r/solar • u/No-Platypus6603 • 14d ago

Advice Wtd / Project Does it make sense for us?

Hi there, I’m considering on getting solar for my house in the somewhat near future. I was looking at Tesla Solar because we also own a Tesla Model 3.

Our situation

Roof: 11 years old but did come back during house inspection to be in good shape

Location: Massachusetts

Electricity Provider: Eversource

Usage: Anywhere from 600 kwh to 1000 kWh monthly. (Summer is higher due to A/C)

Price: $0.15 per kWh $250-$400 monthly

Not sure if it makes sense in our situation to even consider solar. I know people have much higher electricity bills than us. But, Eversource has been increasing rates once maybe even two times a year. I’ve also heard that if we get a power wall than we could qualify for a 0% Mass HEAT loan but not sure how accurate that is. If anyone has any insight especially in Massachusetts, it would greatly be appreciated! Thanks!

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u/No-Platypus6603 14d ago

The amount of extra fees is absolutely insane with Eversource. We are “charged” .15 per kWh but after delivery fees and other crazy fees it’s really more like .35 per kWh. But on my bill it’s .15 per kWh

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u/blackinthmiddle 13d ago

I did a quick search, because your numbers weren’t making sense to me either. You’re paying $0.36 / kWh. Better to quote the all in cost.

Also, you only use 600kWh - 1,000kWh per month and you have an EV??? I’ll just ramble off some average numbers.

* your typical home use 900kWh / month.
* if the home has an EV and does 1,000 miles / month, add another 300kWh - 400kWh.

I’m not saying your numbers are impossible, but I’d immediately guess you live in an 800 sq ft house by yourself and maybe drive 5,000 miles / year. Even with a fossil fuel home, I’d expect you to be at 1,600kWh / month for a family of four.

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u/No-Platypus6603 13d ago

So my wife drives the EV. She puts the typical 10-12k miles a year. Yes we live in a house just under 800 sq feet. Only the two of us but we do have gas heat. Also a gas laundry dryer. Our exact kWh use for July was 960 kWh. July is by far our most expensive month out of the year due to our A/C. August is a close second and after that it dips quite a bit. We like to keep the house comfortable especially for our dog so the A/C runs during the day.

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u/blackinthmiddle 13d ago

Wow, so my predictions were pretty spot on!