Claudia Alvarado and her husband moved from Escondido to the City of Perris five years ago with their four daughters. Claudia is a stay-at-home mom and part time instructional aid for the school district. Her and her husband both faced financial challenges due to layoffs, resulting from the COVID pandemic. They were looking for ways the family could save money, and stumbled on information about GRID Alternatives Inland Empire (GRID IE) while perusing the Southern California Edison (SCE) website.
They were excited to learn about GRID’s Energy for All no-cost solar program and called to see if they qualified.
“We had thought about solar prior to contacting GRID, and had even spoken with representatives from other solar companies, but couldn’t afford it. We received a quick response when we reached out to GRID. We were very appreciative and happy when we learned that we qualified,” said Claudia.
GRID IE installed a 5.2 kW-DC solar system for the Alvarado family, which is projected to reduce 74 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and will save them over $38,000 over the 20-year expected lifetime of the solar system. Claudia said the savings will be a tremendous help! “Everyone at GRID has been so helpful. We had a ton of questions during the application process, and they were very patient and thorough throughout the entire process. I would highly recommend GRID to everyone who qualifies,” said Claudia. The Alvarado’s energy bill averages between $200-$300 during the summer months. They were ecstatic when they received notification from SCE that their next bill is projected to be around $30.
Although families such as the Alvarado’s can typically expect savings upwards of 75% on their energy bills, practicing energy efficiency in the home is still vitally important. Claudia shared that two of her daughters, ages 13 and 10, have always been very environmentally conscious. “Our children were a big influence over us going solar and practicing being energy efficient in the home. They are very big on recycling, which they learned from their second and third grade teacher,” said Claudia.
Find out if you qualify! Visit www.GRIDSolar.org to apply for GRID’s Energy for All Solar Program, or call 951-465-2864.