Yes, most homes with solar panels still get an electric bill. It's usually much smaller, but it rarely hits zero. You'll still pay a monthly customer charge, plus any power you use when your panels aren't making enough. With a lease or PPA, you'll have two bills: one for the solar and one from the utility.
Here's how solar panels work with your electric bill, what your bill looks like after solar, and how to figure out what you'll really save. (New to escalators? Here's how a solar escalator works.)
Why you'll still have an electric bill, even with solar
Your home stays connected to the grid after you go solar. That's what keeps the lights on at night and on cloudy days, and utilities still charge for that connection. So even with solar panels on the roof, you'll likely still get a bill every month. It's just smaller.
Many solar customers expect the bill to disappear and are surprised when it doesn't. Knowing what to expect makes it easier to judge your savings.
How solar panels work with your electric bill
During the day, your home's solar panels generate electricity and your home uses it first. When the panels produce more electricity than you need, the excess solar energy goes back to the grid. At night, or when your panels aren't producing enough power on a dark winter day, you pull electricity from the grid like you did before.
Your bill after solar shows that back-and-forth: what you used from the grid, what you sent back, and the fixed charges.
Understanding your electric bill after going solar
- The customer charge. A flat monthly fee for being connected. You'll pay it no matter how much your panels produce.
- Power from the grid. What you use when your panels aren't producing enough, mostly at night and in winter.
- Net metering credits. Credits for the extra solar energy you send to the grid.
If your solar energy system is sized smaller than your usage, you'll also buy the difference. A system that covers 80% of your electricity means you still pay for the other 20%.
How net metering lowers your electricity bill
In Massachusetts, net metering gives you credits when you send excess solar energy to the grid, usually on long summer days. Those credits roll forward and help cover the darker months. That's why a summer bill can be close to nothing while a winter bill still shows up.
Your bill before and after solar
What your bill might look like
Say your monthly electric bill averaged $250 before solar. After going solar, you pay $150 on a lease plus about $40 on your leftover utility bill. That's $190 total, so you're saving $60 a month.
For context, the average electric bill in Massachusetts runs around $180 a month, according to a 2026 analysis by Third Way. Your own bills are the only numbers that matter, though, so pull up a full year of them.
See how much you could save
Enter your lease payment and escalator and see what you'll pay every year of your contract.
Run my numbersHow an escalator changes your solar savings
Your real savings are your old bill minus your solar payment and your leftover bill. If your lease has a 2.9% escalator, that $150 payment grows to about $194 by year 10. If your electricity rate stays flat, your savings drop to about $16 a month. If electricity costs rise, your old bill would have gone up too, so your savings hold up better.
That's the bet behind every escalator. Here's how solar lease escalators compare with Massachusetts utility rates, and whether a solar payment increase is worth it for you.
Can a solar battery eliminate your electric bill?
A solar battery can store solar energy from the afternoon so you can use it in the evening. That can lower your electric bill a lot. It rarely gets it to zero, though. The customer charge stays, and a stretch of cloudy days can drain the battery.
Before you go solar: how to keep your utility bill small
- Size the system with a full year of bills, not one month.
- Plan for changes, like an electric vehicle or a heat pump, that will raise your usage.
- Cut waste first. A Mass Save home energy assessment can find easy savings.
- Ask your solar provider or a local solar installer for an estimate of your electric bill after installing solar panels, not just the solar payment.
- Check the escalator. A flat payment keeps your savings steady. Here's how a solar lease and a PPA differ.
Want to know what you'll really save?
Send your quote and a recent electric bill to Mark. He'll show you both bills side by side and find you an option with no escalator.
Mark, review my quoteFAQs About Electric Bills With Solar
Why isn't my electric bill zero with solar?
Your utility still charges a monthly customer fee, and you'll still buy some power from the grid at night and in winter.
Will I still get an electric bill if my panels cover 100% of my usage?
Usually, yes. Even if your panels make as much as you use over a full year, the customer charge stays, and some months you'll use more than you send back.
What happens to my bill if I add an electric vehicle?
Your usage goes up, so a system sized for your old bills will cover less of it. Mention any electric vehicle you have or plan to buy before the system is sized.
About Mark Featherstone
Mark has been in solar for over 12 years, working at some of the biggest solar companies in the country, before co-founding Your World Solutions. His goal is simple: help homeowners get into solar deals that actually work for them, and make sure they understand every part of it before they sign.
This article is for general informational purposes only and isn't financial, legal or tax advice. Numbers and examples are estimates for illustration. Actual payments, savings, utility rates and contract terms vary and aren't guaranteed, and rates and program rules can change over time. Review your own contract and talk with a qualified professional before making a decision.