Your Indiana Solar Contract Promised Savings on Already-Low Electric Bills. Here's Why the Math Doesn't Work.
The short version: Most Indiana solar leases have an escalator clause. It raises your payment 2.9% every year. Over 25 years, a $150 payment grows to more than $300. In November 2022, Indiana AG Todd Rokita joined a group of state AGs. Big solar companies that worked in Indiana have gone bankrupt. Pink Energy is one of them. If your solar panels aren't saving what you were told, you have real rights. Start with a free Solar Relief Assessment to see what's actually in your contract.
Indiana has some of the lowest electricity rates in the country. Your solar salesperson knew that. And they sold you anyway.
Think about what that means. The savings between your old electric bill and your new solar payment was razor-thin from the start. There wasn't much room for error. And if your salesperson inflated the projections even a little - or forgot to mention that Indiana is phasing down net metering credits - the deal never worked.
You're not noticing a small shortfall. You're discovering that the math behind your Indiana solar contract was shaky from day one. The payments are real. The savings aren't.
If you signed a solar contract in Indiana and the numbers aren't adding up, there's a reason. And Indiana law gives you options.
The Indiana Attorney General Is Watching Solar
In November 2022, Indiana AG Todd Rokita joined a group of state AGs. The group included AGs from Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. They sent a letter to five solar lenders. The letter asked them to stop loan payments for Pink Energy customers. Pink Energy had just gone bankrupt.
This matters to you. State enforcement agencies have put it on the record. The same sales tactics used on Indiana homeowners are now named in court filings. If what your salesperson told you doesn't match your contract, you're not alone. You're not crazy. And you have options.
What's actually in your Indiana solar contract
Here's what most Indiana homeowners find out after a year or two of payments: the deal you signed isn't the deal you were sold.
Your salesperson told you solar would lower your bill. But did they mention the escalator clause buried in your lease? That's the line that raises your payment every year - by as much as 2.9%. On a 25-year lease, that takes a $150 monthly payment past $300. In a state where your electric bill was already low, that escalator wipes out whatever savings you had!
Did they explain that Indiana is phasing down net metering? The credits you get for sending energy back to the grid are shrinking. If your savings projection assumed full retail-rate credits, those numbers were wrong. And your contract didn't change when the policy changed.
And did they tell you what happens when your installer goes bankrupt? More than 100 solar companies filed for bankruptcy in 2024 alone, according to SolarInsure. Titan Solar Power. Pink Energy. Sunnova (Chapter 11, June 2025). All operated in the Midwest. When your Indiana installer goes under, your payments don't stop. Your contract doesn't disappear. But the warranty you were counting on is gone.
Your rights under Indiana law
Indiana law gives you real tools. Here's what your salesperson didn't explain.
Your 3-day cancellation window. Indiana's Home Solicitation Sales Act (IC 24-5-12) and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule both give you 3 business days to cancel any contract signed at your home. If your salesperson didn't tell you about this right - and most don't - that affects the enforceability of your Indiana solar contract. Pull out your paperwork. If there's no cancellation notice on the front page, that tells you everything.
Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. IC 24-5-0.5 prohibits deceptive and unfair sales practices in Indiana. If your solar company made misleading claims about savings, system performance, or contract terms, this statute applies. Here's what makes Indiana's law powerful: it allows both AG enforcement and private lawsuits. You don't have to wait for the state to act on your behalf. You can pursue it yourself.
Net metering phase-down and your contract. Indiana has been phasing down its net metering program. If your solar salesperson projected savings based on full retail-rate credits, and those rates have since decreased, your actual return is lower than what you were shown at signing. The credits are shrinking. Your contract payments aren't. That gap gets wider every year. Did your salesperson disclose that changes were already underway when you signed?
Below-average electricity rates. Indiana's electricity rates are below the national average. That means the savings spread between your utility bill and your Indiana solar payment was thin from the start. If your salesperson projected aggressive savings against rates that were already among the lowest in the country, the math never supported it. A difference of even $20 per month changes whether solar makes financial sense for your family.
Hidden dealer fees in your loan. If you financed your Indiana solar system through a loan, there is a good chance a dealer fee was added to your balance without being clearly explained. Under the federal Truth in Lending Act, every finance charge must be disclosed. If yours wasn't, that's a violation - and it means you've been paying interest on money that went to the solar company, not to your system.
What you can do right now
You don't have to figure this out alone. Here are the first steps for Indiana homeowners.
File a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General. Go to https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/consumer-protection-division/file-a-complaint/. Or call 800-382-5516. Filing is free. The AG's office reads every complaint.
Compare what the salesperson told you to what's in your contract. In most cases, the two don't match. That gap is what makes a case.
Pull your utility bills from the last 12 months. Add up what you're paying the utility plus what you're paying for solar. Compare that to what you'd pay the utility alone. If the numbers don't work, that's a real gap — not just a feeling.
Find the escalator clause and the dealer fee in your contract. These two lines cause the biggest gap between what you were sold and what you're paying. You can spot both by reading your own paperwork.
Every contract is different. But the first step is the same for everyone. Understand what you signed. Solar Home Advocate built the free Solar Relief Assessment for this exact moment. Someone walks through your contract with you in plain English. They tell you your options.
You Signed a Solar Contract in Indiana. Find Out What It's Actually Costing You.
Indiana homeowners have consumer protection rights under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act - including the right to a private lawsuit. A free Solar Relief Assessment helps you understand what's in your contract, what went wrong, and what you can do about it for you and your family.
[Get free Solar Relief Assessment →](https://solarhomeadvocate.com/free-assessment?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=state-guide&utm_content=indiana)Get free Solar Relief Assessment →**
No charge. No obligation. No high-pressure pitch.
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"Sal says: A 2.9% escalator clause nearly doubles your payment over 25 years. Pink Energy shut down in October 2022. If you signed a solar contract in Indiana, these facts hit your math and your warranty."
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are my rights if I signed a solar contract in Indiana?
Did a salesperson come to your home? If yes, you have a 3-day right to cancel. That's under Ind. Code §24-5-10 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. Indiana also has Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (Ind. Code §24-5-0.5-1 et seq.). That law covers unfair or deceptive sales tactics. You can file a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General. Go to https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/consumer-protection-division/file-a-complaint/ or call 800-382-5516. If your salesperson didn't tell you about the 3-day cancel rule, that can affect your contract.
Has Indiana sued any solar companies?
Yes. In November 2022, Indiana AG Todd Rokita joined a group of state AGs. The group included AGs from Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. They sent a letter to five solar lenders. The letter asked them to stop loan payments for Pink Energy customers. Pink Energy had just gone bankrupt.
How does the escalator clause affect my Indiana solar contract?
Most Indiana solar leases have an escalator clause. It raises your payment about 2.9% every year. On a 25-year lease, a $150 payment grows to more than $300. Indiana's average electricity rate is about 16.19 cents per kilowatt-hour in early 2026. That's close to the national average of 17.45 cents. Utility rates haven't always gone up 2.9% a year. So your solar payment can climb faster than your would-be utility bill. Your savings shrink instead of grow.
What happens if my Indiana solar company went bankrupt?
SolarInsure counted more than 100 solar company bankruptcies in 2024. Big names include SunPower (Aug 2024), Sunnova Energy (June 2025), Titan Solar Power (June 2024), Freedom Forever (April 15, 2026), Pink Energy (Oct 2022), and Vision Solar (Dec 2023). If your installer went bankrupt, your contract still stands. Your payments still go out. But the workmanship warranty usually dies with the company. The panel maker's warranty (often 25 years) still exists. But filing a claim without an active installer is hard.
Can I cancel my Indiana solar contract?
Did the salesperson come to your home? Then Indiana law gives you 3 business days to cancel. That's under Ind. Code §24-5-10 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. If those 3 days have passed, you may still have options. Did they skip the cancel notice? Did they use deceptive sales tactics? Did your loan hide fees? Any of those can open a path to cancel. It depends on your specific contract and how it was sold.
What are hidden dealer fees on an Indiana solar loan?
Solar finance companies add dealer fees of 15 to 30 percent to your loan. They roll the fee into the principal. They don't list it separately. That means you pay interest on fee money that went to the solar company. Not to your panels. The federal Truth in Lending Act says every fee must be listed clearly. A hidden fee can be a federal violation. That's one of the strongest paths to renegotiate or exit a solar loan.
How do I file a solar complaint in Indiana?
Go to the Indiana Attorney General's website at https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/consumer-protection-division/file-a-complaint/. Or call 800-382-5516. Filing is free. Write down what the salesperson told you at the sale. Save your contract. Save any texts, emails, and voicemails with the installer. If you have a solar loan, keep your loan paperwork. A formal complaint creates a record. That record strengthens any legal review later.