A Reddit user shared their energy bill before and after they installed solar panels and a home battery and the difference is insane.
After installing the panels and battery, Reddit user Mdizzle29, who is based in California, showed that their energy bill dropped from $280.87 to only $17.21, saving them a whopping $263.66.
The first bill covered mid-November to early December 2022, while the second bill covered the same months for 2023.
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The Reddit user posted the stunning difference in the subreddit r/Damnthatsinteresting and received over 10,000 upvotes, with others sharing their thoughts on the difference and their own experience with solar panels.
A top comment said: “My dad did a full install like this for his house and shop, he told me he always ends up selling energy back. He lives In Redding.”
Another said: “A lot of my neighbours here in Ontario, Canada are doing the same.”
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In response, someone said: “A lot of places are starting to block the ability to do this, Florida and California are some.”
Net metering allows homes with solar panels to get money back for contributing surplus solar energy to the broader electricity grid but new rules for California have cut that by about 75%, although the amount will vary depending on the time of year and time of day you export the power.
California has been a leader in the US for solar panel incentives, but the recent decision to lower its net metering rates received some criticism from environmentalists.
The Golden State dominates the US solar energy market by producing 29% of the country’s solar energy, according to chooseenergy.com, with Texas coming in second at 14.1%.
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Still, many users were enthusiastic about the potential long term savings from solar installation, with one Redditor commenting: “Imagine you got an electric vehicle you charge mostly at home with those panels. You'd save so much again.”
The difference in energy bills didn’t come without a steep investment however - the original poster said they paid about $30,000 for the solar panels.
One user said in response: “Solar panels increased the value of my home to the point where it paid off itself, but this was in California also. Not sure if that same experience will happen outside the state.”
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Some commenters discussed other recent government decisions related to solar panels, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoing a bill that would have slashed rooftop solar credits in the state.
In response to the veto, Justin Vandenbroeck, president of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association, is quoted as saying that DeSantis' decision to "veto this bill will allow our industry to continue growing and give more homeowners in our state the chance to lower their electric bills with solar.”