← SolarScout
Is solar worth it for your home?
We don't sell solar. Punch in your electric bill and get an honest, range-based read on system size, fair cash cost, real savings, and payback — including when solar isn't worth it. (The federal tax credit ended Dec 2025.)
Your electric bill
Avg monthly bill ($)
State
Your rate ($/kWh)
Cash or financed?
Tip: your rate ($/kWh) is on your utility bill. Pick your state and we'll use its average, or leave it blank for the U.S. average (~$0.17). Got a quote already? Check if it's fair →
Enter your average monthly electric bill to see if solar is worth it for your home.
IS SOLAR WORTH IT?
An honest payback range — even when it's "no"
This free calculator is independent — we don't sell solar, we're not a lead broker, and there's no signup. From your electric bill it estimates a fair cash system cost, a realistic savings range, and a payback period, then gives a plain verdict judged on the conservative end so we never oversell. It's net-metering-aware (NEM 3.0 haircuts included) and bakes in the 2026 reality that the 30% federal tax credit expired on December 31, 2025. Everything runs in your browser and we don't sell your information — including the times the honest answer is "not yet." Confirm with 2–3 written cash bids before deciding.
How do you estimate if solar is worth it? +
From your average monthly electric bill we work out your yearly usage at your local retail rate, size a system to offset roughly 100% of it using a regional production factor, and price that system at a fair cash $/W for your area (no federal credit). Then we estimate annual savings as a range, compute a payback period, and project 25-year net savings. The verdict is judged on the conservative end of that range so we never oversell — and we tell you plainly when the honest answer is "probably not."
Why a range, not one number? +
Because the real answer depends on things no estimate can pin down exactly. The biggest is your utility's net-metering policy: under NEM 3.0 / net-billing, power you export is paid far below retail, so a system that offsets 100% of your kWh often doesn't cut 100% of your bill. We model savings between about 60% and 100% of the naive retail-offset value to capture that. Roof orientation, pitch, shading, snow, equipment, and future rate changes widen the band further — so we show a range, not false precision.
Does the federal tax credit still help? +
No. The 30% federal residential solar tax credit (IRC §25D) expired on December 31, 2025, so these figures assume $0 federal credit. That's a big change: it used to knock roughly a third off the system cost. Be skeptical of any 2026 pitch still promising a "30% credit" on an owned system. You can still check whether any state or local incentives are currently available where you live.
What if it says "not worth it"? +
Then that's the honest answer for your situation, and we'd rather tell you than sell you. Solar tends not to pay off if you rent or plan to move within about 7–10 years, your roof is old or heavily shaded, your electric bill is small, your utility has poor net metering, or you'd have to finance at a high rate or through a "$0-down" dealer loan with a big hidden fee. In several of those cases, efficiency upgrades may save you more than solar would right now.
Is this a sales pitch? +
No. We're independent — we don't sell solar, we're not a lead broker, and no installer pays us to make the number look good. The calculation runs in your browser, there's no signup, and we don't sell your information. Because we have nothing to sell you, we're free to show ranges and to say "not worth it" when that's true. That independence is the entire point.
Should I pay cash or finance? +
The math here is honest only for a cash or low-interest purchase. Financed and "$0-down" solar deals bake in a hidden dealer fee — commonly 15–35%, per the CFPB — which can wipe out the savings this tool projects. So even when a cash purchase looks worth it, the same system on a dealer loan often isn't. If you can't pay cash, get the cash price in writing first and compare it against any financing offer before signing.
How accurate is the estimate? +
Treat it as a rough, range-based sanity check, not a quote or a guarantee. It uses your bill, state retail rates and a coarse regional production proxy — it doesn't see your actual roof's tilt, azimuth, or shade. Real output and savings can land anywhere in the range we show, or outside it in unusual cases. Before deciding, always confirm with 2–3 written cash bids from licensed local installers.
More free, independent homeowner tools:
Is my solar quote fair? · Is my roof claim fair? · For contractors →