Homeowner stunned by dramatic change on energy bill after switching to rooftop solar — see how much they saved

For Virginia residents, switching to solar can change their lives. Michael is a homeowner in Arlington who took the plunge with his family. He says doing so was worthwhile because it helps their finances and the environment.

The scoop

Michael's family opted for solar to save money on electricity and lower environmental impacts. This was when they discovered Solar United Neighbors, a co-op model. They didn't know this option existed, so he connected with neighbors to learn more. 

A couple of years later, he was taking advantage of solar energy from Solar Switch. A few conversations were all it took to make this money- and energy-saving hack come to life. In the first seven months of owning the panels, their household exceeded generation expectations six times. The effort made all electricity bills $0, so the family was responsible for just the $7.58 connection fee.

Did you switch to solar and still have high energy bills? You might need to weatherize your home. Reducing your energy consumption could save you over $300 yearly plus qualify you for tax credits.

If you want to learn more about community solar in your area, companies such as Arcadia lead people to trustworthy options.

How it's helping

Michael's family's priority when switching was financial savings. He noted the upfront investment was significant but that long-term savings will come with lower utility bills. Property values increase by 4% with solar panels, which he says is a bonus. Solar saves money, but it also earns.

Affordable renewable power should be easy to find. Tools such as those offered by EnergySage help homeowners find the best deals, incentives, and tax credits.

Michael said environmental stewardship also drove the transition. Going solar is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to reduce a household's carbon footprint. 

It avoids contributing to rising global temperatures because solar households are responsible for less heat-trapping gases. Such homes also reduce their energy consumption and reliance on dirty fuels. More people transitioning to solar motivates experts to craft more efficient solar cells. Efficiency rates have been tested as high as 35.9%.

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Stories such as Michael's are important so you can hear about realistic solar transitions. He mentioned several hurdles, including obtaining a certificate of interconnection and deciding on battery energy storage.

As Michael noted to Solar United Neighbors, the whole process — including finalizing plans and obtaining all necessary approvals for them — took longer than anticipated. 

He also cautioned that applications from utility companies might take longer than expected. In this case, Dominion took a while to approve their application, even though there is a legal requirement for it to happen within 30 days. He also talked about knowing your state's metering regulations when deciding whether battery storage is worth it financially. 

Sharing the factors causing frustrations helps people understand the process.

What everyone's saying

On social media, Solar Switch celebrates those who've made the transition. One user called an 89-year-old's journey to solar "Iconic!"

Solar Switch even partnered with the Citizens Utility Board to help the people of Chicago. "We love the Solar Switch program and how it saves people money!" CUB wrote.

Michael also passed on praise, saying: "It's great to see the system working as well [as] if not better than expected. For us, the knowledge that we're pulling from a clean energy source gives us peace of mind."

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