When many homeowners think about solar, one of the first questions is: “Does it make sense with my electric rate?”
If you’re a Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation (JOEMC) member, you might have noticed your base energy charge is around $0.10277 per kWh. However, once you include fuel riders, wholesale power adjustments, and other variable charges, JOEMC members often pay $0.11-$0.15 per kWh. Suddenly, the economics of solar start to look a lot more appealing.
Let’s unpack why.
Electricity prices don’t stand still. Even cooperative utilities like JOEMC (which operate on a not-for-profit model) are affected by rising generation costs, fuel volatility, and grid infrastructure investments. Plus, JOEMC doesn't generate any of their own power, instead purchasing it from other utilities, making them even more susceptible to price fluctuations.
A solar system from Cape Fear Solar Systems allows you to lock in a portion of your electricity cost for 25+ years. In other words, you’re pre-purchasing clean energy at a fixed rate that never changes—one that often beats where retail power prices are headed.
Even if JOEMC’s current rate feels manageable, that stability and predictability are what make solar a long-term win.
JOEMC’s modified net metering policy allows you to connect your solar system to the grid and receive credit for excess power you send back. While their policy may differ from full one-to-one net metering, it still helps you maximize the value of every kilowatt-hour you produce.
Cape Fear Solar’s team is familiar with JOEMC’s interconnection process and billing structure, helping homeowners design systems that work with the cooperative’s policies, not against them.
Even if your credits aren’t perfectly equal to retail rates, every bit of self-produced power means fewer kilowatt-hours purchased from the utility. And when those retail prices range up to $0.148/kWh, offsetting grid energy quickly adds up.
Let’s look at a simple example to illustrate the impact:
Average household usage: 12,000 kWh per year
Average effective JOEMC rate (with riders): $0.1302/kWh
Annual bill: ≈ $1,562/year
If your solar system offsets only 80% of your consumption, you’d save about $1,250 per year on electricity.
That means you’re saving real dollars, not theoretical ones. Over time, those annual savings compound into tens-of-thousands of dollars in avoided utility payments.
Financial savings are only part of the story. Solar offers energy independence and the ability to add battery backup for resilience during grid outages, something every coastal Carolinian understands.
Even without a battery, producing your own power gives you confidence that your home is less tied to utility fluctuations. Add storage, and you can keep essentials running during storms or blackouts.
Even with a lower base rate, JOEMC members are paying closer to $0.11–$0.15 per kWh once all adjustments are included, and those rates are subject to change. Solar gives you control, predictability, and independence from those future increases.
When you partner with Cape Fear Solar Systems, you’re working with local experts who both understand JOEMC’s structure, paperwork, and policies, and who design each system for maximum long-term performance and value.
And at the end of the day, it’s not just about cutting costs, it’s about taking control of your energy and your future.
Our team will walk you through the numbers specific to your home, your usage, and your JOEMC account. The math may surprise you--and the peace of mind is priceless.