[Marvin Kombi]

Solar Panels: Are they really all they are worth the money?​

My wife and I were recently forced into retirement due to medical issues. So, in an effort to try and save money on living costs, we decided to invest a chunk of our superannuation payout in solar panels. We shopped around and chose a reputable company whose quote was middle of the road and suited our budget. The company looked at our electricity bills over the previous 12 months and advised us of the number of panels we would need to elevate our most expensive quarterly bill, which was around $900.00. In other words, we would never have to pay an electric bill again or we could even receive a credit.
So, $12,000 later our new panels were up and running.
You can imagine our disappointment when our first full solar period bill arrived and was a staggering $600.00, a far cry from free.
We approached our electricity company and asked them to review it. They did so and, of course , it was correct. They did, however, agree to review our rates and advised that they could save us $60 per YEAR by giving us a discounted rate and all I’d have to do was to phone their office and talk to one of their representatives. Big thrill! It’s not worth the hours on hold waiting on the end of the phone listening to boring on hold music in my opinion.
To that end, and whilst I appreciate that it’s not the electricity companies fault, I still can’t help but feel ripped off.
Has anybody else had a similar experience?

 

[Suzanne rose]

Solar Panels: Are they really all they are worth the money?​

My wife and I were recently forced into retirement due to medical issues. So, in an effort to try and save money on living costs, we decided to invest a chunk of our superannuation payout in solar panels. We shopped around and chose a reputable company whose quote was middle of the road and suited our budget. The company looked at our electricity bills over the previous 12 months and advised us of the number of panels we would need to elevate our most expensive quarterly bill, which was around $900.00. In other words, we would never have to pay an electric bill again or we could even receive a credit.
So, $12,000 later our new panels were up and running.
You can imagine our disappointment when our first full solar period bill arrived and was a staggering $600.00, a far cry from free.
We approached our electricity company and asked them to review it. They did so and, of course , it was correct. They did, however, agree to review our rates and advised that they could save us $60 per YEAR by giving us a discounted rate and all I’d have to do was to phone their office and talk to one of their representatives. Big thrill! It’s not worth the hours on hold waiting on the end of the phone listening to boring on hold music in my opinion.
To that end, and whilst I appreciate that it’s not the electricity companies fault, I still can’t help but feel ripped off.
Has anybody else had a similar experience?

Oh I'm about to get them. I would call the company who installed them and tell them you feel ripped off. Ask them why is your bill $600 when they told you if would be free.

Which company did you use ?

I would also take this to Fair trading

 

[Marvin Kombi]

Oh I'm about to get them. I would call the company who installed them and tell them you feel ripped off. Ask them why is your bill $600 when they told you if would be free.

Which company did you use ?

I would also take this to Fair trading

We used a group called All Green. We contacted them and they just claim that power costs have just risen substantially and that would account for it. I doubt that very much. Yes, electricity costs did rise, but not by THAT much. We have lodged an enquiry with Fair Trading and are awaiting a reply.
Being a pensioner is not very pleasant. It seems scammers and con artists target us thinking we have heaps of money. WE DON’T! Oh, to be young again!

 

[Suzanne rose]

We used a group called All Green. We contacted them and they just claim that power costs have just risen substantially and that would account for it. I doubt that very much. Yes, electricity costs did rise, but not by THAT much. We have lodged an enquiry with Fair Trading and are awaiting a reply.
Being a pensioner is not very pleasant. It seems scammers and con artists target us thinking we have heaps of money. WE DON’T! Oh, to be young again!

I think you will get something done through fair trading , they are amazing.

Please keep us updated

 

[Wandiwa]

When solar panels go on your roof, it often requires a few adjustments. all heavy consuming appliances now need to be run during the sunny part of the day. ie if your used to doing clothes or dish washing in the evening, that job now gets done when the sun is high. Slow cookers are great to run all day rather than the oven in the evening. Pool pumps now get run during the day instead of overnight. Air conditioning now gets run during the day and shutdown if possible late afternoon. My panels installed 2011 have saved me many 1000's of dollars.

 

[Wandiwa]

Here's another tip: Check that your system is working correctly. Check when the sun is highest in the sky that your system is outputting close to the maximum rating and check at the end of the day thats its put out a good quantity of total power.

 

[ukebrain]

I het you, investing in solar panels is a big step, especially when you're looking at it as a long-term savings plan. $600 for your first solar period bill after dropping $12k on the setup? That's a punch in the gut, no doubt.

Here's the thing, solar is an excellent way to save on energy costs in the long run, but it can take time to see the full benefits.

That said, if you haven't already, consider adding a Home Energy Storage System to your setup. These systems essentially store excess energy that your solar panels generate, allowing you to use it when the sun isn't shining.

 

[Happy girl.]

We've just had solar installed. It's possible to watch progress on the mobile phone and this shows energy usage and what goes back to the grid. We won't get a bill for while but it is looking promising.

 

[Suzanne rose]

We are having ours installed in 2 weeks . The guy who came out told us the 8 panels we are getting will cover us during the day and a little into the night .

My daughter has 8 panels and her electricity bill went from $800 a quarter down to $300

 

[sypjeytayvie1985]

It's understandable that you had high hopes for your solar panel investment, especially after retirement to save on living costs. It can be disappointing when the results don't align with expectations.
The effectiveness of solar panels can vary based on several factors, including your location, energy consumption habits, and the quality of the panels themselves. It's unfortunate that your first bill didn't reflect the expected savings.
If you ever decide to explore further improvements or alternatives, leading-edge solar and battery technology can be a game-changer in optimizing your energy consumption. While the initial outcome may not have met your expectations, there could still be ways to enhance your solar panel system for more significant savings in the long run.

 

[Happy girl.]

We are delighted with our solars. Our bill with no solar was $428, then with solar it was $166.78.

 

[Juliebarnes53]

I feel the same. At first the feed in tariff made a big difference in our bill Now the feed in tariff is so low it doesn’t make much difference That’s where my problem lies