Solar energy is a rapidly growing industry, as more homes, businesses, and landowners are considering installing solar panels to produce their own energy and break free from the utility. Inconsistent and increasingly expensive electric bills, poor customer service, and shady business practices are causing consumers to look elsewhere for their power. Here are four facts (and many more!) you should know about utility companies like RG&E, NSYEG, and National Grid.

Ever-rising energy rates

Utility rate hikes are here, and they’re not slowing down. Did you know that RG&E customers saw an average monthly bill increase of 7.4% in November of this year? Similarly, NYSEG customers saw an average monthly bill increase of 10.3% (based on the usage of 600 kWh per month). You can expect additional increases in your rates as the New York State Public Service Commission recently approved an increase in utility bills by 16-20% over the next three years! 

Unpredictable, ever-rising electric bills combined with inaccurate billing cause stress and frustration and can lead to financial hardship. Some homeowners and business owners receive massive, incorrect utility bills from RG&E, charging anywhere from $3,000 – $12,000+ with little or no explanation. 

“Renewable energy, including solar, has long been a source of reducing our carbon footprint in the energy space. Today, solar is the cheapest form of electricity available in the market,” said GreenSpark Solar CEO Kevin Schulte.

Not only is solar the cheapest form of electricity, but it can provide insulation against rising energy rates, unpredictable bills, and generate savings over the lifetime of the system (and beyond).

Not a Local Business

RG&E is a subsidiary of Avangrid and Iberdola, headquartered in Connecticut and Spain. Around $100 million leaves our region each year to go to RG&E’s multinational corporate owners, Avangrid and Iberdola, for their profit.  Solar customers keep money in their pockets instead of lining the pockets of corporate shareholders.

“When you pay your electric bill every month, you are investing in an RG&E territory right now, more than 50% of your bill you’re investing in RG&E, you’re actually giving them money to run their system, to upgrade their system and to do all of the other things and you will never get a return on that investment,” said Schulte. 

Headquartered in Ontario, NY,  GreenSpark Solar is a true local energy company, making clean, locally-generated energy accessible to families in the Greater Rochester area and beyond.

Poor Customer Care

The purpose of a customer service team is to ensure customer satisfaction while providing a level of accountability and transparency in addition to solutions to any issues you may have as a customer. That is not the experience you get from your utility. 

Hundreds of utility customers have complained about the customer service they have experienced, including long wait times with no resolution or a call back from the utility. A company like RG&E, which employed more than 120 customer service employees in 2022 and is looking to hire more than 100 this year, should be able to provide answers – yet typically, they can’t.

At GreenSpark Solar, our in-house customer care team, with over 21 years of solar experience, is efficient, responsive, and transparent. Should you face any issues with your system, our team will walk you through the process or send a team member directly to your home or business to examine the situation and help you find a solution. We won’t stop until we do.

Energy Powered by Dirty Fossil Fuels

When the utility produces energy using fossil fuels, it damages the environment by releasing toxic chemicals such as nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which contributes to smog and acid rain, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Burning fossil fuels affects the air we breathe, our animal and plant life, and much more. 

The best way to promote a healthier future is to switch to renewable energy, like solar. Not only will you power your home with clean, local, renewable solar energy that puts more money in your pocket and helps decarbonize our environment, but you will also gain energy independence by owning the assets (the solar array making your energy). How cool is that?! 

These are just a few facts to consider when considering your energy source. Investing in your own solar energy, instead of the utility, will provide local, cost-effective, sustainable energy for your home, business, community, and planet. 

When you go solar with GreenSpark, you choose a better experience with Rochester’s #1 solar installer. As the region’s experts with over 1,000 projects completed and accredited by Better Business Bureau (BBB), your experience going solar will be seamless. Ready to get started?

Interested in what we can do for you? Let's talk.

Close Menu

Learn More About Solar