Several contractors have asked: “How does on-bill repayment work?”
On-bill repayment, also known as OBR, allows the business owner to repay their private financing agreement for their energy upgrade through their monthly utility bill. The customer must use a GoGreen Business finance company that offers OBR (find them on the Financing Options page) and receive electricity or gas service from a utility that supports OBR. The three utilities that currently support OBR are Southern California Edison, SoCalGas, and San Diego Gas & Electric. PG&E will begin offering this feature soon.
Why would a customer elect for OBR? Customers like this option because it’s simple, and making payments to their utility is convenient.
What are the OBR eligibility requirements? The utility account cannot be past due and it cannot be on a payment arrangement. The account must be a non-residential account that is billed monthly on a single bill for all properties. Finally, the customer must sign an OBR authorization form, which will be provided along with other financial forms once the project is completed.
So, the next time you suggest GoGreen Business to a customer, remember to offer OBR to those in eligible investor-owned utility territories. The At-A-Glance OBR Eligibility Checklist can help you determine if the project is suitable for OBR.