• Home Home

Homeowner reveals how he used his utility to fully pay for a $10,000 Tesla Powerwall

"You need to be looking for what your power company offers as far as rebates go."

One homeowner shared their experience after snagging a free Tesla Powerwall 3.

Photo Credit: TikTok

Installing solar panels and batteries for your home can be one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy bills, but the cost of the technology and installation can be high. 

However, Collin from the Salty Acres TikTok account (@saltyacresnc) shared his experience after snagging a free Tesla Powerwall 3 for his North Carolina home. 

@saltyacresnc Replying to @Cierra B how to get a Tesla Power Wall for free #offgrid #solar #homestead ♬ original sound - Salty Acres

"You need to be looking for what your power company offers as far as rebates go," he said. 

He was able to get the Tesla Powerwall, normally a $10,000-plus home upgrade, for free through his utility company. 


Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.

To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.

The Cool Down may receive a commission on signups made through links on this page, but we only promote partners we vet and believe in. For more cool tips like this one, check out our solutions marketplace here.

Collin's power company offered this deal to homeowners as long as it could pull energy from the home batteries to support the local grid. With the Tesla Powerwall and solar panels, Collin's home has reliable backup power and lower energy bills, and it also supports the stability of the local power grid. 

"This would be amazing for us," a commenter chimed in. 

Energy resiliency is increasingly important because extreme weather events are becoming longer and more severe as global temperatures rise, making outages more common. 

The Environmental Protection Agency observed that in 2022, 60% of electricity in the United States was generated by fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. Burning these fuels creates heat-trapping pollution, which exacerbates storms and wildfires that can knock out the local power supply.

FROM OUR PARTNER

Save $10,000 on solar panels without even sharing your phone number

Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.

To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.

With that in mind, solar panels and battery storage can reduce a household's contribution to planetary warming and keep the lights on when the grid is down. 

Collin noted that his rooftop panels use solar energy to fill the home battery during the day. Then, if a power outage occurs, the battery alone can provide enough energy for his home for four to five hours overnight — even longer if his family is selective about what appliances to run. 

Which of these savings plans for rooftop solar panels would be most appealing for you?

Save $1,000 this year 💸

Save less this year but $20k in 10 years 💰

Save less in 10 years but $80k in 20 years 🤑

Couldn't pay me to go solar 😒

Click your choice to see results and earn rewards to spend on home upgrades.

Meanwhile, they can also use their stored energy at night rather than relying on the grid, further reducing their energy costs. 

Rebates like this are not uncommon. In fact, TCD's solar partner EnergySage offers a free tool that can help you save big on solar panels by showing local and national incentives from utility companies and governments. The company can also connect you with trusted local installers. 

If that sounds enticing to you, EnergySage offers free services to find vetted installers in your area. With EnergySage's help, the average homeowner can slash up to $10,000 off solar panel installation costs.  

EnergySage even offers an interactive mapping tool that shows the average costs of solar panel installations state by state. This information is vital to learning the best prices for solar panels and batteries in your area. It also ensures you grab all of the available incentives. 

Rooftop solar is a proven way to save on energy costs, but pairing panels with a home battery is a little-thought-of upgrade that boosts these savings while ensuring your home is energy-resilient in the event of power outages.

If you're interested in pairing a home battery with solar panels, check out EnergySage for competitive quotes, energy storage options, and free information.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.

Cool Divider