📖 Common sales phrases, decoded
"I need to run your credit to show you real numbers."
You can ask for a ballpark first, without that
A soft credit check is standard for a financed deal and doesn't affect your credit score — but you're not required to consent before seeing anything at all. Most reputable companies can give you a rough cash price and the proposed system size/equipment verbally, with no credit check, if you ask directly. Save the credit check for a company you're seriously considering, not the first one that asks — and confirm out loud whether it's a soft or hard pull before you say yes. If they won't give you *any* numbers without running credit first, that itself is worth noting.
"You're getting 100% offset!"
What that actually means
The system is modeled to produce roughly as much electricity as your historical annual usage. It does not mean your electric bill goes to $0 — you'll still have utility fixed charges, and actual production varies month to month and year to year.
"It's only $299 a month!"
Don't stop at the monthly payment
The numbers that actually matter are the total payments over the full contract, the escalator, the term length, and what happens if you sell the house. A low monthly number can still add up to a high total cost, or hide a step-up structure — see the loan and escalator checks in your results.
"Only 2.99% financing!"
Look past the interest rate
A low APR doesn't tell you whether the loan principal itself was inflated above the cash price by a dealer fee — that's a separate, often larger cost. Check the "Cash Price vs. Financed Amount" result in your results before judging a loan by its interest rate alone.
"You qualify for a huge tax incentive."
Ask what incentive, exactly
The federal §25D residential credit expired for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Don't compare proposals until you know whether the quoted price assumes an incentive you may no longer qualify for.
"This will increase your home's value."
Don't bank on an unverified number
This claim isn't something the tool can verify, and it shouldn't be silently folded into your decision as a guaranteed financial benefit. Treat it as a possible upside, not a number to plan around.
"This price is only good today" / "You need to sign before we leave."
🚩 Slow down
A legitimate multi-round, competitive process doesn't require same-day signatures. Real installers participating in a group RFP already know it's a multi-round process — pressure to sign immediately is a sales tactic, not a market reality.
"Free solar" / "The government is paying for this."
Solar isn't free
Every proposal is a purchase, a loan, a lease, or a PPA — someone is paying, and it's structured as one of those four things. Figure out which one you're actually being offered before evaluating anything else about it.