Panicked because summer is right around the corner, and you can’t afford the huge bills again? You’ve come to the right place! If you decide quickly, you can get installed before the big bills hit and replace them with something reasonable. Assuming you lease a system, you can do it with $0 down, free installation, and then just fixed payments that will be substantially less than your current average electric bill. With the same payment all year, budgeting is easy.

And a local company like Renova can make it really easy. We will handle all the paperwork with your city, your homeowner’s association (if you have one), and the utility. With a credit score of just 650, you can get approved. Of course, that’s assuming your utility is Southern California Edison. The current solar program in IID means a solar system doesn’t really make financial sense right now, but hopefully, that will change soon.

One of the most important criteria is what panel is on your roof. You’ll want a panel that’s super efficient, so you won’t need as many, and one that has a comprehensive 25-year warranty, like SunPower, from an American company. If you’d rather purchase, SunPower also offers a loan that’s no money down and free installation. And both the lease and the loan are transferable to the new owner if you sell your home. That isn’t the case with all financing, so it’s a good question to ask if you’re not buying your system.

A truly local company with good reviews that give back to our community is a great bet all around. Your money stays in the local area and helps keep fellow residents employed. And should there be a problem at any point, they are also closer and able to solve it quickly. And with an expected life of up to 40 years, if you purchase your system, you could be enjoying free power for decades.