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Calculator · Updated August 2026
Electric bill forecast calculator
Compounding makes alarming numbers. Set the increase to 0% and see what survives.
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The calculator
What your bill becomes if rates keep rising
A projection from an assumption you chose, not a forecast. Set it to 0% to see the version where rates stay flat — that is the honest floor of any solar comparison.
This is an estimate, not a savings guarantee.
It uses published utility rates, NREL regional sun data and a standard system derate. It does not know your roof orientation, your shading, your usage pattern or what your utility will charge next year. No solar company can honestly guarantee savings, and any that does is describing a model rather than making a promise.
Read this before you trust the big number
Compounding produces alarming figures and every solar company knows it. A $220 bill at 7% for 25 years becomes $1,194 a month, and that number sells systems. It is also a projection built from an assumption you were handed, not a measurement.
Set the increase to 0% above. If the case for solar only works at 5% or 7% annual increases, the assumption is doing the work, not the roof.
What has actually happened, with dates
These are filed, verifiable increases rather than projections:
| Utility | Change | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Penelec | +11.9% | June 1, 2026 |
| West Penn Power | +10.3% | June 1, 2026 |
| Met-Ed | +7.6% | June 1, 2026 |
| Penn Power | +6.9% | June 1, 2026 |
| National Grid upstate NY | +7.3% | April 1, 2026 |
| PPL Price to Compare | +66% | cumulative since 2020 |
| Illinois residential | +28.4% | year over year, 2026 |
Why it is rising
Not mostly your utility's margin. PJM — the wholesale market serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio and Virginia — cleared its capacity auction at the price cap, and that cost flows into the delivery portion of the bill. Data-centre load is arriving faster than new generation is being built. Maryland's Office of People's Counsel put the homeowner impact at roughly $21 a month for BGE customers.
The practical consequence: it lands in delivery, which you cannot shop. Switching suppliers does not touch it.
What solar actually changes
It does not stop rates rising. It reduces how many kilowatt-hours you buy at whatever the rate becomes, and under a power purchase agreement it sets the price of your own production in advance. That is a reduction in exposure, not a guarantee of savings, and any company describing it otherwise is selling you a projection.
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Who you would be working with
SolarAmerica
We design your system and manage the project; installation is performed by vetted licensed partners in your area. SolarAmerica is not itself the installing contractor.
Questions
The things people actually ask
How fast do electricity rates rise?
It varies enormously by utility and year. Recent filed increases in Pennsylvania ranged from 6.9% to 11.9% effective June 1, 2026. Illinois rose 28.4% year over year. Long-run averages are much lower. Any single assumed rate is a guess.
Will solar protect me from rate increases?
Partly. It reduces the number of kilowatt-hours you buy at the future rate. It does not stop the rate rising and it does not eliminate your bill — you keep a customer charge and you draw at night.
Why can't I just switch suppliers?
In deregulated states you can shop the supply portion, but capacity and transmission costs land in delivery, which is not shoppable. That is the part rising fastest.
Get the number for your actual roof
About 60 seconds. No cost, no obligation, and we will tell you if solar does not make sense for your home.
Ranked #1 by Solar Power World · 20,000+ installations · Licensed installers