entered on the Usage Phase

 

image-20241105-215700.png

Example:

  • If they give us utility bills for January, February and March; then we go to Engine and confirm if the value entered for each of these months are showing the same value

  • If a utility bill’s period is split between 2 different months, we will verify the value of the month with the greatest number of days

    • Example: If the Utility Bill shows a period between January and February, we will verify the value entered for January since it has more days than february

 

  • If the value matches go to step 7

 

  • If the value is not matching enter the value from the utility bill into the corresponding box

 

 

image-20241118-221957.png

 

  • Click on “Apply Changes

 

 

image-20241118-222042.png

 

7

  • Is the Error “USG-036” coming up after clicking “Apply Changes?

IF NOT:

  • That means that the annual usage is under the 20k cap.

    • Let the Sales Representative/ Installer know that this will be the value that they will have to move forward with. 

IF YES:

8

  • Click the Job Summary icon

Job.png
  • Scroll down to the Support section and click the “Update Usage Limit” button

  • Update Usage Limits to 90,000 kWh to make sure that the values go through without receiving Error USG-036.

  • Once you update the usage limit Click on “Apply Changes

  • Go to Step 9

 

image-20241105-220227.png

Remember that the Usage Limit will have to be lowered later.

9

  • Update the Usage Limit in line with what the new annual total is based on the values generated in the previous step 8

  • Click the Job Summary icon

 

 

 

Job.png
  • Scroll down to the Support section and click the “Update Usage Limit” button

 

image-20241105-220227.png
  • Click “Update

 

image-20241118-222050.png
  • Then go to the “Profile Name” Drop down menu and select the original profile

 

image-20241118-220852.png
  • Go down to the “Annual Usage” and enter the new total annual value

    • Then click on Apply Changes

 

image-20241118-221312.png

 

  • Go back to the drop-down menu and select the (copy) profile and “Archive

    • Then; Stop

 

image-20241118-221819.png

 


How to verify information from Utility Bills:

(Click Here to go back to main process)

 

Edison

(Click Here to go back to main process)

Category

Reference

Category

Reference

 

 

 

Homeowner’s Name

 

image-20241118-205912.png

 

 

 

Address & Zip Code

 

 

 

image-20241118-210211.png

 

 

 

kWh for the Month

 

 

image-20241118-210344.png

 

 

 

Rate Schedule

 

 

image-20241118-210933.png

 

 

 

 

Utility’s Company Name

 

 

 

image-20241118-211053.png

 

 

 

Bill Status (Billing Period)

 

 

image-20241118-211303.png

 

PG&E

(Click Here to go back to main process)

Category

Reference

Category

Reference

 

 

 

Homeowner’s Name

 

image-20241118-211829.png

 

 

 

 

Address & Zip Code

 

 

 

image-20241118-211918.png

 

 

 

 

kWh for the Month

 

 

 

image-20241118-212503.png

 

 

 

 

 

Rate Schedule

 

 

image-20241118-212638.png

 

 

 

 

Utility’s Company Name

 

 

image-20241118-212811.png

 

 

 

 

Bill Status (Billing Period)

 

 

image-20241118-212952.png

 

Green Mountain

Engine might Show this Utility as “Oncor”. However Green Mountain is part of Oncor

(Click Here to go back to main process)

Category

Reference

Category

Reference

 

 

 

 

Homeowner’s Name

 

image-20241118-213717.png

 

 

 

 

Address & Zip Code

 

 

 

 

 

image-20241118-213837.png

 

 

 

kWh for the Month

 

 

image-20241118-213953.png

 

 

 

 

Rate Schedule

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility’s Company Name

 

 

image-20241118-214204.png

 

 

 

 

Bill Status (Billing Period)

 

 

image-20241118-214304.png

 

ComEd (Commonwealth Edison)

(Click Here to go back to main process)

Category

Reference

Category

Reference

 

 

 

Homeowner’s Name

 

 

image-20241118-215814.png

 

 

 

 

 

Address & Zip Code

 

 

 

image-20241118-215903.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

kWh for the Month

 

 

 

image-20241118-220105.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rate Schedule

 

 

image-20241118-220230.png

 

 

 

 

 

Utility’s Company Name

 

 

image-20241118-220311.png

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Status (Billing Period)

 

 

image-20241118-220429.png

 

 

Ameren

(Click Here to go back to main process)

Category

Reference

Category

Reference

 

 

 

 

Homeowner’s Name

 

image-20241118-220821.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address & Zip Code

 

 

 

image-20241118-221012.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

kWh for the Month

 

 

 

image-20241118-221159.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rate Schedule

 

 

image-20241118-221321.png

 

 

 

 

 

Utility’s Company Name

 

 

image-20241118-221356.png

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Status (Billing Period)

 

 

image-20241118-221445.png

 

 

 

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