A Southern California family that was offered "basically free" solar panels and a battery went to Reddit for advice, and commenters told them to stay away.

Reddit commenters estimated that the contract could total about $71,000 and urged the family to compare alternatives before signing.

Here's what to know

Payments would start at $152 per month and increase 3.5% each year. Those were the terms of a solar salesperson's proposal described by the original poster in a post on Reddit's r/solar community. The equipment would include Tesla's Powerwall 3 battery and Jinko panels.

The poster said the salesman told them that "Taxpayer dollars fund it all." At that point, the homeowner became skeptical.

The family, however, was seeking relief from utility bills. Their electricity bill had climbed with the heat in their part of California, the Inland Empire.

"I'm very skeptical when it comes to salesmen, what he offered, was basically free solar panel installation, and battery installation," the poster wrote.

Commenters identified the proposal as an alteration of the truth. One warned that the annual increases would roughly double the payment in 20 years.

Another said: "There is no such thing as free solar."

Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, but shady salesmen and unvetted installers can eat into those savings. Homeowners can use EasyHome's free explorer tool to see potential savings from vetted installers in their area.

More background

Commenters asked to see the household's electricity usage alongside the system's expected annual production. The family's high electricity bills had made solar appealing, but how much of that usage the system could cover remained a question.

Commenters also asked about the agreement and whether the solar company would retain ownership after 25 years. They also warned about the costs of leaving an agreement early.

A commenter warned that paying for a lease buyout could become necessary if a buyer would not take over the agreement. That made selling the home before the contract ended another concern.

What can be done?

Commenters recommended getting competing proposals from two or three local installers and comparing the prices for owning a system outright. "Get competitive quotes."

For financing, a commenter pointed to local credit unions as an option; they also recommended getting a price directly from Tesla.

Another commenter made their purchase decision using an online comparison tool rather than accepting a door-to-door offer.

EasyHome can also help homeowners explore backup battery storage alongside solar upgrades. Pairing solar with a battery allows homeowners to maximize savings and power their home with solar when the grid goes down.

One commenter offered some follow-up questions: "Will this system size even produce enough power to eliminate your bill. You don't say how much kwh it will produce annually vs. what your parents house consumes. Nothing is free. Be skeptical. Keep asking questions."

Where can I learn more?

The promise of "basically free" solar gave this family plenty to question before signing. These stories cover other homeowners' experiences with free-solar pitches, long-term payment agreements, and costly quotes.

• In California, a buyer discovered supposedly paid-off solar required 25 years of payments.

• A UK homeowner tested a free solar deal, prompting commenters to urge immediate caution.

• A Texas homeowner said a solar lease promised no bill but left him paying $620 a month.

• A New York homeowner received $64,000 solar quotes and learned prepaid leases could inflate prices.

• A homeowner inherited a solar lease, then faced low output and a $600 bill.

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