{"id":154432,"date":"2026-02-07T00:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T00:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/154432\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T00:10:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T00:10:08","slug":"homeowners-say-solar-savings-promised-higher-bills-delivered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/154432\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeowners say solar savings promised, higher bills delivered"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">HOUSTON \u2013 Since our first report this week on Frances Holt\u2019s experience with solar panels, we\u2019ve heard from several homeowners across the area who say they are facing similar problems, ranging from confusing contracts to higher-than-promised electric bills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Many of those reaching out say they were drawn in by promises of savings, only to later realize the reality didn\u2019t match what they were told at the door.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">One homeowner told us a solar salesperson came directly to her home, targeting her at a vulnerable time. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cThey came to my home as well telling me that they wanted to help us with high light bills,\u201d the viewer said. \u201cAt the time I had just retired from work and my husband had retired the year before. Each time I asked for a copy of the contract but was never given one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Another homeowner said the problems didn\u2019t stop after installation, \u201cour lights bill still was high so they came back out saying they needed to add more panels so we would have a lower light bill through their company,\u201d the viewer explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Others say they were overwhelmed by lengthy contracts and relied on verbal promises that didn\u2019t hold up. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201c[The company] said my electric bill would be only $194 total monthly. Lies, lies. I signed contract as well &#8212; 72 pages. Took their word and didn\u2019t read contract,\u201d one homeowner shared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">To help people better understand their options, we are speaking with a solar energy expert who will explain how to determine whether a home or neighborhood is a good fit for solar, as well as the key differences between power purchase agreements and solar leasing, two options that can significantly affect long-term costs and ownership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">In Texas, residential solar retailers are regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The agency investigates complaints involving deceptive sales practices, contract confusion, and installation problems. Consumer advocates say filing a complaint not only helps individual homeowners but also allows regulators to identify broader patterns and hold companies accountable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">If you\u2019re experiencing issues with your solar panels: unexpected bills, contract concerns, or installation problems, we want to hear from you. Your story could help others avoid similar situations and push for stronger oversight.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Since our first report this week on Frances Holt\u2019s experience with solar panels, we\u2019ve heard from&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":154433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57,66,22007,955],"class_list":{"0":"post-154432","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-houston","9":"tag-houston-headlines","10":"tag-houston-news","11":"tag-local","12":"tag-solar","13":"tag-solar-energy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}