It’s no secret that residents across the United States have been dealing with outrageous record rate increases for years now. 2023 has brought even more massive rate increases.
SAN DIEGO:
San Diego Gas & Electric said customers can expect their energy bill to more than double this month. (source: fox5sandiego.com)
LOS ANGELES:
One Santa Monica household’s notice, reviewed by The Los Angeles Times, showed the customer’s old rate was $1,030 per year. The new rate? Also $1,030 per year, the letter said.
But then a second letter from Edison arrived in the mail at the end of July. The new rate, the customer was told, would actually be $1,723 per year — a 67% increase that works out to nearly $60 a month. The first mailing had showed “an inaccurate rate analysis,” the new letter explained. (source: latimes.com)
SACRAMENTO:
Pacific Gas and Electric is proposing a 22 percent rate hike from 2023 to 2026. (source: cbsnews.com)
BAY AREA:
Over the last three years, PG&E monthly bills for combined services have risen about 39%, or an average of 13% a year. (source: siliconvalley.com)
ORANGE COUNTY:
That’s why electricity costs in the Inland Empire are up 15.5% over 12 months — and sadly that’s the second-best report in a year with a 24% peak. And that followed last year’s 17.5% jump.
L.A.-O.C. power is up by only 10.4% — off the year’s 19.7% high and last year’s 12.5% increase.
This is no regional outlier. U.S. consumers’ electricity costs are up 15.8% — more than triple last year’s 4.3% rise. (source: ocregister.com)
• The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is considering whether to allow Pacific Gas & Electric to increase utility rates by 18% in 2023, in addition to the 9% rate increase that was already implemented in 2022. (source: cpuc.ca.gov)
APS gave regulators a few options. If they want to eliminate the balance due for fuel, they can raise bills an average of $19 a month for residential customers for a year. That hit would total about $29 a month for customers on a demand rate plan. (source: azcentral.com)
• In Arizona, the Arizona Public Service (APS) has requested a rate hike of about 13.6% by December 2023. (source: azcentral.com)
“I am worried people are going to be shocked,” said John Ballenger, vice president at Texas retail electric provider Champion Energy. “Realizing this is 50 or 60 or 70% higher than what they had paid before; I’m just not sure it’s real to people yet. If it’s not, it will be very, very soon when the bills hit this summer.” (source: texastribune.com)
• In Texas, homeowners also saw a massive surge to their electricity, with an increase over 50% to their rates at home in mid 2022. (source: texastribune.org)
Because of a merger with the former Gulf Power, FPL has two sets of rates. Its petition said customers who use 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month in areas traditionally served by FPL would pay $130.23 in 2023, up from $120.67 this year. In the Northwest Florida areas formerly served by Gulf Power, customers would pay $160.43 in 2023, up from $155.61 in 2022. (source: cbsnews.com)
• In Florida, TECO (Tampa Electric Co) announced that the typical residential customer’s monthly energy bill will increase by about 11 percent in 2023. (source: tampaelectric.com)
With record rate increases, there aren’t many options to avoid the strain on homeowners’ wallets this year. One solution that is becoming increasingly popular and more affordable is getting a solar installation. Purchasing solar panels is a huge investment, but it will help you save on energy bills with solar.
In case you’re not familiar with how solar energy works, it’s a form of renewable energy that is generated by capturing the sun’s energy and turning it into electricity. Solar panels, are made up of photovoltaic cells, are installed on rooftops or other areas to capture the sun’s energy. This energy is then converted into electricity, which can be used to power your home or business. That means, by getting a solar panel installation, you can start to offset or even eliminate your high electricity bills.
Residents can also choose to get battery storage backups to bank additional energy from their solar panels. By gathering electricity produced from solar panels and storing it with a battery storage system, people all over the country can power their homes without sunlight and stay prepared for power outages, grid failures, and future rate hikes.
SITE ASSESSMENT:A solar panel installation expert will visit your home to assess the suitability of your site for solar panels. They’ll take into account things like the size of your roof, the orientation of your roof, your electric energy needs, the amount of sunlight that your home receives, etc.
DESIGN AND PLANNING:Once the site assessment is complete, Semper Solaris will work with you to design a solar panel system that meets your needs. This may involve customizing the size and layout of the panels to fit your specific needs.
INSTALLATION:After obtaining the necessary approvals, Semper Solaris will promptly schedule and commence the installation process. This typically involves mounting the panels on your roof or another area of your home, and connecting them to your electrical system.
ACTIVATION:After the installation, your solar panel system will be enabled, enabling you to save on energy bills with solar energy.
More questions? Feel free to give us a call or click HERE to schedule your appointment.
