Why Your Electric Bill Keeps Going Up (And How a Solar Fence Helps)

6 days ago

6 min read

How two frustrated homeowners created a smarter way to generate power with solar fencing.

Reading time: 6 minutes

How much do you pay per kilowatt hour to power your home?

Let me tell you a story about my husband Jeff and me, and why we got really tired of paying huge electric bills every month.

You know that feeling when you open your electric bill and think, "Wait, WHAT? How is it this high?" Yeah. We felt that way too. A lot.

Our bills kept getting bigger and bigger, even though we weren't using more electricity. And we knew we weren't the only ones dealing with this problem.

So we decided to do something about it.

The Problem: Electric Bills Are Getting More Expensive (And They're Not Going to Stop)

Here's the truth that nobody wants to hear: your electric bill is probably going to keep getting more expensive.

Not a little bit more expensive. A LOT more expensive.

Right now, if you pay $200 a month for electricity, experts say you'll probably pay $230-$240 by the end of this year. And by 2030? That same bill could be $300-$400 or even more.

Why Does Electricity Cost So Much?

Think of it like this:

1. Everyone wants more electricity

More people are buying electric cars. More people are using computers and phones all day. Big companies are building huge data centers that use tons of power, in fact, data centers accounted for 4% of total U.S. electricity use in 2024, and that demand is expected to more than double by 2030. It's like everyone showed up to the same pizza party, there's not enough pizza for everyone, so the price goes up.

2. The electric wires are really old

Most of the wires that bring electricity to your house were built when your grandparents were kids! Approximately 70% of transmission lines are over 25 years old and reaching the end of their service life. Fixing them costs a LOT of money, and guess who pays for it? You do, through your electric bill.

3. Bad weather keeps breaking things

Remember those big storms you see on the news? Every time there's a huge storm, it breaks power lines and equipment. Fixing all that stuff costs billions of dollars. And again, you pay for it in your bill.

4. The stuff that makes electricity keeps changing prices

A lot of electricity comes from burning natural gas. When gas prices go up, your electric bill goes up too.

The bottom line? Your electric bill is going to keep getting bigger. Unless you do something different.

What We Tried First: Solar on Our Roof

Jeff and I looked at our high bills and said, "There has to be a better way!"

We'd heard about solar, those shiny panels that turn sunlight into electricity. So we put some on our roof. And you know what? It helped! Our bills went down.

But we noticed something: our roof couldn't fit enough panels to make ALL the electricity we wanted.

Our roof didn't have enough space or the "right angles"
The neighbor's trees were in the way
Parts of it faced the wrong direction (north-facing roofs don't get as much sun)

We wanted to make MORE of our own electricity, but our roof was full.

Then we looked at our backyard property line and thought: "What if our fence was a solar panel privacy fence?"

What If A Fence Could Make Electricity?

Imagine if your fence did two jobs:

Job #1: Be a regular fence (give you privacy, keep your dog in the yard, look nice)

Job #2: Make electricity from the sun all day long with vertical bifacial solar panels

That's what we built. We call it the SOL Fence®, a revolutionary residential solar panel fence.

We put up 11 solar panels in our first solar fence. Just 11 panels. Not a huge system.

And guess what happened?

We started saving on average $100 to $250 EVERY SINGLE MONTH on our electric bill.

That's like getting $1,200 to $3,000 back every year. Just from your fence!

We still have our roof solar panels too. Now we have BOTH, roof panels AND solar panel fencing. Together, they make more electricity and save us even more money.

The solar panels on the left are the front, they are solid black. This side produces more energy. The panels on the right, that are more blue, this is the back side. It produces less energy.

Why a Solar Fence Is Actually Brilliant

Think about it: you probably need a fence anyway.

Most people want a fence for privacy, or to keep pets safe. A regular fence costs $15-$45 for every foot of fence. You're going to spend that money if you buy a regular fence.

So why not get a vertical solar privacy fence that ALSO makes electricity?

It's like buying a lunch box that also keeps your drinks cold. You needed the lunch box anyway, now it does two things!

Here's why solar fencing is so smart:

1. Multiple directions collect sun

Your house faces whatever direction it was built. You can't change that. But your solar fence? It will collect sun from both sides of the fence. Unless you have a lot of shading, you can put the fence where it needs to be, the sun still shines there too!

2. Your Roof Stays Intact

No drilling holes in your roof. No worrying about leaks or voiding your warranty. No problems with your homeowners association (HOA) rooftop restrictions. Your roof stays exactly the same.

3. You Can Make It Bigger Whenever You Want

Need more electricity? Add more bifacial solar fence! Have a big yard? You can make WAY more electricity than you ever could on your roof by putting bifacial solar on fence lines.

4. It Does Two Jobs at Once

You get a fence AND a power plant. This photovoltaic fence is the future of property boundaries.

Real Examples of Who This Helps

Homeowners: If you have 100 feet of fence, you could make enough electricity to cover 60-80% of your electric bill. Imagine paying $50 instead of $250! Learn more about residential options.

Business Owners: Businesses need fences for security anyway. Why not make that fence generate electricity and save hundreds or thousands of dollars every month? Explore commercial solutions.

People in the Country: If you live far from town, connecting to electric wires can cost $20,000-$50,000 or more. A SOL Fence lets you make your own electricity AND keep your animals safe. Two birds, one stone!

People Building Neighborhoods: Imagine buying a house where the neighborhood solar fencing makes electricity for the whole community. Lower bills for everyone!

The Money Part (This Is Important!)

Let's talk about what this actually costs and saves.

If You Do Nothing:

Your $250/month bill becomes $290 this year
By 2030, it could be $400-$500/month
Over 25 years, you'll pay $75,000 to $150,000 to the electric company and get NOTHING back

If You Get a Solar Fence:

You can save hundreds every month
In 4-9 years, you've made your money back
For the next 13-21 years, you keep saving money (Sol Fence has a 30 year warranty)
Plus, you're protected from future price increases

For businesses, the numbers are even better because they use more electricity and can take advantage of business tax deductions, and commercial solar tax credits end soon.

Think about it this way: you're either going to pay the electric company $75,000-$150,000 over the next 25 years and get nothing back, OR you can invest in a residential solar panel fence once and save $45,000-$60,000 over that same time period.

Why We REALLY Built This

Sure, saving money is great. But that's not the only reason we created SOL Fence.

We believe people should own their own power.

Think about it: right now, you RENT your electricity from the power company. Every month, you pay them. Every year, they raise the price. You have no control.

But what if you could GROW your own electricity, right on your property with solar fencing? Like growing vegetables in a garden, but you're growing power!

That's freedom. That's independence. That's energy independence. That's the future.

Is This Right for You?

Ask yourself these questions:

Is your electric bill more than $150 a month?
Do you have at least 50 feet of yard space with good sun exposure? Some shading still works due to the type of solar panels we use.
Do you need a fence?

If you answered yes, a solar panel privacy fence could save you a LOT of money. And help you become more energy independent!