Penalized for going solar

That changed last year when a lack of leadership there cost me $56,000 and created a problem that will last far beyond my solar warranty.

 

I bought a property with existing solar panels, and as energy rates climbed, I decided to upgrade the system and add battery storage. The property is zoned both residential and commercial, but for years I had been billed at the residential rate.

 

When LPEA saw I was planning to expand the solar system, they quietly switched my account to commercial without notifying me.

 

Months later, after the system had been designed and installed based on residential assumptions, my bill was unchanged. When I contacted LPEA, I was told my account had been switched to commercial. That change increased my base fee, added a demand charge, and eliminated the time-of-day savings that made the solar upgrade worthwhile.

 

When I asked why I hadn’t been notified, I was first told my account had “no marketing emails” enabled –even though they send my monthly bill without issue. Later, I was told a mass email had been sent but mine somehow “didn’t go through.”

 

The result is that I tried to invest in cleaner energy, and LPEA made it financially impossible. Had I known about the commercial change, the system could have been designed differently – or not upgraded at all.

 

Now I’m paying a $450 monthly solar loan while my electric bill remains about the same. Utilities shouldn’t penalize customers for trying to improve their energy systems.

 

A longtime friend, James Lane, is running for the LPEA board. I trust him to represent members like me.