Just last month, CBS Los Angeles reported an upcoming change in Southern California’s electricity. Southern California Edison will now be charging a “high usage fee” for customers that use four times the amount of energy than the average family in the area. At first glance, this change doesn’t seem to be a concern for most Southern California residents. However, there are several groups of people that need to be especially wary of the new charge.
For example, if residents have an electric car, they may hit that high usage cap much sooner than they would expect. Homes with a family member that stays at home for most of the day, or families that need to run the air conditioning or heater often, may also use higher than average amounts of electricity and get stuck with paying the new fee.
CBS noted that there are several ways to approach the new fee if you believe that you may be at risk for high energy usage. For electric vehicle users, Southern California Edison offers a time-of-use plan or an electric vehicle rate plan. These plans offer lower rates for customers that charge their vehicles during specified hours, and the electric vehicle rate plan charges a different rate specifically for the electricity used to charge your vehicle.
However, these plans may not work for everyone. For customers who have an electric vehicle and also run air conditioning, for example, there may be no way to escape the high usage fee. CBS Los Angeles offered solar panel installation as a possible solution, but warned that installing solar panels could mean a high upfront cost.
However, for Semper Solaris, this simply isn’t true. Installing solar panels can absolutely dramatically reduce or even eliminate your electric bill, even for those who use a large amount of electricity every month. However, Semper Solaris offers zero down, no money out of pocket solar panel installation. Rather than charge an upfront cost that many homeowners can’t afford, Semper Solaris offers financing plans that can fit each family’s needs. We can also connect homeowners with several programs that offer other financing options. The HERO Program, for example is a local government-approved program that makes energy-efficient and water-saving home upgrades affordable for homeowners. HERO offers 100% financing up to your approved amount, and payments are made along with your property taxes rather than one large upfront payment.
Several of Semper Solaris’ customers, even those who run the air conditioning constantly, have gotten their electric bills down to zero. Compared to the hundreds of dollars that they were paying before, they’re saving a fortune! For many homeowners, the amount that they pay, whether through monthly payments or through other options like property taxes, is actually less than they were paying for their electricity bills. Unlike electricity bills, however, solar panel payments eventually end—and from then on, homeowners enjoy one less bill and plenty of extra energy. Some families are even paid by the electric companies because they produce so much extra energy through their solar panels!
There’s no reason to continue to pay for electricity. Call Semper Solaris today, and one of our experts will be happy to evaluate your home and electricity needs, and to work with you to create a solar installation plan that’s best for you.
