Why Are You Still Paying So Much for Electricity After Installing Solar Panels?

Posted in: Solar Power, Panels & Batteries
Solar Flow Team
December 12, 2022

While most people don’t look forward to receiving their electricity bill every month, those who have recently installed a solar energy system may feel a tinge of excitement. What is the total sum you have put away so far? How does this amount stack up against your past bills?

While the vast majority of new solar users will experience a reduction in their initial bill, some consumers may be unpleasantly surprised by the opposite. After installing solar panels, you may be wondering, “Why are my power bills still so high?” If you’ve installed solar panels onto your roof but still have a high energy bill, this post will examine the three most prevalent reasons for this and offer solutions. It is only fair that you get the biggest financial return possible from your solar system installation.

Most of Your Power Consumption Occurs Overnight

After dark, when the sun isn’t bright (and your solar isn’t generating electricity), you’ll likely find all your electrical gadgets and devices get the most use while you’re at work. Everything from your stove and microwave to the washing machine or television may eat up a lot of power. This, along with the fact that you will probably be using them during peak hours (usually 3–9 p.m.), will result in an extremely expensive electricity bill.

Solar energy is used up at the same pace that it is produced. When the sun is shining, your appliances will run on clean, renewable energy. When the sun sets, your home appliances switch to using electricity from the grid. This latter factor is a significant cause of inflated energy costs.

Think about how often you use your home’s electric appliances, such as the TV, stove, and water heater, as well as your electronic gadgets, like laptops and phone chargers. Can we break down the usage of these devices by the time of day?

The truth is that you will export most of your solar energy to the grid if you consume most of your electricity at night. While a feed-in tariff will still be paid, the value of exported solar energy is only around half that of solar energy used in-house.

Align Your Energy Consumption With the Sun’s Cycle

Make preparations in advance to align your daily activities with the sun’s cycle. It’s crucial to keep in mind that your photovoltaic panels won’t produce any energy after dark. Your evening electricity use will be met by the grid rather than your solar system if you don’t have a solar battery.

The amount of solar energy harvested by your panels is directly proportional to the amount of sunshine they are exposed to. Power costs will go down as more energy is generated and used.

However, there are times of the year when solar energy generation is severely hindered by the wind conditions in Sydney as well as other significant sections of New South Wales. Light from your solar panels may be diminished if they are obscured by precipitation, clouds, or snow.

Unfortunate though it may be, natural weather fluctuations cannot be prevented. The good news is that this indicates that the current poor energy output is only momentary and that your panels will be quite productive if the weather improves.

Load shifting is a term that has been bandied about. In other words, you should modify your routine such that you use more energy during the day. The question is, “How?” What it comes down to, then, is modifying your consumption behaviour and making use of timers (your new best friends).

Simple methods of load-shifting:

In the summer, you can beat the heat by scheduling your air conditioner to turn on before you get home. After the home has cooled, you can convert to fans that use less energy to maintain the air moving.
Keep the heat on low in the cold. Prepare a toasty house for your return by setting the thermostat to kick on a few hours before you expect to arrive.
Use the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer during the day by setting their delay timers to run during the day.
Laundry and other electricity-intensive chores should be saved for the weekend when you’ll likely be at home throughout the day.
During the day, the pool’s pump and filter can be run on a timer, which is an added convenience for pool owners.
Avoid taking a late-night shower if your source of hot water is electric.

Get a Solar Battery Set Up

The other option is to instal solar battery storage, which is more efficient but also more expensive. Using your own solar power even when the sun isn’t shining can allow you to even more than double the amount of electricity you generate and consume on your own.

Compared to the Past, You Might Be Making Significantly Higher Electrical Consumption

Many new solar customers have a naive view of what having solar implies in terms of their electricity use; they believe they may now use as much energy as they want, when they want, without incurring any additional costs. Obviously, this is not true. While solar panels can reduce your home’s energy use during the day, they won’t be able to completely cancel out your energy bill if you raise your energy consumption and expect solar will cover the difference.

Overusing electricity is possible even with properly mounted solar panels. In the event that your solar arrays are not resulting in a lower electricity bill, this may be due to the following:

The energy generated by your system is insufficient to meet your current needs.
At night, when solar panels aren’t producing any energy, you’re still using a lot of power.
A multitude of electrical gadgets shares a single outlet.
When not in use, you repeatedly forget to turn off appliances and lights.
You aren’t doing your part to save the environment by switching to more efficient light bulbs and home appliances.
Energy usage increases because more individuals are staying at home. The addition of more people to your household, such as youngsters during the warmer months, might lead to a surge in your electricity consumption.

Customers often believe that installing solar panels eliminates the need to ever pay for electricity again. However, if your household’s energy needs exceed the output of your solar panels, your setup will have to draw power from the grid.

The cost of electricity will increase as a result. If this is occurring in your house, how can you tell?

Learn Your Energy Consumption Patterns and Make Load Adjustments as Needed

As a first step, you should verify that this is, in fact, the problem. Gather your electricity bills from both before and after solar was installed. Examine the differences between the two invoices by comparing the peak from off-peak electricity use figures. Increased energy use during this billing cycle is likely to blame.

If you find that you are consuming more energy than usual, one solution is to modify your consumption patterns. Try to shift your loads around when possible, and only use appliances like the heater at odd hours of the day. Consider setting up a smart metre to gain up-to-the-minute visibility into your electricity consumption and zero in on specific areas where you can cut costs.

A smart metre, made available by your utility company, displays a graph of your energy consumption over the course of a day, allowing you to make informed decisions about how and when you use energy.

A Problem Exists Within Your Infrastructure

If you have been using the bulk of your electricity during off-peak hours and employing sensible consumption behaviour, but your expenses are still more than you anticipated, what can you do? Having this problem indicates that your photovoltaic arrays aren’t producing enough energy. Possible explanations include, but are not limited to, the following:

The size of your system is inadequate to supply your needs.
You aren’t making the most of your system’s capabilities because it wasn’t set up properly or isn’t suited to your environment.
The flaws in your system are obvious.

This means the homeowner isn’t reaping the full financial and environmental benefits of their solar system, and their costs continue to rise.

If your solar panels are on the tiny side, you may not have planned ahead well enough. Adding more solar panels or using portable solar panels can help with this problem.

You’ll want a solar metre to keep track of how much energy you use and how much you sell when your solar system is installed. In most cases, the solar metre will be installed by the power company providing your service. Until another new solar metre is installed, most solar professionals will advise you to turn off your solar system.

However, after the solar metre is installed, the solar system may not be turned back on. Due to the customer’s mistaken belief that he is already taking advantage of solar power, he begins to use all of the home’s electrical devices. When the quarterly electric bill arrives, it might be a rude awakening.

If you want to avoid this problem, all you have to do is consult your solar array installer. One way or another, they should always be able to verify whether or not the solar panel system is operational.

Take a Look Into It and Fix It

Your solar system’s performance can be evaluated in terms of its predicted production, which is affected by factors such as the system’s size, its location, and the period of the year.

To begin, most solar inverters will provide you with a 12-month rolling average of daily kilowatt output that may be compared to the daily average for your state. Keep your average within 90% of the state average.

You can still figure it out based on a monthly average if you have had your solar system for much less than 12 months. The PVWatts Calculator from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a useful tool for estimating the monthly power generation of grid-connected solar installations. Although the input fields may look confusing at first, there is a helpful indicator to the right of each entry that provides additional context.

However, you may always just phone the store where you bought the system if you’d like. You should have a warranty of at least ten years on your panels. A reliable business would gladly visit and test the system to make sure it is working properly. Consult a local solar system electrician for an unbiased assessment and, if necessary, repairs.

All else being equal, if you’ve noticed an increase in your energy bills despite having solar panels installed, it’s possible that they are malfunctioning.

The most appropriate action to take is:

You should check the solar panel tracking app. Through this, we can verify the levels of energy production and consumption.
Tell the person installing your solar panels. Your technician will quickly diagnose the problem and correct it so that your system may resume normal operation.

How to Go Solar the Right Way

One of the best ways to lessen your impact on the power grid and save money on your energy bills is to switch to solar panels. You are probably not “making hay whilst the sun shines” if your investments aren’t producing the results you anticipated. The only way to truly save money with solar panels is to be conscientious about when you use electricity and try to use as much of it during the day as possible. Almost all of your daylight and nighttime energy needs can be met by power generated by your own solar battery system, provided your system is large enough.

Maybe you were just led on. It is not uncommon for solar vendors and salesmen to exaggerate the financial benefits of going solar. The claim or guarantee of zero utility bills should raise red flags for consumers, as this is highly improbable, particularly in the absence of a battery installation. If you go to a reliable solar energy supplier, they will give you an accurate estimate of the financial benefits you can anticipate to enjoy.

FAQs About Solar Panels

Do Solar Panels Replace Electricity?

In most cases, solar panels don’t replace electricity, but they can supplement it. Solar panels rely on sunlight to generate power, so they are only effective during the day. They can produce some power even on a cloudy day, but not as much as on a sunny day. Additionally, a solar system can’t provide power at night or during a power outage. Thus most homes with solar panels also have backup batteries or a connection to the grid.

How Long Is a Typical Solar Panel Lifetime?

25 years. Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic or PV panels, are made to last more than 25 years. In fact, many solar panels installed as early as the 1980s are still working at expected capacity

How Long Is a Solar Panel Warranty?

What is a solar panel warranty? A solar panel has two warranties: a performance and equipment guarantee. A solar panel’s performance warranty will typically guarantee 90% production at 10 years and 80% at 25 years. An equipment warranty will typically guarantee 10-12 years without failing.

Are Solar Panels With Battery Worth It?

Solar batteries reduce your dependency on the National Grid electricity you use and enable you to store the energy that your solar panels generate. They also enable you to use the electricity that you’ve generated during cloudy days or even at nighttime; this can save you further costs on your energy bills.

If a Home in Australia Is Solar-Powered, Would It Make It More Valuable?

Solar panels could be the best way to increase your property’s value, as well as reduce your energy bill. For many people, their home is their biggest asset and maintaining it properly is crucial to ensure it holds its value.

Conclusion

You may be baffled by your high electricity bill after installing solar panels. When the sun is out and renewable energy sources are in full swing, you need the least amount of electricity. After sundown, your home’s electrical systems will automatically switch to using grid electricity. The solar panels’ output is related to the amount of sunlight they receive. Plan ahead to time your daily routine with the sun’s path across the sky.

Make some changes to your consuming habits and set some timers. Having solar panels installed can cut down on your home’s energy consumption during the day, but it won’t be enough to totally eliminate your evening energy costs. More than double the electricity you generate and use yourself is possible through the use of solar power even when the sun isn’t shining.

Content Summary

While most people don’t look forward to receiving their electricity bill every month, those who have recently installed a solar energy system may feel a tinge of excitement.
While the vast majority of new solar users will experience a reduction in their initial bill, some consumers may be unpleasantly surprised by the opposite.
After installing solar panels, you may be wondering, “Why are my power bills still so high?”
If you’ve installed solar panels onto your roof but still have a high energy bill, this post will examine the three most prevalent reasons for this and offer solutions.
It is only fair that you get the biggest financial return possible from your solar system installation.
After dark, when the sun isn’t bright (and your solar isn’t generating electricity), you’ll likely find all your electrical gadgets and devices get the most use while you’re at work.
Everything from your stove and microwave to the washing machine or television may eat up a lot of power.
When the sun is shining, your appliances will run on clean, renewable energy.
When the sun sets, your home appliances switch to using electricity from the grid.
This latter factor is a significant cause of inflated energy costs.
Think about how often you use your home’s electric appliances, such as the TV, stove, and water heater, as well as your electronic gadgets, like laptops and phone chargers.
Can we break down the usage of these devices by the time of day?
The truth is that you will export most of your solar energy to the grid if you consume most of your electricity at night.
While a feed-in tariff will still be paid, the value of exported solar energy is only around half that of solar energy used in-house.
Make preparations in advance to align your daily activities with the sun’s cycle.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that your photovoltaic panels won’t produce any energy after dark.
Your evening electricity use will be met by the grid rather than your solar system if you don’t have a solar battery.
The amount of solar energy harvested by your panels is directly proportional to the amount of sunshine they are exposed to.
Power costs will go down as more energy is generated and used.
However, there are times of the year when solar energy generation is severely hindered by the wind conditions in Sydney as well as other significant sections of New South Wales.
Light from your solar panels may be diminished if they are obscured by precipitation, clouds, or snow.
The good news is that this indicates that the current poor energy output is only momentary and that your panels will be quite productive if the weather improves.
Load shifting is a term that has been bandied about.
In other words, you should modify your routine such that you use more energy during the day.
Simple methods of load-shifting: In the summer, you can beat the heat by scheduling your air conditioner to turn on before you get home.
Keep the heat on low in the cold.
Use the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer during the day by setting their delay timers to run during the day.
Avoid taking a late-night shower if your source of hot water is electric.
The other option is to instal solar battery storage, which is more efficient but also more expensive.
Using your own solar power even when the sun isn’t shining can allow you to even more than double the amount of electricity you generate and consume on your own.
While solar panels can reduce your home’s energy use during the day, they won’t be able to completely cancel out your energy bill if you raise your energy consumption and expect solar will cover the difference.
Overusing electricity is possible even with properly mounted solar panels.
In the event that your solar arrays are not resulting in a lower electricity bill, this may be due to the following: The energy generated by your system is insufficient to meet your current needs.
At night, when solar panels aren’t producing any energy, you’re still using a lot of power.
A multitude of electrical gadgets share a single outlet.
When not in use, you repeatedly forget to turn off appliances and lights.