Change what we pay for, and keep our money local.

Another way of seeing and doing things to benefit our community and ourselves.

Question: What are your highest living expenses?

Statistics show it’s bills for housing at #1, then transportation, food, healthcare, personal insurance/pensions and before that, taxes.

If we want to live a more sustainable life, many experts recommend to look at where you can spend less. While other experts would also say spending that money locally is just as important.

Let’s examine that idea closer by looking at of some of our big expenses like energy for our homes and transportation.

First, where do we get our energy?

In our homes : PG&E

For our vehicles : Gas Stations (unless you have an electric or plugin hybrid car)

So with that said, what happens when we pay PG&E?  Also, what sort of investment is that for our community?

A portion of our bills to PG&E does pay employees working in our community, but where else does the rest of the money go?  Where do all those profits go after paying our local workers?  A simple answer, mostly outside of town.

What happens when utility companies fail and go bankrupt?  Who bails them out?  – Our taxes?

Bottom line: When we pay PG&E, a large portion of what we pay, leaves our community. 

On the reverse side, what happens when you install solar with a locally based company (like us), and not an out of town large corporation like Sunrun, Vivint, Tesla/Solar City.

1. With a local company, the solar & backup power installation completely supports the salaries of our local people and their families.

FYI: All of our employees live locally in Nevada County, and local jobs create local wealth. which in turn supports other local jobs and businesses.  Money leaving our community is not spent in our community.

After solar and battery installation is complete, who then do you pay?

1. Aside from a $10 monthly fee to have utility power when needed, you essentially stop paying PG&E.
2. You are no longer on the losing ride of the 5% increase in your energy bill every year with PG&E.
3. If you get batteries you also become independent of PG&E power shutoffs. You become completely in control of your energy.
4. After 5-7 years once your system has paid itself off, every year from then on, your energy is essentially free! All the monthly bills you used to pay to PG&E, go directly in your own pocket, and stay in our community when you buy locally!
5. You put your taxes back in your bank account through state and federal solar and battery tax credits and rebates… which are expiring fast.

In the end, a few points become clear:

Solar is simply a good investment for ourselves and our community in so many ways. Especially now with all the tax credits and rebates.

Solar plus backup power, like batteries, also adds the benefit of personal resiliency & security when the power is shutoff.

If you charge your car with your home solar energy, you removed some of the largest bills you have, your energy bill for your home and the cost of your transportation.

Let’s also not forget, solar energy is clean, renewable energy.

Therefore if we change what we pay for in terms of energy, we are doing so much to help our community, our families, our planet and ourselves.

What is slowing you down from getting solar or battery backup? Let’s figure out the best way forward.  

Call us right now at 530-273-4422.  We are ready to help.

Sustainable Energy Group is your locally owned, locally based (Grass Valley, CA) and locally run solar and backup power company for over 16 years and counting!  By supporting us, we support you. Thank you!