PORTER, Texas – Disabled veteran and Porter resident Cee Carsten decided to go solar three years ago on his home after he says a group of salespeople told him his electricity bill would virtually disappear.
“They threw a nice little sales pitch," said Carsten. “They told us if we’d get solar panels, it will kill our whole electric bill."
But Carsten said his electricity bill hasn’t changed and on top of that, he’s paying a monthly payment for the solar panels, which costs a total of about $600 a month.
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A sales contract Carsten shared with KPRC 2 shows the contractor is Fluent Solar, which is no longer in business.
Right now, he’s trying to figure out what to do next.
A screenshot of the solar production on the panels shows five of the panels haven’t been producing solar energy.
“I would like them for them to hold up to what they said, either pay the electric bill or get all this stuff fixed," said Carsten.
Sam Silerio is the Texas program director for Solar United Neighbors, a nonprofit dedicated to helping solar consumers.
“Your electric bill’s never going to be $0. That’s one of the misconceptions that some solar installers or solar salespeople will say to sell a system," said Silerio.
Experts say once going solar, your electricity bill should start going down in one to three months.
“You want to build a system that’s sized appropriately for your electricity usage,” said Silerio. “So, a good sales proposal or solar proposal is going to look at the amount of energy that you’ve used in the home and depending on where you live."
Silerio said it’s important people do their research before purchasing solar.
“Definitely take your time when going solar,” said Silerio. “I would say, get three quotes and shop around.”
Anyone with problems with their home solar systems can contact Solar United Neighbors.
State lawmakers are also considering a number of bills to help protect solar consumers.
House Bill 1640 would require the public utility commission to create a consumer guide for home solar systems.
Senate Bill 1036 would require solar salespeople to register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration.