Soaring power prices are making it harder for households to stay comfortable without blowing through their budgets.

For one homeowner, switching to solar and then upgrading her HVAC system sharply reduced monthly costs while adding peace of mind.

Geraldine, a homeowner featured in a recent article from solar and HVAC company Palmetto, said her electric bill used to run as high as $300 — saying "it took my breath away" — before she installed solar panels. She and her husband had considered making the switch for years, but the upfront cost kept getting in the way.

"I knew solar was the way, but could I afford it?" Geraldine said.

That changed when she learned about leasing. Instead of paying a large amount upfront, Geraldine said she signed up for a lease with set monthly payments that covered the solar equipment, monitoring, upkeep, and certain repairs.

If you're curious about solar leasing, Palmetto offers $0-down plans that can curb your utility costs by up to 20%. 

Geraldine said her first bill after the solar system was turned on was just $7. Palmetto explained that even with the leasing payment of $191 included to allow her not to have to pay upfront for the panels like a typical homeowner would, her total energy spending for the month remained about $100 below what she had typically been paying before.

"All I could do was thank the Lord," Geraldine said after seeing her first post-solar bill, adding that the decision was basically "a no-brainer" because she has had nothing to lose with the savings outpacing the leasing payments.  

A couple of months later, she also upgraded from her older HVAC system to leased heat pumps under Palmetto's Comfort Plan. Geraldine said the newer system was quieter and did a better job of keeping her home at the temperature she actually selected.

"With the Comfort Plan [and the new heat pumps] everything is whisper soft," she said.

To see how much you could potentially save with an HVAC lease, connect with the experts at Palmetto. 

Palmetto's plans start as low as $99 per month, include over a decade of free maintenance and can reduce your energy costs by up to 50%. 

Geraldine's experience comes as electricity gets more expensive across the country.

According to Palmetto, citing the U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential retail electricity prices increased 7.4% between February 2025 and February 2026, from 16.43 cents per kilowatt-hour to 17.65 cents.

Cooling is a major contributor to home energy bills. Palmetto explained air conditioning accounted for about 19% of home energy use in 2020, and that burden is rising as hotter days become more common. As temperatures climb, older and less efficient systems can become especially expensive to run.

Solar panels and efficient heat pumps can cut a bill, help protect households from volatile utility costs, improve comfort, and reduce the pollution tied to burning dirty energy sources.

These upgrades do not always require a huge upfront purchase. Leasing and financing options can open the door for homeowners who want lower monthly energy costs without taking a big initial hit to their savings.

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