How Much Will My Electric Bill Be After Installing A Solar Power System At Home?
As homeowners begin their solar power customer journey, there are so many questions about costs, return-on-investment, installation procedures, and maintenance that we have created a special answer page outside of our FAQ. We see a variety of ways these questions are asked all throughout the industry:
How much do solar panels cost?
How do solar panels help save you money?
How does a solar power calculator work?
How does the solar installation quote show me savings?
Are solar panels worth it?
Let’s make the process of considering solar panels on your home simple.
Electric or a clothes line out back?
How Much Electricity do you use at home?
In 2017, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,399-kilowatt hours (kWh), an average of 867 kWh per month (or roughly 30kWh per day). This number is determined by the amount of people living in a home and how much electricity it takes to keep everyone happy.
Most electricity goes towards heating, cooling, water heaters, and lighting. Are you also charging an electric car? Take a look at the chart below and see if this looks like your own energy usage mix at home:
SOURCE: Energy Information Administration US Consumption of Electricity at Home
“Our bill this August compared to last August has been reduced by $100, even though more people live in our house now. I expect that our electric bill will be reduced to zero for some months of the year.”
So, how does solar Power help eliminate or reduce my utility bills?
This question has a different answer for every homeowner in America. The difference between most solar installers and Envirosolar is our expertise in providing a Home Energy Assessment that looks at your existing utility bill, energy usage, local electric rates, and your roof’s potential system size.
We make recommendations that you can DIY at home with little or no cost, and of course, we support the #SolarizeAmerica program with the goal of America achieving a 15% solar-powered electric grid by 2025.
Without examining your specific situation, there are standard electric bill realities everyone faces. Local electric utilities charge a base service fee, and your bill includes the amount of kilowatt-hours you’ve extracted from the grid. When you install solar, you are not charged for any electricity you have generated with your solar installation.
When is your “time” for solar?
How long does solar take to pay for itself as a return-on-investment?
If you are planning to sell your home in 2019, you are entering a buyer’s market. Adding solar to your roof can make your house more competitive than others in your neighborhood, and give you a comparable advantage. In fact, houses with solar sell 22% faster than houses without solar.
A solar-educated home inspector and realtor understand the value added to your home, which should carry over into your appraisal. You can certainly make the cost of installation back (and Envirosolar will continue to support the solar installation for the new homeowner as we honor warranties, service, and support).
If you plan to remain in your home for years, adding solar has completely eliminated electric bills for certain homeowners. The best case to make a comparison is to have a full year’s comparison and put your bills side-by-side.
For instance, in the winter, you may use more electricity than your system produces, but in the summer you may be sending extra electricity back to the grid and the electric utility will credit you toward the following month’s bill. Ask your Envirosolar representative about the Net Metering options for utilities in your geographic area for specific details of their payback programs.