Solar lease reality check

Check the payment stack before signing a solar deal.

If your electric bill was $200, the solar lease is $200, and the remaining utility bill is still $100, solar did not save $200. It made your energy cost $300. This tool compares that all-in monthly cost against doing nothing and investing the difference at a fixed 10% annual return.

Monthly cost inputs

What will you actually pay?

Current electric billYour average monthly bill before solar.Solar lease or loan paymentThe monthly solar payment from the proposal.Remaining utility bill after solarUse the salesperson's estimate or your own best guess. This includes utility charges solar does not erase.Lease/payment escalatorMany leases increase every year. Use 0 for a fixed loan payment.Current bill annual increaseUsed for the no-solar comparison.Remaining utility bill increaseUsed for the part of the bill solar does not offset.Analysis periodSolar leases often run 20 to 25 years.Cash quote price, optionalOnly used for cost-per-watt sanity checks.System size, optionalDC system size from the quote.Claimed annual production, optionalUsed as a disclosure check, not as automatic bill savings.

Inputs valid. Estimate updated for 25 years.

Investment comparison uses a fixed 10% annual return assumption. Real market returns are not guaranteed.

Why this does not use solar production as automatic savings

Without a battery, solar production does not always subtract from the bill at the full retail rate. The value depends on when power is produced, when the house uses it, export credits, fixed charges, minimum bills, demand charges, and time-of-use rules. That is why this tool asks for the estimated remaining utility bill instead of pretending every solar kWh is worth the same amount.

How to use the result

Make the salesperson prove the total monthly bill.

The key question is not whether panels produce electricity. The key question is whether the solar payment plus the remaining utility bill is lower than the bill you already had.

Questions to ask before signing

What will my average utility bill still be after solar?
Does the lease payment rise each year?
Which utility fees remain no matter how much solar produces?
What export credit or net billing rate is assumed?
What happens if I sell the house before the lease ends?
What is the cash price, separate from financing or lease math?

Important limits

This calculator is a consumer math check, not financial, tax, legal, or engineering advice. The 10% investment scenario is a simplified S&P 500-style historical-return assumption, not a promise. Actual market returns can be lower or negative. Actual solar results depend on roof shade, utility rules, export credits, rate plans, fixed charges, tax eligibility, maintenance, insurance, inverter replacement, and contract terms.

Helpful references: EnergySage solar cost data, EIA electricity price data, and Investor.gov on index fund risks.