How to read your electricity bill before thinking about solar

Before any talk about solar, the most important document in your hands is your electricity bill. It holds three numbers that actually matter — this guide explains them.

1. Monthly consumption in kWh

This is the key number. The right solar system size is calculated from your actual consumption in kilowatt-hours, not from the bill's value in pounds. Look for the "consumption" or "consumption quantity" field on the bill.

If you can't find the number easily, you can estimate it from the bill amount: divide the monthly amount by an average kWh price (our tools use EGP 2.40 as an indicative average). The result is approximate, because the bill is calculated on a tiered system.

2. The tier you reached

Residential electricity in Egypt is priced on tiers: the more you consume, the higher the price per kWh in the upper tiers. Knowing the highest tier your bill reaches matters for two reasons:

• Solar reduces your grid consumption starting from the highest-priced tiers — it "cuts" the most expensive part of your bill first.
• When calculating the cost of charging an electric car at home, charging is usually billed at the highest tier you reach, not the bill's average.

3. How consumption varies across the year

Summer consumption (air conditioning) differs greatly from winter in most homes. Look at 12 months of bills if you can, or at least one summer and one winter bill. The system is usually sized on average annual consumption, not the highest month.

What's next?

Enter your monthly bill amount — or your kWh consumption if you know it — into the Own Power Simulator, and you'll see an indicative estimate of the right system size and how much of your consumption it covers. All results are indicative estimates; actual figures depend on the technical survey and current tariffs.