For residential solar and battery installers
Solar Installer Testimonials After First Bills
On installation day a homeowner can tell you the crew was tidy. What a future buyer wants to know is whether the bills actually went down, and that answer only exists once a few utility bills have arrived. Enter the date the system was switched on to get a plan that asks at both points, with checks for any savings number a customer quotes.
- A quick ask about the install crew at switch on
- The savings question after real bills arrive
- A one year ask that covers every season
The problem, solved
Why solar testimonials miss the point, and how StoryProof helps
The install is one day. The reason the customer bought is on every bill after it.
Situation 1 of 5
We ask before any bill arrives
On switch on day the customer can only praise the crew. Their view on savings, the reason they signed, is months away.
How StoryProof solves it
Add each customer as a contact at switch on and email a second request after the bills arrive, on the dates from the planner.
Situation 2 of 5
The crew leaves before anyone asks
The installers are on the next roof by the time the office remembers to send a link.
How StoryProof solves it
Leave the collection link behind as a printed QR code on the handover pack, so the first ask happens on the day.
Situation 3 of 5
A savings number that is not typical
A household with a big south facing roof quotes a bill cut most customers will never see. Published alone, it reads as the norm.
How StoryProof solves it
Every submission waits for your approval, so you can check the figure against their bills and add your typical result before it goes live.
Situation 4 of 5
They would rather show the meter
Homeowners proud of their system like to point at the panels, the battery or the monitoring app.
How StoryProof solves it
The same link lets them record a video on their phone, leave a voice note or type a few lines, with no app to install.
Situation 5 of 5
Battery buyers want battery stories
A prospect adding a battery for outages cares little about a panel only install on a different tariff.
How StoryProof solves it
Tag testimonials by system type, roof and region, then choose which approved ones each widget shows.
Bill cycle planner
Plan the asks from the switch on date
Enter the day the system started generating. The plan waits for real bills before it asks about money.
Day +2
The install, while it is fresh
Ask about the crew, the tidiness and how the handover was explained. Nothing about savings yet.
Day +45
First bill check in
Ask whether the first bill looked as they expected and whether the monitoring app makes sense. Treat the answer as service feedback.
Day +100
After three bills
Ask how the bills compare with the same months last year, in their own words. If they quote a figure, ask them to keep the bill.
Day +200
After a change of season
Output and usage shift with the weather. Ask how the system has coped, and invite a short video beside the panels or battery.
Day +380
A full year of bills
The fairest savings answer covers every season. Ask what the year looked like overall and whether they would recommend you to a neighbour.
Dates are worked out in your browser and are not saved anywhere.
What a savings quote needs before it goes live
Under the FTC endorsement guides, a customer’s result is read as what buyers will generally get. The FTC’s own example is a home energy product cutting utility bills.
In StoryProof
Run it in StoryProof
- You will need
- Switch on dates and customer emails
- A printed QR code for the handover pack
- Your own figures for typical savings by region, if any testimonial quotes a number
- 1
Add the customer at switch on
Add them as a contact with system type and switch on date, and leave the QR code in the handover pack.
- 2
Email on the planner dates
Send the install ask in the first days and the bill asks later. Reminders follow on a plan with automations.
- 3
Check savings figures before approval
Compare any number against the bills the customer shares, then approve only with your typical figure ready to show beside it.
- 4
Tag and place by system type
Tag by panels, battery, region and roof, then show matching stories on each product page.
What happens next: Re-read published savings quotes when tariffs change. A figure that was representative under last year’s rates may not be now.
Before you start
Honest limits
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
Not legal advice
This page summarises the FTC endorsement guides and FTC consumer guidance on solar. Solar marketing may face other state or local rules; have a lawyer check savings claims.
- 02
StoryProof does not read bills
It does not connect to utilities or monitoring apps. Checking a savings figure is your team’s job before approval.
- 03
You send the later asks
There is no trigger tied to a billing date. Use the planner dates for each request; follow up reminders can run on a plan with automations.
- 04
Email only
Requests go by email or the printed QR code. There are no text messages.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
When should a solar installer ask for a testimonial?
Twice: in the first days about the install itself, and after a few utility bills about the savings. A year of bills gives the fairest picture across seasons.
Can we publish a customer’s savings figure?
Under the FTC endorsement guides it will be read as typical. If most customers save less, show what they generally save beside it and be able to support that figure. Have a lawyer review it.
Is “results may vary” enough?
The FTC’s example on utility bill savings says a “results not typical” style line is not enough. State the generally expected saving instead.
What should we ask if the bills have not dropped much?
Ask about the experience and what they would tell a neighbour, and treat the bill question as service feedback. A disappointed customer needs a call, not a testimonial request.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Ask when the bills can answer
Set up a collection link, print the QR code for your handover packs and plan the bill asks. No credit card needed.
Sources
- 16 CFR 255.2: Consumer endorsements, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 2026-11-12.
- Solar Power for Your Home, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Checked 2026-11-12.
Last updated 2026-11-12.