Going solar significantly reduces your electricity costs, but most homeowners will still receive a small utility bill.
Several factors affect your bill, including:
Solar is designed to offset most or all of your annual electricity usage, but a $0 bill every month is uncommon due to these factors.
PowerChoice is a program that allows homeowners to sell a portion of their solar energy production to participate in energy programs or grid services.
Depending on the program, this may slightly change how your solar production is used:
The goal of PowerChoice is to maximize your total financial benefit, even if the structure of the utility bill looks slightly different.
If you have questions about how PowerChoice is affecting your specific bill, our team can review your system and explain the details.
If your system includes Tesla equipment, you can monitor it through the Tesla app.
Energy Flow Screen
Energy Graphs
Powerwall Settings (if applicable)
Notifications
If you cannot see your system in the app, contact HomeLink support and we can help activate or reassign your account.
HomeLink systems typically include:
If you purchased a home that already has solar:
If you’re unsure about your coverage, our team can review your system details.
Most solar installations take 1–3 days once construction begins.
However, the full timeline for a solar project typically includes:
• Site survey and design
• Permit approval
• Installation
• AHJ Inspection
• Permission to Operate (PTO) from the utility
The time between installation and PTO can vary depending on your AHJ and local utility.
Once your project receives permit approval:
After PTO is issued, your system can officially begin exporting power to the grid.
There are several reasons this can happen:
We recommend reviewing your system production and usage data to identify the cause.
Even if your system is producing power, your bill can increase if:
Monitoring your system through your solar or Tesla app can help identify how much energy your system is producing.
A 100% offset means your system is expected to produce enough energy over the course of a year to match your historical energy usage.
However, your bill may still fluctuate because:
Many homeowners see higher bills in winter and credits in summer, which balance out over the year.
Solar reduces electricity costs, but most homes still receive a small bill due to utility service fees, seasonal production changes, and energy usage that may exceed what your system produces.
Solar systems are designed to offset your annual energy usage, not necessarily eliminate every monthly bill.
Savings usually begin once your system receives Permission to Operate (PTO) from your utility. From that point forward, your solar system starts producing energy to offset electricity from the grid.
Solar production varies with the seasons. Panels generate more electricity during longer sunny days in spring and summer and less during shorter winter days.
This is normal and expected for all solar systems.
Permission to Operate (PTO) is the approval from your utility that allows your solar system to send electricity to the grid.
Even if your system is installed, it must receive PTO before it can officially operate.
If your system produces more energy than your home uses, the extra electricity is typically sent back to the utility grid.
Depending on your local utility program, you may receive energy credits for that excess production.
Most solar systems include a monitoring app. If your system includes Tesla equipment, you can monitor it through the Tesla app, which shows:
First check your monitoring app to confirm whether production has stopped. If it has, contact your solar provider so they can review system data and diagnose the issue.
Most systems automatically alert installers if there is a problem.
Solar panels require very little maintenance. Rain usually keeps panels clean, but in areas with heavy dust or debris, occasional cleaning may improve performance.
Annual inspections can also help ensure your system continues operating efficiently.
Most grid-connected solar systems automatically shut off during outages to protect utility workers.
However, if your system includes a battery like Tesla Powerwall, your home can continue to receive backup power during outages.
Many studies show that homes with solar systems often sell faster and for higher prices because buyers value lower electricity costs.
However, home value impact can vary depending on location and system ownership type.
If your energy usage increases due to new appliances, electric vehicles, or additional household members, your solar system may not fully offset your usage.
Energy efficiency improvements can help maximize your solar savings.
Yes. Solar panels still produce electricity on cloudy days, though production may be lower compared to clear sunny conditions.
If you own your solar system, it typically transfers with the property during the home sale. Solar can often be an attractive feature for potential buyers.
Most solar panels are designed to last 25–30 years or more. They gradually lose a small amount of efficiency over time but continue producing electricity for decades.
If you have concerns about production, billing, monitoring, or system performance, contact service@homelinksolar.com. We can review your system data and help explain your energy usage and utility bill.
Your solar system produces electricity that your home uses first. If your system produces more energy than your home needs, the excess energy is sent back to the grid.
If your home needs more electricity than your system produces, your utility supplies the additional power.
Your bill reflects the difference between what your home used and what your solar system produced.
Even with solar panels, several factors can cause you to still receive a bill.
Most utilities charge a monthly connection fee just to stay connected to the grid. These charges apply even if your solar system produces enough energy to offset your usage.
If your home uses more electricity than your system produces, the utility supplies the additional power and charges for it.
Common reasons usage may increase include:
Many utilities charge different rates depending on the time of day electricity is used.
For example:
If your home uses more energy during peak rate hours, your bill may increase.
Solar panels produce different amounts of electricity throughout the year.
Because of this, homeowners often see:
Over the course of the year, production and usage typically balance out.
Many utilities allow homeowners to send excess solar energy back to the grid.
In return, homeowners may receive energy credits that can be used later when the system produces less electricity.
These credits often appear on your bill and can help offset future charges.
You can monitor your system using your solar monitoring app.
If your system includes Tesla equipment, the Tesla app allows you to view:
Monitoring your system regularly can help you better understand how your solar energy is being used.
If your bill seems unusually high or you’re unsure how your solar system is performing, we can review your system’s production data and help explain your utility statement.
Because we’re not built to feed shareholders—we’re built to do the job right.
HomeLink is local, owner-operated, and hands-on. The people who design your system are accountable for how it’s installed and how it performs. Big national brands have layers of management, marketing overhead, and rigid pricing models that inflate costs and reduce flexibility. We don’t. That means better solutions, fair pricing, and real accountability.
Yes—and that matters.
We didn’t just sell solar and disappear. We install, service, and stand behind our work locally. Our reputation lives in the same communities as our customers. That’s very different from companies that churn through markets, subcontract installs, and rely on call centers three states away.
No—very often we’re less expensive for a better system.
Large companies carry massive overhead: national ad spend, executive compensation, and investor expectations. Those costs get passed on to homeowners. Our pricing reflects real labor, real equipment, and real expertise—nothing more. You pay for quality, not corporate bloat.
No.
We control our installs. That means consistent workmanship, clean layouts, proper roof penetrations, correct electrical work, and systems that pass inspection the first time. When sales, design, and installation are disconnected—as they often are with big companies—mistakes happen. We eliminate that risk by owning the process end to end.
We size systems based on actual usage, goals, and future needs—not sales quotas.
Our job is to design the right solution at the right price, whether that includes solar only, batteries, EV charging, or a phased approach. Oversizing wastes money. Undersizing causes regret. We take the time to get it right.
You call us—and you get a real person who knows your project.
No call centers. No ticket numbers. No endless handoffs. We built HomeLink on referrals, and referrals only happen when customers are treated well after the install.
We specialize in both—and we do batteries right.
Backup power is more than just adding a battery. It’s about load management, electrical design, safety clearances, and realistic expectations during outages. We don’t oversell or gloss over complexity. We explain it clearly and build systems that actually work when the power goes out.
Because solar is a 25-year asset, not a one-day transaction.
Local knowledge means faster permitting, smoother inspections, better utility coordination, and real support down the line. When something changes—rates, rules, incentives—you want a company that’s still here and paying attention.
No. We’re builders. Everything is in-house. Our employees will arrive at your home in our electric fleet of homelink vehicles.
We came up through installation, operations, and real-world problem solving—not just sales scripts. That shows up in cleaner installs, fewer change orders, and systems that perform as promised.
We care because our name is on every system—and we live here too.
If you want a rushed sale from a national brand that treats your home like a number, we’re not the right fit. If you want a well-designed system, fair pricing, straight answers, and a company that gives a damn long after the install, that’s exactly what we do.
What info do you need to get a complete proposal
Why is our bill not 0 after going solar?
“How does PowerChoice impact my bill?”
How can I access my system? Can you walk me through how to navigate my Tesla App?
Whats my warranty coverage for homelink and non homelink customers
How many days will I get it?
What’s the next step after obtaining a permit?
