The question most people ask themselves right before they start thinking about going Solar is “why is electricity so expensive”?

There are a few reasons your electricity bills are so high - even if you constantly turn out lights, take 1-minute showers, and do other things to live with minimal consumption.

Coal and natural gas have to be pulled out of the ground, processed, converted to electricity and distributed through power lines. Add general operating expenses (and exorbitant salaries?) of the companies that run these functions – and you’ve got a big fat bill at the end of the month, even if you’re taking cold showers and eating cold food by candlelight for much of the time!

How Much Does Electricity Cost In South Africa?

With Eskom’s latest higher-than-inflation tariff hike, here is what you are probably paying monthly in 2019 per appliance in your home.

Frequent use items (average about 180 hours a month):

• 60-watt light bulb: R13.43 – multiply by how many bulbs your house uses
• Geyser: R666.08
• 70cm Television: R22.20
• Home / Desktop computer: R47.95
• Two-bar Heater / Fan: R96.10

Monthly costs for appliances that run for 24 hours a day:

• Refrigerator: R266.43
• Chest Freezer: R42.06

Appliances that run for 3 hours a month:

• Kettle: R10.66
• Toaster: R4.87
• Microwave: R.5.77

Appliances that run for 10 hours a month:

• Iron: R14.80

Appliances that run for +-36 Hours a month:

• Stove / Oven: R159.90

This is an average monthly bill of R1350. While some sectors of society won’t be too bothered by this, for middle and lower income families it’s not tenable.

Getting solar panels installed in your home can definitely alleviate at least some of this burden on average families.

How Much Money Do You Save With Solar Panels?

The brief answer to the question “do solar panels really save money?” is a resounding yes. The number of hours of direct daily sunlight you get in your area, combined with the size and angle of your solar installation, are both important factors in determining how much power you can generate.

Solar is an up-front investment, so the costs associated will be the cost of your solar panel installation, added to electricity costs if your system doesn’t offset 100% of your electricity use.

Whether or not your system will completely offset your electricity needs is primarily determined by how accurately you size your PV system – you can calculate how many solar panels you’ll need to secure that percentage.

Use the solar calculator below to find out how much you could be saving on your bills.

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Will You Still Get An Electricity Bill If You Go Solar?

Installing solar panels doesn’t necessarily mean that your electricity will be completely free.  Depending on the size of the system you install, you can generate enough electricity to go off-grid. However, most South African householders install systems that cut their bills down by half.

Related: Solar panel prices depend on the type of system you install.

Do Solar Panels Help The Environment?

Financial savings matter, but installing solar panels also helps to improve our environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The question “How much can solar panels save?” has two answers – solar energy saves 50% of your electricity budget, and a LOT of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Related: Renewable Energy And Your Health

Solar Power Quotes – Questions Your Service Provider Will Ask

It’s to your benefit to know what the best solar power service providers will need to know. This helps them to give you the most accurate quote, and let you know how much money you save with solar.

• Where are you located?
• Do you need a grid-tied system? This offsets the power you use from the grid, but it will only work on a sunny day.
• Do you want a backup system with batteries? This allows you to use stored power at night or on an overcast day.
• Do you need single-phase or three-phase power? Heavy industry and commercial buildings need three-phase power, while average households use single-phase.
• What is your total daily consumption in kW/hr?
• What is your peak power consumption in kW?
• How much battery backup time will you need?
• Will your system be mounted on a flat or angled roof, or on the ground? (many farmers and smallholders have solar arrays installed in a field).

QUOTE ME!Not sure which solar system is right for you?
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Can You Get Financing For Solar Panels?

A solar power system can cost quite a bit of money upfront, although it pays for itself in around 5 years. Luckily, there are some South African solar power service providers who offer financing to help you get your system in place.

The Bottom Line

Quite simply – you can not only save money by getting solar panels installed at your home, but you can stop being at the mercy of an electricity grid system spiraling into more and more problems. Time to take your power back!