Our COO Talks Solar Bill Credits and Net Metering in Home Living Handbook

We’re excited to share that Solar Equity Solutions was recently featured in Home Living Handbook, in an article exploring the growing popularity of solar shingles and the evolving landscape of solar incentives for homeowners.

The piece, written by Emily Fazio, covers everything from CertainTeed’s integrated solar roofing products to shifting consumer attitudes toward renewable energy. But one section in particular hits close to home for us: what happens to homeowners’ savings now that federal solar tax credits have ended.

Bill Credits Are Filling the Gap, But They Come With Fine Print

With federal tax incentives for solar no longer available as of 2025, many homeowners are left wondering how they can still make the numbers work. The answer, increasingly, is bill credits — and that’s exactly what our COO and VP of Client Services, Josie Garcia, spoke with Home Living Handbook about.

Garcia explained that “solar credits” is really an umbrella term for the different incentives homeowners can access, and that the most common version — net metering — essentially allows homeowners to sell their excess solar energy back to the grid.

It sounds simple. But Garcia was clear that homeowners need to stay alert to a specific risk: sudden, unannounced changes to their bill credits.

Why Bill Credits Can Disappear Without Warning

According to Garcia, when a utility drastically changes or withdraws a renewable energy program, it’s rarely random. It usually traces back to a regulatory change or, more often, a solar company failing to pay its required fees to the state and utility, which forces the utility to withhold credits from homeowners.

She pointed to a real example that made this risk painfully clear: “A community of 1,800 solar owners in Maine lost their bill credits after project sponsors failed to pay mandatory fees”, leaving those homeowners suddenly billed at full retail electricity rates.

It’s a reminder that a homeowner’s savings can depend on a company they don’t directly control, and one they may not even realize is part of the equation.

What Homeowners Can Do to Protect Themselves

In the article, Garcia outlined a few practical steps every solar homeowner should take:

• Watch your billing statements. If something looks off, contact your solar company right away for an explanation.
• Review your original contract. Look specifically for language covering how bill credits are delivered and what happens if the program changes.
• Get involved if something feels wrong. Reaching out to your state representatives, your public utility commission, or a consumer advocate can help bring attention to unfair or unclear practices.

We couldn’t agree more. Bill credits can be a genuinely valuable part of going solar, but only if homeowners understand what’s actually backing them.

Read the full article on Home Living Handbook: CertainTeed’s Eye on Sustainability Starts With Solar