--- title: What One More Year on PG&E Actually Costs Homeowners description: Most Bay Area homeowners who delay solar aren't saving money; they're spending it. Here's a breakdown of what waiting one more year on PG&E actually costs. image: https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Electricity%20Cost%20Timeline%20in%20Bay%20Area%2020152026.png --- [Skip to content](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/blog/cost-of-waiting-pge-solar-bay-area#main-content) [![smaller logo](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/smaller%20logo.png?width=1360&height=784&name=smaller%20logo.png)Homepage](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/blog) - [Home](https://goldenbearsolar.com/) - [Services](https://goldenbearsolar.com/our-services.html) - [About](https://goldenbearsolar.com/about.html) - [Contact / Quote](https://goldenbearsolar.com/contact-us.html) - [Home](https://goldenbearsolar.com/) - [Services](https://goldenbearsolar.com/our-services.html) - [About](https://goldenbearsolar.com/about.html) - [Contact / Quote](https://goldenbearsolar.com/contact-us.html) ![A timeline graphic illustrating the rising cost of electricity in the Bay Area from 2015 to 2026. Small house icons sit along a path where the average monthly bill grows from a small blue lightning bolt in 2015 to a large, aggressive red lightning bolt in 2026, accompanied by a stack of cash and the text "$300 Avg Bill + New Fixed Charges."](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Electricity%20Cost%20Timeline%20in%20Bay%20Area%2020152026.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=Electricity%20Cost%20Timeline%20in%20Bay%20Area%2020152026.png) Financing # What One More Year on PG&E Actually Costs Homeowners ![Golden Bear Gemma](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Suzy%20Spenga%20Photo.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=Suzy%20Spenga%20Photo.jpg) Golden Bear Gemma July 8, 2026 ## **I'll Think About Solar Next Year** We hear some version of this almost every week. The timing isn't right. Rates might stabilize. The technology will get better. Life is busy. All of that may be true. But there's one thing that's also true: every month you stay on PG&E at full rates is a month you're paying for energy you could have generated yourself. Let's put some numbers on what that actually looks like. ## **A Simple Math Problem** PG&E's average bundled residential electric rate sits at about 39.25 cents per kWh as of March 2026 — nearly double the national residential average of roughly 18.8 cents per kWh. Add gas, and a typical Bay Area household's combined monthly bill still lands well above what most of the country pays for the same energy use. For a home where solar could offset a meaningful portion of electricity usage, a well-designed system might eliminate $200 or more of that monthly bill. That means waiting one year still costs approximately: - $2,400+ in electricity you could have generated yourself - Zero progress toward energy independence - Another year of exposure to whatever PG&E's regulators approve next And here's the long view: PG&E rates have climbed over 100% since 2015. A few recent monthly rate cuts don't undo a decade of increases — they just mean the trend paused. ## **What About Waiting for Better Tech?** Solar technology does continue to improve; panel efficiency goes up incrementally each year. But the improvements are marginal at this point, and the systems available today from Golden Bear Solar are already high-efficiency, California-engineered, and backed by 17+ years of local installation experience. More importantly: a better panel next year doesn't offset the $2,000+ you spent on PG&E in the meantime. ## **What About Waiting to See if Rates Stabilize?** Here's what's actually happened: PG&E has cut electric rates five times since early 2024, most recently on March 1, 2026, when it also rolled out a new $24/month Base Services Charge alongside a lower per-kWh price. Combined, bundled residential electric rates are now roughly 13% lower than they were in January 2024. That's real, and it's good news. But “lower than last year” isn't the same as “back to where it used to be.” Today's rates are still nearly double the national average, and PG&E's proposed 2027–2030 General Rate Case — if approved by the CPUC — would push bills higher again starting in 2027. The current dip is the calm between rate cases, not a reversal of the long-term trend. The new fixed Base Services Charge also matters for solar shoppers specifically: it's a flat monthly grid-connection fee every customer pays regardless of usage, which makes maximizing self-consumption — not just offsetting kWh — the smarter way to size a system today. A period of relatively flat rates, if it holds through 2026, is actually a good time to go solar, not a reason to wait — you lock in today's usage rate exposure before the next General Rate Case potentially resets it higher. ## **The Prepaid Lease Changes the Risk Calculation** Here's a change worth flagging directly: the 30% federal residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) that homeowners used to claim on their own tax return expired for good on December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Anyone who buys or finances a solar system with cash or a loan in 2026 gets $0 in federal tax credit — no phase-down, no exceptions. That's exactly why our prepaid lease structure matters more now than it used to. Because Golden Bear (through our financing partner) owns the system under this arrangement, it can still access the equivalent federal commercial credit under Section 48E currently available for systems placed in service through the end of 2027, and we build that value into your upfront discount of up to 30%. No loan. No monthly lease payment. You pay once. You generate your own power. And after approximately 6 years, the system is yours.\* *Think of it this way: you're trading future PG&E payments for a one-time investment in your own energy infrastructure — and capturing a federal incentive that a growing share of homeowners can no longer get any other way. That math improves every month you run it.*   ## **Ready to Stop Waiting?** Golden Bear Solar serves homeowners throughout the Bay Area — from Palo Alto to Saratoga to the East Bay. We'll design a system for your specific roof, usage, and budget, and show you exactly what your savings look like in year one, year five, and beyond. There is no obligation, and the quote is free. The only thing you lose by not getting one is another month of your PG&E bill. **Get a quote!** *\*Section 48E eligibility depends on system placed-in-service dates and program terms that can change; this paragraph is directional messaging, not a tax representation- consult your tax advisor with any specific questions you may have about this.*   ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.goldenbearsolar.com%2Fblog%2Fcost-of-waiting-pge-solar-bay-area](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.goldenbearsolar.com%2Fblog%2Fcost-of-waiting-pge-solar-bay-area) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/pexels-mikhail-nilov-7735621.jpg?width=3295&height=2296&name=pexels-mikhail-nilov-7735621.jpg) Solar Power and Wildfire Defense: Lower Your Insurance Costs](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/blog/solar-power-and-wildfire-defense-lower-your-insurance-costs) ### [![](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/pexels-photo-35237908%202.jpg?width=3751&height=2792&name=pexels-photo-35237908%202.jpg) Why Solar Maintenance Matters More Than Ever](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/blog/why-solar-maintenance-matters-more-than-ever) [![smaller logo-1](https://blog.goldenbearsolar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/smaller%20logo-1.png?width=1360&height=784&name=smaller%20logo-1.png "smaller logo-1")](http://www.goldenbearsolar.com) - [Home](https://goldenbearsolar.com/) - [Services](https://goldenbearsolar.com/our-services.html) - [About](https://goldenbearsolar.com/about.html) - [Contact / Quote](https://goldenbearsolar.com/contact-us.html) --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026. 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