Insane Electric Rate Increase $508.68/1522 kWh
- Thread starter gathermewool
- Start date
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Yeah, that math would never pencil for me. Solar irradiance in Ontario is much poorer than New Mexico, and $47,000 USD is $64,283 Canadian. My last bill for 1,441kWh was $206.27, so at that rate, $64K would buy me 312 months of electricity, 26 YEARS worth.
Now, at PGE rates, the math changes, but we can't ignore the fact that these rates are what they are in large part due to schemes like NEM/NEM2.
Let's just fudge average E-TOU-D and say that rate ends up being an average of 50 cents USD, that's 68.4 cents Canadian. No idea how that would look with all the other stuff like distribution and taxes, but let's call it 75 cents Canadian. That would make my bill $1,080. All of a sudden our 64K solar system is paid off in 59 months; ~5 years.
So it really depends on what you are paying. In places with inexpensive electricity, solar becomes much harder to justify, particularly at northern latitudes with poorer irradiance.
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For 37 cents a KWH I would put panels on every square inch of my property and the dogs would have small ones on their back.
Our kWh is $0146 and there is a $11 facility charge.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
Posted facts. Not sure a complaint was part of the post.
Some might find the facts helpful as part of their assessment if solar is a value added proposition to offset monthly electric charges.
We are very glad to have purchased the home, which was an interim solution to being essentially homeless. Yes, some of the conditions of the home purchase were not what we had liked, but we knew exactly what we signed up for.
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GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
I suspect not.
Typically you get a check at year end worth a tiny fraction of what the electricity is actually worth to you. Not enough for a bad lunch.
About the best you can do is try to consume it in a productive fashion during the year by monitoring what you make and use fairly closely, or you end up bascially giving away the overage.
Running high amp loads like pools and jacuzzis, car charging will really bleed off overage fast.
Notice the large spikes - thats a jacuzzi and pool taking turns holding temps. The one on the far left feels like the waveform itself is giving me the middle finger.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
We have tons of sun. Only my Wife and me, and I am currently working away from home, so essentially my wife.
We are of a generation to be very frugal with energy, regardless if the energy is pricey or free.
The energy usage might be very different with a family of six living in the home, instead of a frugal minded 60 year old woman.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
What my electric bill doesn't reflect is the $4200 bill I paid this month to exterminate pigeons that nested under the solar panels. Homes without solar panels in our subdivision do not have pigeon nesting issues on their roofs.
Of course, as part of the $50k USD solar system purchase by the previous owners, pigeon shields should have been installed. Likely a few hundred dollars at time of installing of the solar panels. But the residential solar business on a macro basis appears to be a very slimy business. Without a doubt the solar company has full awareness pigeons will nest under the rooftop solar panels in our region.
Of course, as part of the $50k USD solar system purchase by the previous owners, pigeon shields should have been installed. Likely a few hundred dollars at time of installing of the solar panels. But the residential solar business on a macro basis appears to be a very slimy business. Without a doubt the solar company has full awareness pigeons will nest under the rooftop solar panels in our region.
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Unfortunately I have seen many posts across a number of forums regarding people assuming solar leases. The originatotors of these leases had no idea what they were signing. The people assuming them genrally have no idea either. Can these leases be terminated? Yes - provided you pay a buch of $$$ to have the panels removed. That;s the hook in these deals.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
Although I have not researched, I would have preferred to assume a bad solar lease over a solar loan. Only reason is this is a interim house, and as you implied buyers will likely not want to assume a solar loan, but may more willing accept assuming a solar lease.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
The positives far exceed the negative. The solar, which was a very bad deal, was the only negative.
Of note, many California lobbyist made six to seven figure salaries and bonuses annually lobbying federal solar legislation which was forced on all 50 states. This was a involuntarily transfer of wealth in certain aspects, not a energy solution for the nation.
Follow the money.
Living in south western Pa. I never could see the benefit of installing solar. It's far cheaper for me to spend around $2,200 to make my home as energy efficient as possible. Air sealing, increasing attic insulation to R-60. The new attic insulation cost me roughly $1700. Last year before investing my time, energy and materials making my home more energy efficient, I use to get notices from my electric company that my energy use was between three and five percent above or below the average of the top twenty percent most energy efficient homes around me. Last summer after being around fifty percent done with the project I averaged 24.5% below that top 20% in my energy use. This summer mid June to Mid September I'm hoping to be at least 35% below that average of the top 20%. of the most energy efficient homes. BTW my house is 1700 sqft and was built in 1960. Just because your home is older doesn't mean you can't make it much more energy efficient without breaking the bank. You have high utilities find out why by getting an energy audit. They don't cost much in some cases most power companies as well as some counties and states offer them up for free or maybe $100-$200. I know a guy who's a Certified Home Energy Auditor on YouTube out of Maryland that does them for $100. Plus many utility companies, counties and states offer up some pretty sizable rebates if you get a contractor to do the work to remedy the situation.
When you get an energy audit in most cases they'll take you around and show you everywhere in the house where you're losing energy. Maybe the AC or furnace aren't running at their most efficient state. How much to get a HVAC guy in to do a routine service and tune up on them? You might have leaking ducts that's hurting the efficiency of the system. You may only have to seal the joints between the sections. Air leakage around your supply and return vents? How much for some caulking? How about leaking windows? Caulking and some weather striping? Have hot spots around the house? WHY? Maybe it's just some insulation that was moved or not installed correctly that needs to be put back into place in the attic? Maybe you'll need to air seal and increase the insulation in the attic. Leaking seal around a door? What $20-$30 at Lowes or Home Depot for a new seal and 30 minutes of your time? It's never one thing but lots of little problems that add up to much higher utility bills.
You get the point.
If you have high energy bills please spend a few bucks and have an Certified energy expert come in and take a look around before you spend thousands on new windows, doors or a roof solar panel system.
When you get an energy audit in most cases they'll take you around and show you everywhere in the house where you're losing energy. Maybe the AC or furnace aren't running at their most efficient state. How much to get a HVAC guy in to do a routine service and tune up on them? You might have leaking ducts that's hurting the efficiency of the system. You may only have to seal the joints between the sections. Air leakage around your supply and return vents? How much for some caulking? How about leaking windows? Caulking and some weather striping? Have hot spots around the house? WHY? Maybe it's just some insulation that was moved or not installed correctly that needs to be put back into place in the attic? Maybe you'll need to air seal and increase the insulation in the attic. Leaking seal around a door? What $20-$30 at Lowes or Home Depot for a new seal and 30 minutes of your time? It's never one thing but lots of little problems that add up to much higher utility bills.
You get the point.
If you have high energy bills please spend a few bucks and have an Certified energy expert come in and take a look around before you spend thousands on new windows, doors or a roof solar panel system.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
A rebate, an incentive, grant, or like actions by the federal government is in fact an involuntary tax on working people in all 50 states. Further, legislation in just California often comes at the direct and/ or indirect cost of working people in all 50 states. Finally, since this money was borrowed to make the solar rebate, an incentive, grant, or like actions from Chinese peasents and the like, we are paying interest indefinetly on these rebates, incentives, grants, or like actions reference solar that was put into law primarily by California solar lobbyists
Here are some legislative actions on the federal level you might fight enlightning to read:
Federal Legislation:
- Residential Solar Tax Credit:
This credit allows homeowners to deduct 30% of the cost of installing solar panels from their federal taxes, according to Consumer Reports.
- Inflation Reduction Act of 2022:
.This act provides incentives for renewable energy, including solar, through tax credits and other provisions, according to the EPA.
- Securing Our Lands and Resources Act (SOLAR Act):
.
This bill restricts financial assistance for projects that convert farmland for solar energy, according to Congress.gov.
- Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act:
.
This act aims to stimulate domestic solar manufacturing. - California Solar Mandate:
Enacted in 2020, this mandate requires solar PV systems on most new residential construction, including single-family homes, condos, and smaller apartment buildings.
- AB 1260:
This legislation aims to expand access to community solar by making it a functional compliance option for California's solar-on-new-homes mandate, and also guarantees bill savings for low-income customers.
- California Solar Mandate:
- SB 350:
This law increased California's renewable energy procurement goal from 33% to 50% by 2030, driving the adoption of solar and other renewable energy sources.
- SB 100:
This legislation established a policy requiring renewable energy and zero-carbon resources to supply 100% of electric retail sales by 2045.
- SB 43:
This bill requires Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) to procure additional renewable energy through a Green Tariff pilot program, expanding access to solar and other renewables for customers who cannot install on-site solar.
- SB 710:
This bill extends the property tax exemption for solar energy systems, helping to keep solar installations accessible and affordable.
- AB 942:
This proposed legislation, if passed, would significantly change existing net metering contracts for solar customers, potentially reducing their credits and impacting the overall cost of solar.
- SB 100:
- Increased Solar Adoption
The California Solar Mandate and other legislation have led to a significant increase in solar PV installations across the state.
- Reduced Reliance on Fossil Fuels:
By promoting renewable energy sources like solar, California is working towards its goals of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and achieving a cleaner energy system.
- Community Solar Benefits:
Legislation like AB 1260 aims to ensure that community solar projects deliver bill savings to subscribers, particularly low-income customers, and that they contribute to the state's clean energy goals.
- Increased Solar Adoption
- Joined
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Some electric utilities have been allowed to "compensate" for the decrease in revenue from people going solar by increasing rates and fees. Others seem to have greatly reduced the programs that pay you for unused excess electricity.
In many places, if you didn't have permits and paid all the fees and taxes, the utility company will report you for unusual decreased usage and then you get a visit from the local code enforcement department to see what's going on.
As someone above said, it's all designed to transfer wealth into the "proper" hands (not yours or mine)
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