Dylan Malec spent $10,000 and countless hours installing solar panels on a shed in his backyard to power his home.

After receiving his first SaskPower bill since the installation, he’s questioning if it was worth it.

“I thought I’m probably going to break even [on power usage] this month, and that’s going to be my bill. But then when I got it, it was devastating because it was only 30 bucks cheaper,” Malec said.

“I’m not a millionaire or anything like that, so I have to have something feasible if I’m going to be spending that much money.”

Saskatchewan residents who produce their own power still have to pay for it, in addition to the fees that come along with adding panels to the provincial power grid.

People only save money if they produce excess power, which SaskPower currently credits at 7.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

These credits are then subtracted from your monthly power bill.

Prior to investing in solar panels, Malec familiarized himself with SaskPower’s Net Metering program. He explained that while he was aware of the math behind the program, the going rate for solar energy is not what he believes it should be.

“If I overproduce and I have, let’s say, $1,000 worth of credits, I’m never going to get a payout for that, which is fine. But just that the payback is just not even there to break even easily,” Malec said.

The 7.5 cents per kWh value that SaskPower gives residents is significantly less than what the company charges residents for the same amount of energy. Malec says this rate is frustrating for those who are trying to go green without breaking the bank.

“I had 428 kWh consumed, and then I put 400 back on the grid. So you think I’d just pay a bit extra more than the basic monthly bill? But that was definitely not the case. How they did their math was absurd,” Malec said.

SaskPower provided CTV news with a statement regarding the program rates.

“Net Metering customers are still reliant on the provincial power grid, both to take excess power from the customer when necessary and to provide power to the customer when solar energy is not available,” SaskPower said.

“We continually review our programs, including the Net Metering Program, to ensure fairness and sustainability for all customers. The 7.5c / kWh rate was extended in 2021 after consultation with the public, and we have seen stable and sustainable growth in program enrolment since then.”

Thanks to his background in engineering, Malec was able to do most of his solar panel installation himself, saving around $5,000.

He originally anticipated breaking even on his investment within 10 to 15 years, but after seeing his first bill, that projection is now closer to 20 or 30 years.

“This is one of those things that at least everyone in Saskatchewan can at least try and make a difference in, and try and move faster towards green, if there were better incentives,” Malec said.

According to Malec, SaskPower’s credit of 7.5 cents is half of what they would charge residents for the same amount of power. He says that while residents with solar panels should still be paying to access the power grid, raising the current rate could make a big impact.

“If they make some changes, it can make financial sense for people to pursue more of these projects, which can lead to more jobs being created for many trades industries and more economic growth,” Malec said.