This will be the rational question people would end with when they balance the pros and cons of owning solar vs paying utility companies.
As with media, news, and money… Power (electricity) also needs to be decentralized and solar finally makes this possible. With solar, everyone can have monopoly control over their power and finally set up their own small utility company. They no longer need to fall for the lie of the inflation-adjusted prices of utility companies.
Here are 5 reasons this is time to go solar
- High costs: Energy is the 2nd largest expense in monthly bills next to housing. It eats a large share of the total expense. And this is more than true for low-income people.
As the power prices rose 39% in the last 3 years and will still rise in the future, the lower income groups got affected the most and could not manage and sustain.
- Price set to increase: The future of fuel is electric and the government is hyping it over natural gas and petrol. In fact, California has already implemented a state-wide ban on natural gas appliances in 2030.
And power providers like PG&E have taken advantage of this by raising the cost of power 2 to 3 times the rate of inflation. As the prices are rising and there is no scope for alternative energy, only solar will save mid and low-income families in the long run.
- Monopoly: A state like California has a monopoly over the power supply. Where one company has all the control over the entire state’s power supply, its cost, and distribution. Meaning, no competition.
This monopoly often leads to frivolities, poor service, and rising prices as there is no competition to replace.
- Poor customer service: Long wait times over the phone became the norm of utility companies.
Also, even when they pick up the call, usually the response is not satisfactory and seldom do they fix problems. This makes it hard for people as there is no scope for their feedback.
- Outdated infrastructure: Many utility companies only use outdated technology and infrastructure. So even a mild hurricane or storm results in wild damage and severe power cuts, service disruptions, inefficiency, and safety hazards.
Also on top, there is no step taken to develop the tech and service to reduce the cost. As there is no hope for the development of new tech in the utility industry, people are moving to solar.
In fact, many have already adapted to solar and started owning their power as there is the only way out.
If you’re just starting on solar, the new terms may be really confusing. Start with reading the basics of the on-grid and off-grid solar systems here.
