One Los Angeles homeowner is weighing installing their own solar panels after receiving a record-high electric bill, even with no reported changes in household habits.
A new electrical panel and digital meter were in place before the bill jumped, and the increase prompted the homeowner to look into generating their own electricity.
Here's what to know
Keeping a connection to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, or LADWP, is part of the plan. In a Reddit post in r/SolarDIY, the homeowner put the proposed solar system at roughly 10 kilowatts.
The post described an increase in billed electricity usage, not just a higher dollar total. It did not, however, establish why usage rose or whether the replacement meter caused the change.
"We just got our recent bill and it's the highest we've seen, and usage is even higher than before even though we haven't changed our behavior. But we did install a new panel with a new digital meter," the original poster wrote.
Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, and solar leases in particular can deliver hundreds of dollars in monthly savings without upfront costs, depending on the home and agreement. Homeowners can use EasyHome's free explorer tool to see potential savings from vetted installers in their area.
More background
Rather than keep the panels on a single roof surface, the homeowner plans to use both sides of the gently pitched roof on their east- and west-facing house.
A larger panel array — roughly 12-15 kilowatts — is also under consideration. For the split-roof layout, the homeowner is weighing a dual-MPPT (maximum power point tracker) inverter against microinverters at each panel.
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After examining the equipment, commenters rejected a cheap online panel bundle as old, poorly identified stock. It was advertised as "18kW of Produktion."
What can be done?
The wall that holds the electrical panel is also where the homeowner wants to install an outdoor battery.
EasyHome can also help homeowners explore their options for backup battery storage alongside solar. Pairing solar with a battery allows homeowners to maximize savings and, with a system configured for backup, power their home with solar when the grid goes down.
Sending their solar power to the grid isn't part of the homeowner's plan, but drawing electricity from the utility still is. "Want to access power from the grid, but not feed into it," they wrote.
Where can I learn more?
Other homeowners weighing solar have also had to sort through higher electricity usage and steep installation costs. These stories cover a meter-related usage jump, California DIY solar plans, and plug-in systems.
• A homeowner's power use more than doubled after a meter issue, prompting solar quotes.
• A California homeowner considered skipping a $3,000 contractor fee for a friend's solar plan.
• A California homeowner exploring 1,200-watt plug-in solar was warned to use a dedicated circuit.
• A California DIYer reported a $1,200 plug-in solar setup producing nearly 1,200 watts.
• A California homeowner's $1,200 electric bill prompted a $65,938 solar setup with potential savings.
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