How it works, at least in Illinois, is that the rates for the electricity itself are capped, and are separate from the rates for delivering the electricity. The latter is for the connection to the grid, and having your electricity (in or out) transit on that grid. This allows you to buy electricity from whatever supplier you like, but you will still pay ComEd (who operates the grid here) for delivery in addition to that.
If your setup produces all the electricity you use and then some, then you could disconnect yourself from the grid and cancel your electric service. However, you would then not be able to sell the surplus you generate back to the electric company (if that’s even a thing for you), and you have no electricity if there is a failure in your own generation (unless you have a gasoline generator as a backup).
As it stands, consider that $28 as insurance against failure of your solar, or if you ever need to draw more power than it generates for some reason.
This article is about Florida specifically, but I wouldn’t doubt that it would be similarly difficult elsewhere. It’s most certainly a Fucking Mess™.
If you really want, I imagine you’d notify your local electric company that you are cancelling service and requesting disconnection, disconnect your house from the mains on your side, then just never pay another bill.
How it works, at least in Illinois, is that the rates for the electricity itself are capped, and are separate from the rates for delivering the electricity. The latter is for the connection to the grid, and having your electricity (in or out) transit on that grid. This allows you to buy electricity from whatever supplier you like, but you will still pay ComEd (who operates the grid here) for delivery in addition to that.
If your setup produces all the electricity you use and then some, then you could disconnect yourself from the grid and cancel your electric service. However, you would then not be able to sell the surplus you generate back to the electric company (if that’s even a thing for you), and you have no electricity if there is a failure in your own generation (unless you have a gasoline generator as a backup).
As it stands, consider that $28 as insurance against failure of your solar, or if you ever need to draw more power than it generates for some reason.
AFAIK it can literally be illegal to not be connected to the grid, because corruption.
This article is about Florida specifically, but I wouldn’t doubt that it would be similarly difficult elsewhere. It’s most certainly a Fucking Mess™.
If you really want, I imagine you’d notify your local electric company that you are cancelling service and requesting disconnection, disconnect your house from the mains on your side, then just never pay another bill.