What to Expect From Your Energy Bills After Solar Installation
Most homeowners already know it: residential solar installation is one of the best decisions for lowering your energy expenses and paying less on your long-term utility bills.
What doesn’t get talked about quite as much is what you can expect out of your bills after you’ve had solar power installed. How much will your solar panel savings be, and what will those first energy bills look like after your system is installed?
Never fear, we’re here to give you answers to those questions. Keep reading.
Do You Still Get an Electricity Bill With Solar Panels?
The answer is yes.
How Do Solar Panels Reduce Electric Bills?
Here’s what takes place:
When you first install your solar panel system, your local utility company will provide you with the choice of paying once a year. The annual billing cycle starts the same day your system turns on (not always when it was installed) and ends one year later. The utility company calls this a “true up” bill.
What Happens on the “True Up” Bill?
You’ll see a calculation of how much energy the company has credited to your account, and how much you’ve consumed.
You’ll pay the bill yearly, although you may receive a quarterly or monthly statement that adds up your usage and credits.
If you have gas, your solar panels won’t cover the gas portion of your utility usage, so you’ll need to pay for that as usual.
Eventually, your system may produce so much energy that the utility company will owe you, instead of the other way around. What’s better than solar panels and no electric bill?
When Your Bill Seems Too High: 3 Likely Reasons
Occasionally, homeowners contact us in surprise. Most of the time, they’ve simply gotten that initial “true up” bill and the amount seems off.
Perhaps it’s higher than it should be, or they ended up using more electricity than they thought they would. In those moments, it’s natural for a homeowner to become a little panicked, thinking their system isn’t functioning, or that they did something wrong in installing it.
Fortunately, this is not often the case. Following are some reasons a solar bill can be too high after a home system installation:
1. Your System Isn’t Performing as Well as it Should
This is an unusual circumstance, but occasionally a system doesn’t perform as it should. While the great majority of home solar arrays in California and the surrounding areas are installed properly and working correctly, mistakes do happen.
The easiest way of not having problems with your system is to have the solar installer walk you through the use of the system. This allows you to work around any issues and understand how to read your system output.
If you’d like, you can even ask the installation team what tell-tale signs you can look out for to ensure your system is operating correctly. If you ever do find any faults with your system, contact the team that installed it immediately.
2. Your Home is Using Too Much Power
What uses the most energy in your home?
If you don’t know, you’re not alone. The answer, however, is simple: major appliances.
If you’re running a central air conditioner (which uses about 2,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year), heat pump, or washing machine or clothes dryer on a daily basis, you could be using much more energy than you usually are.
This, in itself, could be eating into your solar savings and making it difficult for you to reap the cost-saving benefits of your system.
3. You’re Reading the Meter Wrong
If your system was properly installed and you have not added to your home’s energy consumption, then a strong possibility is that you’re reading the meter wrong. This is not an unusual occurrence and nothing to be embarrassed about.
If you’re stuck in this situation, just give your local solar installer a call to assist you with learning to read your system correctly. We’ll be happy to guide you on how to troubleshoot your solar panels too so you can keep any problems at bay down the road.
Call Your Local SolarFIX for More Information
If you’re unsure what to anticipate from your utility bills with solar panels, give SolarFIX a call.
Here at SolarFIX, our solar installation crew is professional and is here to help you learn the dos and don’ts of your new home system.
After more than 20 successful years, SolarFIX remains the most established solar company in Phoenix, AZ.
Because of our years of experience in the industry, we have the knowledge and experience to tell you why your energy bill could be higher than it should be, and recommend the proactive steps you can take to get the savings you deserve.
Contact SolarFIX Today
Wondering why you’re still receiving an electric bill with solar panels? SolarFIX can determine why and help you maximize your energy savings. Reach out to us today!
SOLAR FIX OFFERS SOLAR REPAIR SERVICES IN PHOENIX, AZ
Solar Fix AZ is a group of solar repair technicians that have been in the industry for 10+ years.
We have seen just about every solar inverter, solar panel, or solar racking system out there and have the skills and tools necessary to fix your solar problem professionally and affordably.
We are licensed, bonded, and insured ROC# 323541. We can help with solar system repair, solar panel replacement, solar panel r&r, and solar panel inspections in Phoenix, AZ and surrounding areas.
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