Hedge Against PG&E Rate Hikes with Solar Panels
Electricity in California is expensive, and it’s only getting worse. PG&E recently requested its seventh rate hike in just over a year. If approved, PG&E will have the highest profit rate of any utility in the country.
A few extra dollars on your bill every month might not seem like much, but it adds up.
Over the next 20 years, you could be losing out on tens of thousands of dollars. That’s money taken away from your retirement savings or your kids’ college fund.
Solar panels protect you from price hikes so you can spend your hard-earned money on yourself and your family instead of handing it over to PG&E.
Why Your Electric Bill Keeps Rising
Electricity has always been expensive in California. But it’s getting out of hand.
The price hikes we’ve been seeing recently are driven by a number of factors, from inflation to wildfire mitigation. A few months ago, PG&E requested its 7th rate increase in less than a year, citing a need to protect investors.
When rates go up, your electric bill will inevitably increase. But rate increases aren’t the only reason why you might be seeing higher electricity bills in California.
Starting back in 2020, PG&E automatically transitioned most of its residential electricity customers to a time-of-use (TOU) plan.
Under a TOU plan, rates are higher during “peak” hours, when electricity is in high demand. That means the electricity you use during peak hours costs more than the electricity you use at any other time of day.
In theory, this could save you money. Just avoid using too much electricity during peak hours.
But for a lot of homeowners, that isn’t feasible, and TOU pricing ends up costing you more.
PG&E offers two TOU plans, with peak pricing from 5 pm to 8 pm or 4 pm to 9 pm. That’s right around the time when you’re getting home from work, turning the AC up, cooking dinner, running the dishwasher, and throwing a few loads of laundry in.
With TOU pricing, you're paying more for power when you need it most.
How Solar Protects You Against Rising Costs
The only way to get out from under PG&E’s thumb is to generate electricity yourself, and home solar panels are the best way to do that.
Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity. They’re an investment, but one that quickly pays for itself. Your electric bill will drop significantly once you go solar (we design our systems to offset 100% of your usage costs), and those savings will soon pay for the system. After that, you’re powering your home for free.
When electric rates go up again, which they inevitably will, you won’t have to worry about it.
Battery Storage Protects Against TOU Rates
Solar panels can’t generate electricity when it’s dark out, which is a problem if you’re on a TOU plan. Your panels will stop generating power for the day right around the time peak pricing kicks in.
Battery storage is the solution. With solar plus storage, you can store the excess electricity your solar panels generate during the day. At night, when peak pricing hits but solar production has stopped for the day, you can use your stored energy to keep things running.
Ready to Get Started?
In times of economic uncertainty, stability matters. Whether you're budgeting for retirement or planning your next family vacation, an unpredictable bill can quickly wreck your plans.
Solar provides peace of mind. You’ll know what to expect every month, and you’ll know you’re getting a guaranteed return on your investment.
Don’t Wait—Tax Benefits Are Ending Soon
You’ll get 30% back in tax savings when you install solar with the federal solar tax credit. But a new House proposal aims to end the tax credit at the end of 2025. Now is the time to install solar and lock in your 30% tax credit savings.
California’s property tax exclusion for solar systems will expire at the end of 2026. Installing now helps you avoid a potential bump in property taxes down the road.
Protect yourself against rising costs. Call (707) 640-3340 or contact us today for a free solar estimate.
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