Published on 05 June 2025
Enel bill example with photovoltaics: how to read it and what to expect in 2025
Installing a photovoltaic system is one of the smartest choices you can make today to save on your electricity bill and reduce your environmental impact. But, as often happens when a new technology is introduced into daily life, doubts also emerge. One of the most frequent is: "Why do I keep receiving a bill even after installing solar panels?" And above all: "How do you read a bill with an active photovoltaic system?"
In this article, we'll answer these questions using a real-life example, updated for 2025. We'll look together at how to correctly interpret the items on the bill, what you still have to pay for, how much you can really save, and how the reimbursement mechanism through the GSE works.
Why do you still receive a bill with solar panels?
Many people expect that once a photovoltaic system is installed, the bill will disappear completely. In reality, that's not the case, and it's not a malfunction or a scam. Even with a well-sized and functional system, you will continue to receive an electricity bill, although it will be much lighter.
The reason is simple: most residential systems remain connected to the national electricity grid. This means that during times when your system isn't producing enough energy (for example, at night or on particularly cloudy days), your home continues to draw electricity from the grid. Consequently, you will pay a portion proportional to the energy drawn.
Furthermore, even in the absence of consumption, there are fixed costs related to meter management, energy transport, and other system charges, which are applied to all users, with or without solar panels.
Would you like to sell your used panels?
Register on KTSWhat does an Enel bill with an active photovoltaic system look like?
An Enel bill for a user with a photovoltaic system looks very similar to one for a user without a system, but with some substantial differences in the data. The main items are:
Energy drawn from the grid: This is the amount of energy you couldn't cover with solar production, and therefore drew from the national electrical system. This part is paid for as usual, at the cost established by the contract.
Fixed costs: Regardless of your consumption, you pay fixed fees for energy transport, meter management, and system charges.
VAT and taxes: These are applied to the total bill.
What you don't see directly on the bill is the amount of energy you produced and self-consumed, as well as the energy you fed back into the grid. To find this data, you need to consult other tools, such as the inverter's app, the GSE portal, or your system's monitoring.
Let's take a simplified example: if your system produced 250 kWh in a month, you might have self-consumed 130 and fed 120 back into the grid. If in that same month you drew 100 kWh from the grid, your bill will be based on those 100 kWh plus the fixed costs.
How does the reimbursement for energy fed into the grid work?
Until 2024, owners of a domestic photovoltaic system could access the Net Metering (Scambio sul Posto - SSP) mechanism, managed by the GSE, which allowed them to receive a reimbursement for energy fed into the grid and not self-consumed. However, starting in 2025, this mechanism has been officially replaced by Dedicated Withdrawal (Ritiro Dedicato - RID).
Dedicated Withdrawal is now the main method by which the GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici) purchases and values the excess electricity produced by photovoltaic systems. It's no longer a compensation mechanism between consumption and grid feed-in, but a direct sale of the energy to the GSE, which pays for each kWh fed into the grid at a price set monthly.
In 2025, the average value for each kWh fed into the grid through RID is around €0.13/kWh, but it can vary based on the market. Payments are made via bank transfer directly from the GSE and do not appear on your electricity bill. Instead, they are visible on the GSE portal associated with your system.
So, if you fed 120 kWh into the grid in a month, you could receive a payment of about €15-16, which will be credited a few months later. This system is in a transition phase: even systems that previously used Net Metering will be progressively converted to Dedicated Withdrawal.
Is it possible to eliminate the bill?
In theory, yes, but in practice, it's very difficult. To completely eliminate your bill, you would have to:
Produce exactly the amount of energy you consume, every day, with no waste or shortages.
Use energy only when the sun is producing it (e.g., turn on appliances only during the day).
Have a storage system that allows you to use the energy produced during the day at night.
Even under these conditions, fixed costs will remain, as they don't depend on your consumption.
That said, a well-designed and well-managed system can reduce your bill by 60-80%, and in some months, you might pay less than €20. Not bad, considering the environmental impact and the added value to your property.
How can you tell if your photovoltaic system is performing well?
In addition to checking your bill amount, you can perform some useful checks:
Have your grid-based energy consumptions decreased? Good: you're self-consuming.
Are you regularly receiving reimbursements from the GSE? Great: your grid-feeding system is working.
Do you have access to an app or a portal to check production and performance? Use them often.
Is your winter bill higher, but your summer bill almost zero? This is normal.
If you have any doubts, contact your installer or companies specializing in the maintenance and optimization of photovoltaic systems.
Looking for used photovoltaic panels?
Go to the KTS marketplaceConclusion
Having a photovoltaic system doesn't mean your electricity bill will disappear entirely; it means you'll learn to read it in a new way. Many items on the bill remain, but their proportions change: the energy drawn from the grid decreases, variable costs fall, and you have the opportunity to receive a reimbursement for the energy you feed into the grid.
In 2025, solar remains one of the smartest choices for long-term savings, and your bill is a reflection of your system's good performance. The more you learn to read it, the more you'll understand how much you're truly gaining from your clean energy.
Do you already have a system and want to know if it's performing at its best? Are you considering buying a used photovoltaic system? Contact us for a free consultation: we'll help you read your bill and understand how to improve your energy efficiency.
FAQs: The Bill with a Photovoltaic System
Why do I still get a bill even after installing solar panels? Because your system is still connected to the grid. When it doesn't produce enough energy (e.g., at night or with low light), you continue to draw from the grid. Plus, there are fixed costs that you always have to pay, regardless of your consumption.
How do I read an Enel bill with a photovoltaic system?
The main items are:
Energy drawn from the grid: You pay for this at your contract price.
Fixed costs: These remain unchanged (transport, meter management, system charges).
VAT and taxes: Applied to the total.
Items you won't see are:
Self-consumed energy.
Energy fed into the grid (which is reimbursed separately by the GSE).
Where can I see the energy my system has produced?
Not on your Enel bill. You can monitor it through:
Your inverter's app.
The GSE portal.
The monitoring systems provided by the installer.
What does "Net Metering" (Scambio sul Posto - SSP) mean?
This is the mechanism that allows you to get a reimbursement for the energy you feed into the grid and don't self-consume. The GSE calculates and pays you the amount twice a year based on your production data.
How much does the GSE reimburse me in 2025?
The average value in 2025 is around €0.13/kWh, but it varies over time based on energy prices. If you feed in 120 kWh per month, you can receive about €15-16.
Can I really get a zero bill?
Only under optimal conditions:
High self-consumption.
A system with batteries.
Hourly optimization of consumption.
In most cases, you can reduce it by up to 80%, but you can't eliminate it entirely due to fixed costs.