Your electric bill increased by quite a bit last year, and while inflation and tariffs led to increased prices across the country, your energy expenses remained at a high but steady plateau throughout this year. Many have been hoping for relief in the coming year, but if you thought you wouldn’t see your electric bill increased again by the utility in the new year, you may be disappointed to learn about what’s about to happen to energy prices in California.
The utility is planning to increase energy rates over the next few years, resulting in an increase of hundreds of dollars annually by 2030. Starting with a monthly increase meant to provide returns for investors, the cost of power in California will continue to climb from there, reaching an annual increase of roughly $144 by 2027 and rising to $400+ just three years later.
If you’re a California resident who wants to avoid having their electric bill increased over the next four years, it’s time to take action and make the switch to solar. Now, if you’ve already made the switch and your energy bill is still high, there are some other risk factors you need to consider.
Electric Bill Increased by Damage
If you’re one of the many people who has made the switch to solar, but your energy bill is still higher than it should be, that’s a good indicator that there’s an issue with your system. Damaged components can cause your system to underproduce, and without monitoring or upkeep, you can end up paying more for power than you should be.
Suddenly, you’re back in the same high priced power boat you were in before you invested in solar, and we don’t want that to happen! A system inspection is the perfect solution for an issue like this, as it can uncover any system damage you may have and get you back into positive production in no time.
Electric Bill Increased by NEM
If you were ahead of the curve with solar and are just starting to notice that your electric bill increased, you may be in a particular group which is about to see their costs increase. Those who invested early and ended up going solar under the original Net Metering agreement, NEM 1, are about to have their systems dragged forward onto the current agreement, NEM 3. This is due to the expiration of their grandfather clause, which will impact people who installed solar in 2006.
If this is you, you’re unfortunately about to start paying modern rates, and that is bound to sting when you run your expenses monthly! Luckily, a full service solar company like Simply Solar can help you with a system evaluation to make your NEM transition easier. Call now to learn more: 707-248-3703.
