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Fed-up homeowner shares his DIY solution to avoid $700-a-month energy bills: 'I cut ties with PG&E'

"Such an amazing feeling."

One California homeowner was fed up with his $700 monthly energy bill โ€” so he cut ties with the utility company and built his own solar power system.

Photo Credit: iStock

A California homeowner got tired of paying $700 a month to power his house, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. 

In a video titled "Why and How I Cut Ties With PG&E," the self-described DIYer walks viewers through how he built a full solar power system from scratch after being quoted nearly $90,000 by professional installers. 

Instead, he sourced his own equipment and did the labor himself, spending roughly $20,000 and saving big money while freeing his family from major summer energy bills. 

"It cost me and my family about $700 a month in the summertime to power our house," he explained. "With prices so high, I decided to build an entire solar system โ€ฆ and say goodbye to these crazy energy bills that they're charging us with."


His setup includes 28 Aptos 550-watt bifacial panels mounted on hillside racks, an EG4 12000XP off-grid inverter, and two EG4 14.3-kilowatt-hour indoor batteries for storage. 

Together, the system produces around 15 kilowatts of power, more than enough to run his home and charge his batteries, reducing his bill to only the monthly $25 service fee in the process. 

Installing panels can bring your cost of energy down to or near $0 โ€” and The Cool Down's Solar Explorer can connect you with trusted installers, saving up to $10,000 on installation with competitive local bids, along with exploring $0 down subscription programs that make going solar affordable on every budget.

For example, Palmetto's LightReach solar leasing program can cut your utility rates by up to 20%, letting you lock in predictable, low-cost energy for your home. Pairing the power of solar with an upgraded Mitsubishi heat pump can cut heating and cooling by nearly $400 a year, making your home even more efficient. 

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Needless to say, the comment section was full of praise for the YouTuber's project.

"You did a great job. I put 32 panels on my house. Provides about 90% of all my electric needs. Including charging my Tesla some days. Such an amazing feeling getting free energy from the sun," said one person. 

"Nice work! I built a similar system about a year ago and it's been working great," shared another. 

What's the biggest concern you'd have about getting solar panels?

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