In a new series of articles, we’re talking with our members about why they chose a Plico solar + battery solution, what difference it’s made to their lives, and what their experience has been like. After all, why hear from the brand when you can hear directly from members who’ve been where you are now!? These members want to help spread the word about Plico and the difference it can make to your lifestyle.
The first member we’re highlighting is Cynthia from the Mid West suburb of Buller, just north of Geraldton, WA. She and her family already had solar panels that were reducing their power bills, however with regular power outages and a new baby, they wanted greater stability and reliability from their system. Working from home and also providing home education, they saw an opportunity to really get the most from their solar energy, as well as greater savings on their power bill.
“Power outages are just no longer something we have to worry about.”
Cynthia’s family was enduring regular power outages, and their existing solar panels weren’t helping. When the grid went down, their solar panel system shut down too, leaving them powerless…and frustrated.
The solar panels we had worked really well to reduce our bills, but obviously you still don't have power when the grid goes down. Some of the outages we had were over 24 hours, and with kiddies, in 40 degrees in summer, it was terrible.
With the huge amount of power outages, we wanted to go fully off grid. When Plico came up and I saw that we would actually still be connected to the grid, but we could operate independently if needed in an outage, this gave me peace of mind.
We still get multiple power outages now but I don't know unless Western Power messages me to let me know. I'm still working away with no idea! We don't even know if the power's out anymore, unless I wake up and see that the oven timer is not on etc.
The fact that it's reliable - if the power goes down for seven days, as long as the sun is shining, we can manage it. Our power can last us all day and all night.
And looking into the future we didn't want to be like our neighbours, who are constantly having to deal with power outages.
“It’s one less thing (for us) to worry about.”
A lot of people who are looking into solar + battery solutions are interested in the difference it will make to their bills and ongoing costs. Cynthia and her family have found they’re able to use their power at nighttime for next to nothing. Not only that, but they’re paying far less than they were with solar panels alone.
When we got the solar panels, our bills were already around $450. These days, we pay $300 to Plico, plus say $30 or $50 on top of that on our power bill. Our bills are now definitely a lot less.
A lot of battery power that we store gets used through the night. So in summer, when you've got kids in their own room, and you have fans on and A/Cs running, it adds up overnight. We're basically not paying for our night power. Sometimes I get up in the morning and it's only just getting down to the last few percentages in the battery.
It's just something we don't have to worry about - getting a huge bill. We do a little bit to try to make sure we use all our power during the day. But honestly I do a load of washing, we use the dishwasher, and I do use the dryer - because my dogs don't like washing on the line! If we really did have to cut back more, we've got a huge buffer.
It's something you shouldn't have to worry about.
“We couldn't afford $30,000 to $40,000 outright to pay for a system.”
In terms of Plico specifically, lots of our members tell us one of the biggest things they love is our unique subscription model - it’s a weekly fee that covers the cost of their solar + battery solution, and gives them the flexibility to take control of their own energy. Plus, all of our members get to participate in our Virtual Power Plant and get more financial rewards for the energy they contribute back to the grid.
The main reason we chose Plico was the cost. We couldn't afford $30,000 to $40,000 outright to pay for a system.
We get to pay Plico monthly, so it's an ease on the budget.
And Plico’s virtual power plant has benefitted us as well. Even when we feed back to the grid, we get compensated for it. So it was just a lot of little things that made us choose Plico. It was just a really good match for us - what we needed.
“Plico is always responding to everything.”
Our members also love our customer service. We don’t just walk away – we’re there to support them and look after their system. We ensure everything is operating as it should, so members have peace of mind.
When I call (Plico), someone always answers - you're not waiting in line. You always get to talk to someone straight away, because of the customer service they provide. If I ever have a problem, I can just ring them and you know they'll ring right back or find out the information for me.
This is customer service, which is really missing in a lot of industries these days.
“We get the benefit of the system immediately.”
When we asked Cynthia to put into her own words how the Plico model works, she outlined some of the main benefits she and her family have seen:
We just pay a weekly fee instead of having to fork out thousands of dollars outright. We get the benefit of the system immediately, without having to worry about trying to come up with the money for it.
I tell friends and family they're pretty silly if they don't have a look! We don't have to worry about outages, and it’s made a huge difference to our bill.
"It just plugs along in the background and we get all the benefits of it."
Our members also tell us they love how easy the system is to use and understand. Because it’s connected to the grid, there are no issues powering your home when demand increases beyond your system’s capacity. And in the event of an outage, the system can support you using the stored energy in your battery.
You're connected to the grid, so you've got the security that if it’s a bad (cloudy) week and you don't have much battery power, you’ve still got the grid there to back you up. But in the event of a power outage, it can supply power for you throughout the day.
But you’re using very little from the grid because as soon as the sun's up, it starts powering your system and fills your batteries up again to use during the night. So you're using very little off the grid.
It just plugs along in the background and we get all the benefits of it.
We are always humbled to hear from our members about the benefits they receive from their Plico solar + battery solutions. As a proud West Australian company, it’s member stories like Cynthia’s that reaffirm our mission to make solar + battery solutions affordable and accessible to as many Aussies as possible.
With the cost of everything continuing to rise, you too could save with a Plico solar + battery or battery only system. Give our switched-on team a call on 1300 175 426 or drop us a question below.
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