Rent-to-own vs buying solar calculator
A low starting monthly payment doesn't tell you what solar will cost. Compare a subscription, rent-to-own, cash and a loan for the same system over the years you expect to stay, with every increase, fee and buyout included.
Subscription, rent-to-own or buy: total cost
Enter the figures from your quotes. The defaults use Alumo's published Watt-a-Deal rent-to-own and cash terms, checked on 20 September 2026. The subscription, loan and owner-cost values are assumptions to replace with your own quotes.
Over 10 years, the lowest total on these inputs is
Buy cash: R 84 959
- Subscription (rent)R 211 650
R 1 299/mo to start, R 2 290/mo in the final year · Not owned
- Rent-to-ownR 157 221
R 1 418/mo to start · Owned from year 8
- Buy cashR 84 959
Paid upfront · Owned from day one
- Buy with a loanR 109 436
R 1 574/mo to start · Owned from day one
- Subscription (rent): The provider keeps ownership, so payments continue for as long as the service runs.
- Subscription (rent): No exit or deinstallation cost entered. Check the contract before relying on this.
- Rent-to-own: Maintenance and insurance are assumed to be included during the rental term, as in the published example. Confirm this for your quote.
- Buy cash: Paid upfront. The money also stops earning interest or reducing other debt, which this total does not count.
- Buy with a loan: Excludes bank initiation and account fees. Use the lender’s quotation for the real rate.
Running totals by year
| End of year | Subscription (rent) | Rent-to-own | Buy cash | Buy with a loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R 16 887 | R 17 716 | R 71 459 | R 20 387 |
| 3 | R 51 169 | R 55 138 | R 74 459 | R 61 162 |
| 5 | R 90 051 | R 97 583 | R 77 459 | R 101 936 |
| 7 | R 134 153 | R 152 721 | R 80 459 | R 104 936 |
| 10 | R 211 650 | R 157 221 | R 84 959 | R 109 436 |
Totals are rands paid, not adjusted for inflation or the return you could earn on cash. They assume the same system on every route, increases applied once a year, and no bill savings, which are similar whichever way you pay. Equipment replacement, resale value and tax effects are excluded.
How to read the result
How long you stay usually decides the answer. Buying costs the most upfront but nothing more once the loan is repaid. A subscription is cheap to start but never ends while you use it, and its increases compound. Rent-to-own sits in between: payments rise each year until the term ends, then stop once you own the system.
The cheapest total isn't automatically the right choice. Paying monthly can be sensible if the cash is your emergency fund, or if you value included maintenance and a single provider to call. What matters is choosing it knowing the full cost.
If you might sell the house, ask each provider in writing what happens then: transfer to the buyer, settlement, removal or relocation, and at what cost. That exit cost often decides the comparison.
Questions about renting or buying solar
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a solar system in South Africa?
Over the full life of a system, buying is usually cheaper in total rands because rental and rent-to-own payments include finance, service and the provider’s margin, and most escalate each year. Renting can still suit a household that cannot or should not spend the cash, or that expects to move before a purchase would pay off. The answer depends on the contract terms and how long you stay.
How much more does rent-to-own cost than paying cash?
In Alumo’s published Watt-a-Deal example checked on 20 September 2026, a R1,418 starting rent over 7 years with 6.5% annual increases, a R700 initiation fee and a R6,996 buyout adds up to about R152,721, against a published cash price of R69,959. Other systems and providers differ, so enter the figures from your own quote.
What is the difference between a solar subscription and rent-to-own?
With a subscription the provider keeps ownership and you pay for as long as the service runs. With rent-to-own you pay for a fixed term, and the agreement gives you a route to own the equipment at the end or through an earlier buyout.
What should I check before signing a solar rental contract?
Get every monthly payment in rands, the annual increase, initiation fee, buyout, cancellation and removal costs, what happens if you sell the house, and what maintenance and insurance cover. A starting monthly amount is not enough to compare offers.
SolarGuide is an independent referral publisher and currently earns referral fees from eligible Alumo quote requests. The default figures come from Alumo because it publishes a complete rent-to-own and cash example for the same system. Replace them with any provider's quote.