Graphic by Lori Deaton
I am a Duke Energy user but also have a 7.68 kilowatt-hour photovoltaic system that exports electricity to the grid. For years, I have wanted to have a PV system for the environment and the coming generations, but my husband and I checked out the cost back in 2007 and could not afford it. We did purchase a solar hot water system then, which helped to reduce our electric bill. When my aunt passed away in 2019, she left me enough money that, with the reduction in the price of panels, I was able to purchase the system I have now. It went online in April of 2020 and, so far, I have not had any problem with it.
However, since I have SolarEdge on my phone, I am able to keep records of the export of my energy and the import from Duke, and I was quite dismayed when I received a bill for July-August for over $100. I’m 75, on a fixed income,…