Do you still have an electric bill with solar panels? Receiving an electricity bill can ruin your journey with solar panels. So many questions suddenly arise when the electricity bill exceeds your expectation.
After installing solar panels, how much electricity bill can we save? Without properly using them, you will suffer a lot with the bill.
As a homeowner, you know it, the solar panel is the best option to use energy and save cost. It can dramatically minimize the utility cost.
A few people asked about the bill after installing solar power. Do we exactly know how much we save using solar power? Luckily, we researched it and found useful information that could be the answer to our question.
Read More: Goal Zero Solar Panel Review
Table of Contents
A Home Solar System Is Really That Good As We Think?
To save money and energy, everyone prefers to get solar power. They believe solar power is both good for saving the environment and the cost as well. Proper using and maintaining it according to the specification, everyone can enjoy this system.
Sometimes it can go wrong and the question arises, do you still have an electric bill with solar panels? Few aspects make the use of solar power difficult which causes higher electricity bills.
You need to keep in mind the electric rate, energy production, and consumption as well. To reduce the electricity bill and keep it in your grip, you must know another important fact and that is the billing method.
Make yourself knowledgeable by knowing the billing method of the local utility company. Knowing everything about solar panels helps the owner to make a perfect plan.
How to Save Electricity Bill Using Solar Panels
People have a misconception about the use of solar panels. They think they won’t receive electricity bills anymore after using the solar panel. Few factors need to keep in mind while using a solar power system and these are.
- The solar panel is a long-term investment. For the first time, you need to invest. It will save you money in the long term.
- Based on the service time of a solar panel system, it can save $10000 to $30000.
- Net Metering is another way to lower your electricity bill and it can potentially bring your electricity bill to zero.
Read More: Best Solar Watches Under 500
Reasons Behind Your Electricity Bill Goes Too High
Without identifying the actual reason for your high electricity bill, it’s not possible to find a specific solution for it. Sometimes the user of the solar panel gets surprises receiving an electricity bill that shows the wrong figure.
In this situation, the homeowner doesn’t get the specific answer to it and thinks somehow the solar power system is not working. What is the mistake they’ve made?
The good news is, if you become knowledgeable about the system, then it will be easy to find the solution in a short time. Here are all the possible reasons you need to know.
#Solar System Isn’t Working Properly
This is the common problem of using a solar panel. It does not work as it should. The reason for this occurrence must be the malfunction and wrong connection of the panel. Mistakes do happen.
On the other hand, it may be run properly for the last few months but suddenly the systems fall down. To avoid such a problem, we can suggest to you the easiest way.
Connect your solar system with the operating system directly. It helps you to bypass different issues. Before you do it, understand the power management system of your appliances and the solar system as well.
Everything is not possible to do by ourselves. Without adequate knowledge, don’t try to do it. Call the installation team to help you. They’ll do it correctly and they can discover the exact problem with your solar power system.
Read More: Best Solar Charger For 12V Deep Cycle Battery
#Using Too Much Power For Your Home Appliances
Most of the time, we don’t know how much power we are using in our homes. Even we are unconcerned about the most power-consuming appliances in our home.
This ignorance makes us fool all the time. We are not alone in this world of ignorance. There are many other people who face the same problem. Large home appliances need massive power to run.
As an example, air conditioners, clothes washers, hairdryers, heat pumps are the main culprit that draws most of the power your panel provides. Yes, we use these appliances most of the time.
So, it’s not possible to provide such power through the solar panel. Regular use of these appliances kills our cost-saving benefit.
#Wrong Meter Reading
Funny but an actual problem that people face. Maybe you’re also reading the meter wrong. But how is it possible?
Despite using a perfect solar power system with a calculated energy consumption plan, you might read the meter wrong. If it’s happening to you that means everything is ruined by yourself. Sometimes this problem embarrasses us but trusts me it happens.
However, if you can identify the mistake done by you, contact the provider of the solar installer. Tell them the problem you’re actually facing and learn how to read the system correctly. This will help you to get rid of it.
How Much Money Solar Panels Actually Saves?
The amount you save after using the solar panel is not specific. Because it depends on the power we are using in your home. Every home needs a different portion of energy to use. To know how much does solar power saves on electricity bills, you need to consider a few factors. Check it from below.
- Daily sunlight (Direct hours)
- The Size of the solar panel
- The angle of your roof
- Local electricity rate
All these factors play a vital role to ensure how much money actually you can save. No doubt, to save tons of money, a solar panel is the best way to adopt.
To calculate the amount, you need to find out first how much energy you can save. Also, calculate how much you are currently spending. You can calculate it based on the month or year.
Let me explain with an example.
In the USA, the average requirement for electricity Is 10972 kWh. The rate per kilowatt is $0.1328. So, the math is simple. Multiply the rate with the kWh and you’ll get $1450 a year. This is the average cost of a typical American facility spent on electricity.
In addition, the electricity cost is not stable. It increased by 2.2% and we saw it for the last few years. So, the utility rate is going higher.
Estimating The Saving
To get a specific idea about the portion you can save we are here with an example with a 20-year saving estimate. This estimate will show you how the savings can differ comparing the states.
We picked a base setup for the solar power system to adopt and execute the calculation. Assume the system size is 6 kWh and the demand is average like 10972 kWh. The inflation rate of utility is 2.2%. Also assume, a person can meet his needs 94% using a solar power system.
So, what will be the saving based on the data I’ve mentioned? Here is the result.
| State | Average Price | Average Electricity Rate | Savings (20 Years) |
| California | $13054 | $ 0.2047 | $39277 |
| Arizona | $11100 | $0.1278 | $21572 |
| Florida | $11944 | $0.1171 | $17993 |
| Colorado | $13852 | $0.1213 | $17157 |
| Maryland | $13187 | $0.1322 | $20610 |
| Massachusetts | $13764 | $0.2324 | $45648 |
| New York | $13720 | $0.1733 | $30584 |
| New Jersey | $12388 | $0.1593 | $28337 |
| Washington | $11899 | $0.0967 | $12822 |
| Texas | $12476 | $0.1230 | $18968 |
FAQ:
Answer: After installing a solar panel, it will provide you the energy that you needed from the national grid. The solar panel doesn’t cost extra for the electricity. That’s why it can eliminate the electric bill.
Answer: It’s happening because of the rate of power consumption. Maybe you are using too much energy that your solar power system doesn’t cover. Even it can happen because of solar panel system failure or miscalculation of energy consumption.
Answer: After using solar power along with a power generator, your local consumption of power will dramatically reduce. That’s how it can minimize your electric bill.
Answer: Yes, you can really save money. Every family has to pay more than $1500 per year for an electric bill. But using a solar panel can save at least $100 per month.
Answer: Without getting any power from the sun, the solar panel doesn’t work at night. But you can use power at night if the power stores in a deep cycle battery.
Answer: Smart meter is for reading the power that you are using. So, it won’t interfere with the activity of the solar panel.
Conclusion:
Many people don’t like their monthly electricity bill. They are not a big fan of local utility companies. Sometimes they make mistakes and sometimes we do. So, we have to pay an abnormal utility bill. That’s why people are getting the sole power in their homes.
Will it make them free to count the money at the end of the month for the electric bill? Do you still have an electric bill with solar panels after doing everything right? Without understanding the solar system completely, it’s not going to provide you sufficient power.
As a result, your electric bill will go higher and higher. We can understand your feelings. That’s why we tried to keep you informed with some valuable data in this review. Your home, your power, enjoys it every day.
