A few weeks ago, a customer called me after getting their renewal offer. He said: "this feels like a hustle" I understood exactly what he meant, and I owed him a real answer.
If you own solar panels in Texas, the last few years have probably felt like a bait and switch. When you went solar, you were told your panels would offset your bill. Maybe even zero it out. For a while, they did.
Then your plan got a little worse. Then a little worse again. Maybe your old provider sent you a renewal offer that felt like a slap in the face. Something like 18 cents to buy power and 3 cents for what your panels send back. You probably thought: why are energy companies out to screw solar homeowners?
I understand that reaction. After spending years building energy plans specifically for solar homes though, I can tell you that's not what's actually happening. What's happening is more structural than corporate greed. Once you see it, you'll be in a much better position to decide what to do next.
What happened to the Texas electricity market?
In 2019, solar made up just 1% of Texas electricity. By 2025, it was 14%. In February 2026, solar set a new Texas grid record: it produced nearly 60% of the state's electricity in a single hour. More than gas, wind, and coal combined.
Over 90% of this came from massive commercial solar farms, huge projects that can each power tens of thousands of homes, built across West and South Texas. Texas kept adding them because solar got cheap to build and the state kept growing. Your panels didn't cause this. They're just being priced in the same market as everyone else's solar.
The result: on a sunny afternoon, there is so much electricity available that the value of midday power has collapsed. Some afternoons, the price drops to near zero. Sometimes it actually goes negative. Companies are literally paying to get rid of power.
Why did every 1:1 plan in Texas disappear?
Here's the basic math. Your panels export power at midday, when it's worth close to nothing. You buy power back in the evening, when it's the most expensive electricity of the day. A 1:1 plan means your energy company credits you full price for the cheap power and sells you the expensive power at the same rate. No energy company can absorb that gap forever.
Don't take my word for it. Search any Texas electricity comparison site for a 1:1 solar buyback plan. As of April 2026, none are available from any provider.
Meter was actually one of the last providers to offer one. I held onto it as long as I could. I'm telling you this because I'd rather you understand the real reason than think I'm just another company trying to squeeze you.
Are my panels still worth it?
Yes, and here's what most people overlook. Every kilowatt-hour you produce and use in your own home is a kilowatt-hour you didn't buy from the grid. That means you avoided paying not just the energy cost, but also the delivery charges from your local utility.
Those delivery charges now make up about 40% of the average Texas electricity bill. They go up about 5% per year: storm damage repairs, infrastructure buildout, rising labor and insurance costs. Here's the key: your solar export credits don't offset delivery charges. Every kilowatt-hour you use yourself skips them entirely. As delivery charges keep rising, the value of using your own solar goes up with them.
Your panels aren't a bad investment. They're a better investment than you probably realize. The question is how to get the most out of them now that the market has shifted.
What can you do about it?
The core problem is timing. Your panels produce the most power at midday, when your home uses the least. That excess goes to the grid at low value. Then the sun sets, your family comes home, and you buy power back at full price.
You have three main levers. You don't have to use all of them. Start with whichever fits where you are right now.
1. Consider a battery
Many of my battery customers are getting $0 electricity bills. Instead of sending your excess solar to the grid for pennies, a battery saves it so your home uses it in the evening. On top of that, you earn monthly credits through the battery reward program. The combination of using more of your own power and earning credits is how customers are eliminating their bill entirely.
Explore battery options →2. Get on the right plan
Don't roll over onto a month-to-month rate, and don't simply pick a plan by looking for the highest solar credit. Compare plans using your actual meter data. Every home is different.
Compare solar plans →3. Shift usage to midday
Run your EV charger, laundry, pool pump, and dishwasher during peak solar hours. Run your AC in the middle of the day so it stays comfortable into the evening without pulling as much from the grid.
