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“I don’t even know how much they’re supposed to pay me for this year.”
Photo Credit: iStock
One California solar owner worried whether a grid-sharing payout would cover extra utility purchases. They said the program had drained their stored energy overnight for nearly two weeks before they discovered it.
The homeowner has Tesla Powerwall batteries and receives electricity from Pacific Gas and Electric. They turned to Reddit for advice, explaining it was their first year with solar and asking when payment for participating in a virtual power plant program would arrive.
The owner said the payment amount remained unknown, and they had noticed the battery discharging only by chance.
“I didn’t even know it was a thing until one day I noticed it,” they said in a comment. “Apparently they had been taking and draining my battery at night for almost 2 weeks. It didn’t make sense for me I’m pretty sure so next year I’m going to opt out. I don’t even know how much they’re supposed to pay me for this year. When I called, they said they would pay out in October or November.”
Adding battery storage can protect your home during outages and provide greater energy independence. It can also help save money by storing electricity for use when utility rates are higher.
Homeowners can explore EnergySage to learn about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates. EnergySage has teamed up with electrification brand Qmerit to help homeowners get the best price on home battery storage solutions.
Virtual power plant programs make home batteries available to support the electricity grid. While the original poster questioned the financial benefits, other participants shared more encouraging experiences.
One Reddit commenter reported that two Powerwall 2 batteries earned them annual payments of $520 and $512.
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An app notification prompts recipients to connect an account for direct deposit, according to one commenter, whose payments arrived between January and March of the following year. Payment timing came up repeatedly in the discussion.
For homeowners exploring other backup options, Pila offers strong battery backup options. Its plug-and-play batteries cost a fraction of a whole-home backup system.
Commenters clarified that Tesla handles payments, resolving the OP’s uncertainty about whether PG&E would pay them directly.
Across four events, one California participant said their battery supplied less than one kilowatt-hour in total. They also questioned schedule changes: a planned 6–8 p.m. event was shortened to 6–7 p.m. after their home had used grid electricity to conserve battery power for it. That participant had previously received nearly $400.
One owner charged with utility electricity during super-off-peak pricing, paired with a 20% battery reserve. Another owner maintained a 40% reserve and said recharging took roughly seven hours.
“Sounds like they should be more transparent and informative about the whole VPP and when payout is lol,” the OP wrote.
Other home battery owners have raised similar questions about unexpected discharges and grid exports. 
• One homeowner said two home batteries drained to 15% within an hour while exporting electricity.
• California Powerwall owners sent 601 megawatts to the grid, rivaling a utility power plant.
• In Victoria, a Powerwall owner said their installer blocked solar and battery exports without VPP participation.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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