Grid & off-grid

Net metering calculator, Connecticut

Enter your exact usage, system size, and rate details to see how Connecticut's net metering policy affects your solar bill, with precise controls for season, tiered rates, and fixed fees.

Your numbers

1 Project details Optional
Shown on your exported report. Leave blank to skip.
2 Your usage and system
Find this on a recent utility bill, usually labeled kWh used.
Use your quoted or planned system size. Panel count times panel wattage divided by 1,000 gives a rough figure.
Solar production swings seasonally; pick a specific month type to see how your bill shifts.
Most utilities charge a flat customer or connection fee regardless of usage.
3 Your location and rate
Defaulted to Connecticut's statewide average. Adjust if you know your local figure.
Defaulted to Connecticut's current average residential rate. Your utility's actual rate may differ.
Connecticut typically credits exports around 100% of retail. Full retail net metering plus the Buy-All/Sell-All tariff option under the 2022 solar transition.
Some utilities charge progressively higher per-kWh rates as monthly usage climbs into higher tiers.
Accounts for inverter loss, wiring loss, dust, and temperature derate combined.
Informational only. A monthly cycle means unused export credit does not carry to the next bill; annual and rolling cycles do.

How it works

Three steps to your Connecticut solar bill estimate

Step 1

Enter your usage, system size, and season

Pull your monthly kWh from a recent bill and enter your planned or quoted system size in kW. If you only know your panel count, multiply it by each panel's wattage and divide by 1,000 to get a kW figure first. Select a season to model a specific month rather than only an annual average.

Step 2

Confirm your rate, tier, and export credit

Connecticut's typical residential rate and export credit level are filled in by default. Swap in your utility's actual tariff numbers, tier bracket, and fixed monthly fee if you have a recent bill or interconnection agreement showing them.

Step 3

Compare the result to a full retail scenario

Run the net billing vs net metering comparison tool to see exactly how much Connecticut's current export credit rate costs you compared to full 1:1 retail crediting.

How net metering works in Connecticut

RRES replaced traditional net metering in 2022

Connecticut runs the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) program, which replaced the older RSIP incentive structure in 2022. New solar customers choose one of two options at interconnection, locked in for 20 years: the Netting Tariff, which works like standard retail-rate net metering, or the Buy-All Tariff, where the utility purchases 100% of your system's output at a fixed rate, set at $0.3289/kWh for 2026 enrollees. Systems that applied to interconnect before January 1, 2022 kept the legacy net metering program instead.

A new charge is changing the Netting Tariff's economics in 2026

Starting in 2026, new Netting Tariff enrollees also pay a separate Solar Energy Adjustment charge on every kWh their system produces, not just the exported portion. That charge jumped from roughly half a cent to about 4 cents per kWh, adding an estimated $520 a year in extra cost for an 11 kW system, a real factor to weigh against the Buy-All Tariff's fixed rate; Connecticut's tax credit and rebate estimator can help offset that added cost when deciding which option fits your usage pattern.

Two utilities, one program structure

Eversource and United Illuminating both operate under the same RRES framework set by Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, so the Netting Tariff versus Buy-All Tariff choice works the same way regardless of which of the two serves your address; only the underlying retail rate you're compared against differs.

Comparing the two RRES options before you commit

Since the Netting Tariff and Buy-All Tariff lock in for 20 years, it's worth running your actual production and usage numbers through both structures before choosing. The buy all sell all vs net metering comparison tool is built for exactly this kind of side-by-side comparison. The glossary entry for Buy-All Tariff spells out what that term means here.

What interconnection and off-grid alternatives look like

Whichever RRES option you pick, your utility still needs to complete a standard interconnection review before your system can operate. And with either RRES structure still well ahead of what a fully off-grid system would cost to build, the grid tie vs off grid comparison tool shows how much cheaper staying connected is.

Questions If your utility credits exports at less than the retail rate, storing power can beat exporting it. The backup runtime estimator in our Battery & Storage section can help you size a battery for that.

Frequently asked

Connecticut runs RRES, where new solar customers pick between a Netting Tariff (retail-rate crediting like traditional net metering) or a Buy-All Tariff (utility purchases 100% of output at a fixed rate, $0.3289/kWh for 2026), locked in for 20 years. Systems from before 2022 kept the legacy net metering program.

The average residential rate in Connecticut was about 30.5 cents per kWh as of March 2026, per EIA data, among the highest in the country. RRES offers a choice between retail-rate netting and a fixed buy-all rate, both locked for 20 years.

The Netting Tariff works like standard net metering, crediting your exports at the retail rate you'd otherwise pay. The Buy-All Tariff instead has the utility purchase 100% of your system's output at a fixed rate, set at $0.3289/kWh for 2026 enrollees, while you separately buy all your usage at retail. Both options lock in for 20 years once chosen.

Starting in 2026, new Netting Tariff enrollees pay this charge on every kWh their system produces, not just what's exported. It rose from about half a cent to roughly 4 cents per kWh, adding an estimated $520 a year for an 11 kW system, which is worth weighing against the Buy-All Tariff's fixed rate before choosing.

Related tools

Compare Connecticut's policy to other structures

Grid tie vs off grid comparison Net billing vs net metering Buy all sell all vs net metering Avoided cost rate calculator Grid export cap calculator Grid interconnection cost estimator Grid tie with battery backup comparison All grid and off-grid tools