Showerthought: I used to think solar panels were a scam until I saw my neighbor's electric bill drop

My neighbor in Tucson put up 12 panels last year and her summer electricity bill went from $250 to about $40 a month. That kind of math is hard to argue with... has anyone else been surprised by how fast they pay off in a sunny area?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor_miller1010h agoOG Member

Nod along with you @vera_palmer, but I gotta point something out real quick. Those $250 summer bills in Tucson probably got that low because the utility company has tiered pricing and time-of-use rates that make solar way more valuable. So it's not just the panels themselves, it's about when you use the power and how your local utility charges for it. Still, the math is crazy good in the southwest if you can swing the upfront cost. Your neighbor's numbers are legit, just make sure you check your own utility's rate structure before pulling the trigger lol.

vera_palmer18h ago

$40 from $250? That's a real jaw dropper right there. I've been looking at panels for two years now because my summer bills hit $300 easy. Seeing numbers like that makes me feel like I've been throwing money away. Maybe the upfront cost isn't as scary when you look at the long game. Your neighbor's bill is basically the proof I needed to stop stalling.

joel_butler18h ago

Yeah my buddy in Phoenix got them and now his AC runs all day for basically nothing.