Net metering in Florida in 2026: how your utility pays you for the energy you don’t use

What is net metering?

It is the agreement with your utility under which every kWh your panels send to the grid is credited at the same price you pay to consume it. During the day you produce more than you use and the meter “runs backwards”; at night you draw from the grid and spend that credit.

In Florida, FPL, Duke Energy and TECO apply it 1 to 1 for residential systems up to 2 MW. There is nothing extra to pay to join: the installer files the interconnection and the utility swaps the meter.

How it works 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 (the cost of staying connected).

Heads up: the minimum charge is not a trick. It is what it costs to have the grid available. That is why we say “Minimum Bill” and not “zero bill”.

Year-end: when the bill comes in negative

Twelve months after interconnection, the utility settles the leftover credit. With FPL, that surplus is paid at the generation rate (lower than the full rate), and that month’s bill can show a balance in your favor.

This is what a customer in Hialeah saw: $214.90 in February before solar, −$40.79 the same month the following year. The bill said “DO NOT PAY”.

Why we design at ~110%

Almost every installer sizes at 100% of historical usage. One hotter-than-normal month and you fall short. We design at ~110%: we over-produce on purpose, the surplus is yours, and that is why we can offer the Minimum Bill Guarantee.

What to check before you sign

• The proposal shows monthly production, not just annual.
• The system size comes from your 12 bills, not a neighborhood average.
• The installer completes interconnection with your utility before turning the system on.