Case Study: Why One Homeowner Came Back to Palmetto for HVAC after Solar

With rising energy costs, it can get expensive to heat and cool your home. Solar and efficient HVAC systems can help reduce that cost, but purchasing them requires a large upfront cost that can be daunting for some homeowners.

Leasing, for both solar and HVAC systems, allows homeowners to access solar savings and improved, reliable comfort without the cost of purchasing. That’s what homeowner Geraldine recently found out.

Geraldine’s solar story

Before going solar, Geraldine’s electricity bill could reach $300, she said. She and her husband had thought about solar for years, and had a solar water heater, but it wasn’t until this year that power-producing solar panels became a reality for her.

“I knew solar was the way, but could I afford it?” Geraldine said. When she learned about her leasing options, which don’t require a large upfront payment or lengthy payback period, she was sold.

“I don’t think I paid anything upfront,” she told Palmetto. Palmetto’s Energy Plan swaps the upfront cost of purchasing solar panels for predictable monthly payments that cover the cost of the solar equipment, monitoring and maintenance, and covered repairs, including parts and labor.

Her first energy bill after her solar was activated was an eye opener, in a good way.

“I have got to tell you how much my first bill was!” Geraldine said. 

Seven dollars.

When added to her solar leasing payment, her total energy costs for the month was well below her average electricity bill.

“All I could do was thank the Lord,” Geraldine said.

*Customer's first bill according to customer’s testimony.

Coming back for HVAC

A home’s HVAC is the source of some of its biggest energy costs. And some of it’s biggest headaches. Geraldine was expecting them.

“I knew the AC were going to act up at some point,” she said. “I just didn’t want to think that I’d be burdened with a really big bill.”

Two months after going solar, when the opportunity to replace her old HVAC system with leased heat pumps through Palmetto’s Comfort Plan, she jumped at the chance. Comfort Plan offers zero-down leasing of HVAC systems for a predictable monthly payment that covers maintenance and many typical repairs. Now that Geraldine’s are installed they’re paying off with peace of mind and improved comfort.

“The thing I had was clingety-clang. With the Comfort Plan [and the new heat pumps] everything is whisper soft,” she said. “Whatever the temperature’s set on, it is truly that temperature.” Big swings between warm and cool as an air conditioner kicks on and turns off are a thing of the past.

Geraldine isn’t just more physically comfortable. She knows that maintenance and most repair are covered down the road should something go wrong. That predictability is a huge advantage.

The bigger picture

Energy prices are in the news because they’re going up. Recent data from the US Energy Information Administration shows that residential retail electricity prices rose 7.4% from February 2025 (16.43 cents per kilowatt-hour) to February 2026 (17.65 cents). 

In 2020, about 19% of all energy use in homes went to air conditioning, according to the US EIA. At the same time, climate change is increasing the need for air conditioning. More hot days with higher temperatures mean air conditioners are both more necessary and more costly to run. Efficient air conditioning paired with solar can help alleviate that growing burden.

Geraldine is just one of many people who have found that a lease through Palmetto Energy Plan and Palmetto Comfort Plan have delivered them savings and certainty in a world of changing prices and temperatures.