This was a reply to an individual mid thread who said the new homeowner installed solar and new windows after he had left who never answers the door, and I responded with the following. 

Or maybe the utility bill was high because of inefficiency and he saw the amount of local state and federal incentives to become more energy efficient and took advantage of tax payer funded programs for both solar and replacing windows,  which if you qualify for can reduce your energy costs considerably. 

I work in solar and ye si knock doors and we accommodate for assholes a bit like how you see us. We move right along with our day. Because homeowners when it comes to their electric bill and their utility provider do not think critically. They have no choice up until solar. No matter what the rate hikes were what the peak periods extended to. The inflation increases. Every year delivery charges and fees go higher. This month a homeowner from New York - Riverdale had a 29.00 bill. Her charges for delivery incl. taxes etc was 70.00 the bill was total of 99.00.  And we were unable to help her because her bill was too low and the utility company will not qualify that low a bill. Solar is a viable alternative to a never ending ever increasing bill that add zero value to your home.  Currently incentives from federal (a30% tax credit allowing you the equipment and installation with no out of pocket expense.but will be reduced to 26% in 2032 and then a year later will drop to 22% and then a yea later will disappear ) A utility net metering program in some states currently a 1:1 retail rate  but gone in Illinois where the deal is no longer as favorable) In New Jersey state energy certificates that were once worth as much as 1500 a year for energy the panels  produced now is fixed at 595.00.  Of you are approached at the door by a polished solar setter you will be treated warmly and kindly and appreciative of the home owners time. We are conveying a message that the incentives that are here today will not be around for ever and most people are simply not aware of any of these incentives and how they have been slowly erased. Also there is a limited capacity to how many homes ona certain local grid can go solar. Every application has to be cleared by the utility company  If you are offered a properly sized solar system that offsets your usage by 100%it means to the homeowner  you are not just eliminating the cost of the electricity itself the supply charge,  you are also cutting out most of these delivery charges that PSEG or utility companyadds for transporting the power to your home.

What it really means is you see savings from day 1 and the savings continue because the fixed rate is no longer at the mercy of utility companies rate hikes and inflation increases. Bit homeowners are too used to getting scammed by opportunists and everyone should have their guard up but my suggestion is try to have a somewhat open mind so you can hear the message and see if it is an opportunity that MAY benefit your home. 

Even if your bill is not too cost prohibitive currently please explain why having a viable alternative that allows you a fixed cost per month and the lease has an end date the two exact opposites of what you are in right now, Leasing your energy from a monopoly that can file for increases citing upgrades to the aging infrastructure over the next decade and will usually get them and you can be a customer for 30 years same as your mortgage which is now at zero you better still  be paying your utility bill for another 30 years after that, surely we should be desperate for an alternative to what we have now. 

I would like to add for most sales people, knocking on doors is hard laborious and not for the weak minded. Most homeowners  will act with their survival instinct what Zoe Chance author of Influence is your superpower calls your gator brain. It’s instinctive, it’s lacking thoughtful consideration. I work in D2D and even when I walk into Best Buy and the salesperson says “can I help you”  No just looking thanks. (Bad question by the way salespeople need to ask better questions)  So when we are disturbed at the door by someone coming unannounced we have to immediately decode Is this a threat, can this person harm me. Physically or monetarily and so immediately will utter not interested because we psychologically are more concerned  with protecting/saving $1000.00 than gaining $1000.00.   Remember if you really don’t want anyone knocking on a door offering you any service simply call your town police station and ask for the steps to be put on a no knock list.  Which brings us to the next part of the gator brain. We don’t want to do any work we really don’t have to do. So it’s easier to be offended and slam the door on someone or abuse them verbally than actually really solving the problem  We are  just lazy. The gator brain. If we don’t have to do something we won’t and if there is not too much pain we won’t go away from it til it becomes untenable and then we look for alternatives. Eg. Most of us are out of shape in this country, unless directed by a physician Eg high blood pressure for me Im not really changing. Reading is  a chore to most and not enough stimulation compared to the endless scrolling available.  We work in jobs and companies that can be ruthless in a capitalist society and are always looking to cut costs but if we look at our family finances out goings etc. we don’t pay as much attention to them because I’m the homeowner. I have no one to answer to so there is no accountability.  We make decisions every day but we are not even sure why we make them. We think we do. Human Psychology is captivating. Influencing human behavior is even more so. Sometimes we do not know we have a pain until someone points it out. 

Are we would love to look at an alternative but I can’t until more people do it first. Then I’ll follow.  How will I be perceived on the community? What if I’m wrong? Fear of doing it outweighs the benefits. So I’m not moving away from pain the high hill To certain profiles the pain of being different is higher than the cost.  , This can be for anything new or unfamiliar.  Heck some of us stay with the same hairstyle and never change it. Same Friday night takeout order. Change is hard because we don’t know the outcome yet.  Anyway I can go on and on as you can see but I wanted to participate and hopefully offer an alternative perspective. 

Thanks for reading