Net metering in Florida in 2026: how your utility credits the energy you don't use

Net metering is the rule under which your utility credits every kWh your roof sends to the grid at the same value you pay to use it. In Central Florida, Duke Energy, FPL and TECO apply it 1 to 1. The surplus rolls over month to month and is settled at year-end. What never goes away is the minimum charge.

What is net metering?

It is the agreement with your utility under which every kWh you send to the grid is credited at the same price you pay to consume it. A kWh (kilowatt-hour) is the unit your electricity is billed in (/en/glossary/kwh). During the day the sun produces more than you use and the surplus flows to the grid; at night you draw from the grid and spend that credit.

In Florida, Administrative Code rule 25-6.065 requires regulated utilities to offer it to customer systems up to 2 MW. There is nothing extra to pay to join: someone files the interconnection (the utility’s permission to connect the system to the grid) and the utility installs a bidirectional meter. Short definition at /en/glossary/net-metering.

How does it work month to month?

1. The bidirectional meter records what comes in and what goes out.
2. If you produced more than you consumed, the surplus stays as a kWh credit for the next month.
3. If you consumed more, you only pay the difference.
4. Either way, you pay your utility’s minimum charge, which is the cost of staying connected.

Each floor is broken down in the minimum charge explained.

Heads up: the minimum charge is not a trick. It is what it costs to have the grid available. That is why we will never promise you a zero bill. In the solar subscription, the savings of at least 30%, guaranteed in writing, are calculated on your total bill with that minimum inside.

What happens at year-end?

At year-end the utility settles the leftover kWh credit. At FPL, that surplus is credited on the December bill at FPL’s average cost of generation, which is lower than the full rate you pay. That month the bill can show a balance in your favor.

The uncomfortable part: that surplus kWh is paid cheap. They buy at generation cost what they sell you at full price. That is why a system that produces far more than you use is not a better deal. What works for you is covering your real usage, not manufacturing surplus. The full numbers are at how much solar really saves.

Do I need a battery to benefit from net metering?

No. With net metering the grid works as your battery: daytime surplus covers your nights, 1 to 1. A battery is for keeping the lights on when the grid goes down, not for saving more. We explain it in do I need a battery with net metering?. The subscription is solar energy only, with no battery.

What about municipal utilities and co-ops?

They have their own rules. In Central Florida that includes OUC in Orlando, KUA in Kissimmee and Lakeland Electric, plus the electric co-ops. Their credit, floor and year-end settlement can differ from Duke, FPL and TECO. The solar subscription also works only with Duke, FPL or TECO. If your bill comes from another company, ask them before you evaluate any system.

When NOT to count on net metering

• If your usage is very low: the minimum charge weighs almost as much as the energy, and the credit has little to offset.
• If someone designs a system far above your usage “to sell to the utility”: the surplus is paid at generation cost.
• If your utility is municipal or a co-op: do not assume Duke, FPL or TECO rules.
• If someone promises net metering is “guaranteed forever”: it is a state rule, and rules can change.

What to check before you decide

• The proposal shows monthly production, not just annual, next to your usage for each month.
• The size or the savings come from your 12 bills, not a neighborhood average.
• The projected bill includes the minimum charge, storm charges and taxes.
• Which utility you have: Duke, FPL or TECO, or a municipal utility or co-op.
• How interconnection works and who files it before the system is turned on. In the subscription, the installation team files it.