Quick answer
A high electric bill with solar usually comes down to one of four things: your system is producing less than it should, your utility raised its rates or fees, your home is using more energy, or you use most of your power when the panels aren't producing. Check production in your monitoring app first, then look at your usage and when it happens.
Solar panels lower how much electricity you buy from your utility, but they don't remove your utility bill. If your bill is higher than you expected, work through the four causes below in order.
| Cause | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Low production | Your monitoring app shows low or zero production | Check your inverter lights, then call Icon Power |
| 2. Higher utility rates | The price per kWh, base fees, taxes, or surcharges on your bill went up | Use less grid power, especially during peak hours |
| 3. More energy use | Your usage is higher than the same month last year | Check your biggest appliances and service your AC |
| 4. When you use energy | Most of your usage happens in the evening or overnight | Shift usage to midday or add a home battery |
Underproduction is rare, but it's the first thing to rule out. The most common causes are:
How to check:
If your system is producing as expected, move on to the next cause.
Utilities adjust their rates often. Your bill can go up even when your usage doesn't, because of increases in:
Your solar system can't control these charges. Any power you buy from the grid is billed at the new rates, so the best way to limit the impact is to buy less grid power.
A few large appliances account for most home energy use. If your usage went up, start with these:
An AC system that hasn't been serviced recently can use more energy than it needs to. Compare your usage with the same month last year to see whether it really went up.
Solar panels produce power during daylight, typically 8 to 12 hours a day, but your home uses energy around the clock. Power you use outside those hours comes from the utility, often at a higher price than the utility pays you for your extra solar energy.
If you're on a time-of-use (TOU) rate plan, avoid running heavy appliances during on-peak hours, when rates are highest.
Ways to use more of your own solar power:
A home battery stores the extra solar energy your panels make during the day so you can use it in the evening, instead of buying that power from the grid. Icon Power installs the Tesla Powerwall 3 and FranklinWH home batteries. We can look at your usage and tell you whether a battery makes sense for your home.
Usually not. Most homes with solar stay connected to the grid, so they still pay monthly utility fees and buy power when the panels aren't producing, like at night.
Summer is when air conditioning runs the most, and AC is one of the largest energy users in most homes. Higher usage, especially in the evening, means buying more power from the grid.
Call Icon Power at (888) 777-3766. We'll check your system's production and schedule service if something isn't working.
Call Icon Power at (888) 777-3766. We're happy to go over your system's production and your energy use with you.
Our service team supports Icon Power systems and solar systems whose original installer is no longer around.
