One homeowner who leased solar panels through Tesla was frustrated to find that their provider had delayed addressing a major malfunction, potentially costing them major savings.

They shared screenshots of the exchange with Tesla on the r/solar subreddit. "Tesla waited 5 months to tell me I'm not producing power," they complained. "What is my available recourse here?"

According to the homeowner, they moved into a house with an existing solar lease and immediately began experiencing errors during rainy weather. However, eventually, the errors seemed to stop. Only months later, after receiving an email that the system was not generating power, did they discover that it had been five months since the last time their solar panels had been working correctly.

While this homeowner encountered difficulties, most of the time, a solar setup is one of the best options for saving money on electricity. While utility companies are raising their prices all around, solar panels that you own will keep producing power for free, while solar leases have predetermined rates. Panels can also make your home much more resistant to outages if you have battery storage on-site, even in the event of a disaster. 

If you are interested in any of these benefits, TCD's Solar Explorer can help you understand your options for switching over.

In this case, whether the homeowner could still save money depended heavily on the terms of their lease. "Probably review the lease terms and see where potential they didn't meet the stated terms," said a commenter, who was quickly backed up by several other users.

TCD's Solar Explorer is here to help you sort through all of your solar options and save money regardless of your choice. It will connect you with trusted partners who offer concierge-level service on both purchasing and leasing solar panels. 

Not only will this make the process simpler for you, but partners like EnergySage can help you save up to $10,000 on installation by presenting you with bids from installers local to you and educating you about incentives. When it comes to subscription options, other partners can offer you $0-down programs such as Palmetto's LightReach leasing program. That can lower your utility rate by up to 20%, allowing you to benefit from federal tax credits that you can no longer access directly as an individual homeowner. 

If these savings aren't enough, you can go further by also installing other electric appliances, such as a heat pump or other energy-efficient HVAC equipment, to drive down your utility costs. To find the ideal option for your home while staying within your budget, check out TCD's HVAC Explorer.

To easily unlock up to $5,000 in rewards that you can redeem for home upgrades, download the free Palmetto Home app and cash in on simple actions in your everyday life.

If you don't have solar panels on your home, which of these factors is the biggest barrier to installing them? Upfront costs 💰 Trouble with my HOA 🚩 Too much maintenance 🔧 An incompatible roof 🏠 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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