The Con Edison CBC Charge and Net Metering in 2026: What NYC and Westchester Solar Really Pays

Updated for 2026 with Con Edison’s filed CBC rate effective March 1, 2026, New York’s Phase One net-metering rules, and the VDER Value Stack framework.

If you are going solar in Con Edison territory, two things confuse almost everyone, and New York’s big solar guides tend to skim both. The first is that your Con Edison bill does not drop to zero, because a charge called the Customer Benefit Contribution, or CBC, is added to every net-metered solar account. The second is that New York quietly runs two ways to credit your exported power, net metering and the VDER Value Stack, and it matters which one you are on. This page gives you the exact 2026 Con Edison CBC charge from the utility’s own filed tariff, shows what it costs at real system sizes, and explains in plain terms which crediting track a New York City or Westchester home actually lands on.

Key numbers for a Con Edison solar home in 2026

• Con Edison residential CBC on net metering: $1.41 per kW of installed solar, per month, effective March 1, 2026 (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026).
• New York residential electricity rate: 28.55 cents per kWh, as of March 2026 (EIA).
• Estimated production for a 6 kW system in New York City: about 8,026 kWh a year, or roughly 7,853 kWh in White Plains, as of 2026 (NREL PVWatts).
• Con Edison residential CBC on the VDER Value Stack: $0.71 per kW per month, effective March 1, 2026, about half the net-metering rate (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026).

What is the Con Edison CBC charge, and what does it cost in 2026?

The Customer Benefit Contribution is a mandatory monthly charge on net-metered solar, sized to how big your system is, and for a Con Edison residential customer it is $1.41 per kW of installed solar per month as of 2026. That figure comes straight from Con Edison’s CBC Rate Design tariff filed with the New York Public Service Commission, Statement No. 8, which lists the Service Class 1 residential rate and states an initial effective date of March 1, 2026 (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026). Watch the date closely, because Con Edison already changed this rate once in 2026: it was $1.29 per kW in January and rose to $1.41 effective March 1, 2026, and NYSERDA’s published 2026 CBC table still prints the earlier January figure, one reason to trust the utility’s own current tariff over a summary (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of 2026). The charge is non-bypassable, which means your solar credits cannot cancel it, it shows up as its own line on your bill, and it funds statewide public-benefit programs such as low-income assistance and energy efficiency.

The reason it exists is worth knowing: the CBC keeps your contribution to those public programs the same whether or not you add solar, and it applies to systems interconnected on or after January 1, 2022 under the Public Service Commission’s framework in Case 15-E-0751 (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of 2026). Systems that connected before 2022 do not pay it. The table below is our own worked calculation of what the 2026 Con Edison CBC costs at common system sizes, on both crediting tracks, so you can see the real dollars instead of the vague ranges that float around installer blogs.

System size	CBC per month on net metering ($1.41/kW)	CBC per year on net metering	CBC per year on the VDER Value Stack ($0.71/kW)
6 kW	about $8.46	about $102	about $51
7 kW	about $9.87	about $118	about $60
8 kW	about $11.28	about $135	about $68
10 kW	about $14.10	about $169	about $85

This is our own estimate: we multiply the 2026 Con Edison rate of $1.41 per kW on net metering, and $0.71 per kW on the Value Stack, by each system size and by 12 months (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026). To put it in perspective, MySolarFY’s analysis finds the net-metering CBC runs a little over four percent of what a Con Edison system saves you in a year, so it trims your solar payback slightly rather than breaking it.

Does the CBC charge stay the same, or is it locked in?

Here is the part almost every guide gets wrong: your net-metering arrangement runs for a long fixed term, but the CBC rate itself is not locked, because Con Edison recalculates it. New York’s rules set the Phase One net-metering arrangement for a residential system to run a long, multi-year term, commonly described as 20 years from when your system connects (DSIRE New York, as of 2026). That term is what protects your right to full retail credit. The CBC is separate, and it moves. Con Edison’s residential net-metering CBC was $1.29 per kW in January 2026 and rose to $1.41 per kW effective March 1, 2026, a real mid-year change on its own filed tariff, so the amount on your bill is not a number you can pin for the life of the system (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026).

That is exactly why the ranges you see online are unreliable. Google’s AI summary and several installer pages still quote a CBC of anywhere from about $1.09 to $1.84 per kW, or a flat 20-year lock, and neither matches Con Edison’s current filed number. The dependable move is to date the figure: as of 2026 it is $1.41 per kW per month on net metering for a Con Edison home, and you should confirm the current-year rate on the utility’s own tariff before you sign, because it is a moving target by design.

Are you on net metering or the VDER Value Stack with Con Edison?

For a normal New York City or Westchester rooftop home, the answer is net metering, and that is the better deal. A new Con Edison residential system defaults to Phase One net metering, where every kilowatt-hour you export earns a credit at the full retail rate and rolls forward to offset later bills (Con Edison distributed generation tariffs, as of 2026). The VDER Value Stack is New York’s other track. It pays a market-based value built from the wholesale energy price plus capacity, environmental, and locational components, and it is aimed at larger and community solar projects, though a homeowner can choose to opt in. For a typical home the Value Stack usually totals less than full retail, which is why net metering stays the residential default. For the statewide mechanics of both, see our explainer on New York net metering and the VDER Value Stack.

What to compare	Phase One net metering (the default)	VDER Value Stack (opt-in)
Who it fits	A standard Con Edison rooftop home in NYC or Westchester	Larger systems and community solar; a home can opt in
How exports are credited	1-for-1 at the full retail rate, about 28.55 cents per kWh	A market-based value that shifts by time and location, usually below retail for a home
2026 Con Edison CBC	$1.41 per kW per month	$0.71 per kW per month (lower)
Switching	The default you are enrolled in	An opt-in; switching tracks may be restricted, so confirm the terms with Con Edison before you elect it

Sources: Con Edison distributed generation tariffs and the Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective March 1, 2026. The lower Value Stack CBC does not make it the better home deal, because the retail-rate credit you give up is usually worth far more than the CBC you save. Ask any installer which track their quote assumes, and why.

Why is my Con Edison bill not zero after going solar?

Because net metering only offsets the energy you use, while the CBC and the basic service charges stay on the bill. Even in a month when your panels fully cover your usage, Con Edison still bills the fixed monthly service charge and the Customer Benefit Contribution, so the total is a small figure rather than nothing (NYSERDA 2026 CBC rates, as of 2026). The second reason is sizing: a system smaller than your annual use leaves part of your power bought at Con Edison’s high retail rate. The table below is our own estimate of what a year of net metering is actually worth in Con Edison territory, after the CBC comes out, at three common sizes.

System size	Estimated annual production (NYC)	Bill offset at 28.55 cents per kWh	Less the 2026 CBC	Estimated net annual value
6 kW	about 8,026 kWh	about $2,291	about -$102	about $2,189
7 kW	about 9,364 kWh	about $2,673	about -$118	about $2,555
8 kW	about 10,701 kWh	about $3,055	about -$135	about $2,920

Note: these are illustrations, not a quote. The production estimate is scaled from NREL’s PVWatts model for a New York City rooftop, about 1,338 kWh per kW per year (NREL PVWatts, as of 2026); the offset values that power at New York’s average residential rate (EIA, as of March 2026); and the CBC is the current 2026 Con Edison net-metered figure of $1.41 per kW (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective March 1, 2026). A Westchester roof produces a little less, closer to 7,853 kWh on a 6 kW system. These net-value figures assume your household uses or offsets at least as much power as the system produces, so every kilowatt-hour is credited at the full retail rate; if your usage is below production, the year-end surplus is trued-up under the tariff rather than paid at retail, so the net value would be lower. Your own number depends on your roof’s pitch, shading, and orientation, so estimate yours with the free PVWatts calculator, and remember a good quote shows your bill after solar with the CBC and service charge included, not a promise of zero.

What Con Edison and New York do not give you

The honest negative space matters as much as the benefits, because a few things you may expect are simply not on the table in 2026. Knowing them up front keeps a sales pitch from surprising you later.

• No zero bill. The CBC and the fixed service and delivery charges remain even when your energy nets out, so plan for a small monthly Con Edison bill, not nothing (NYSERDA, as of 2026).
• No federal homeowner tax credit for a 2026 purchase. The 30 percent federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a Con Edison customer buying with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS, as of 2026).
• No standard NY-Sun cash rebate for most Con Edison rooftops. The standard residential Megawatt Block is fully allocated in Con Edison territory; only the income-eligible Affordable Solar incentive remains, so confirm your status on the NYSERDA Con Edison dashboard (NYSERDA NY-Sun, as of 2026).
• No locked CBC rate. Your net-metering term is fixed, but the CBC $/kW figure is not: Con Edison already raised the residential net-metering rate from $1.29 in January to $1.41 effective March 1, 2026, so it is not a number you can pin for 20 years (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026).
• No retail cash payout for chronic overproduction. Net metering banks credits and rolls them forward, but a large year-end surplus is reconciled under the tariff’s true-up rather than bought back at the full retail rate, so oversizing your system well past your usage does not pay.

How your financing choice changes who keeps the value

Net-metering credits land on whoever holds the Con Edison account, but ownership decides who keeps the state tax credit. If you own the system through cash or a solar loan, the net-metering bill credits and New York’s 25 percent state tax credit are yours; the state credit is 25 percent of system cost, capped at $5,000, and covered in our guide to New York solar tax credits in 2026. A lease or a power purchase agreement can mean no up-front cost for eligible homeowners, but it is a long-term agreement with monthly payments, not free solar, and the company that owns the panels keeps the tax value while your net-metering credit still lowers your electric bill.

Path	Up-front cost	Who owns the system and its tax benefits	Best when
Cash purchase	Full system cost	You, the owner	You want the fastest payback and the most lifetime value
Solar loan	Little to none, financed	You, the owner	You want ownership without paying cash up front
Lease or PPA	$0-up-front where eligible	The third-party owner	You prefer no up-front cost and a simple fixed monthly bill

For the full Con Edison picture, including interconnection and Permission to Operate, see our Con Edison solar guide, and for the statewide incentive stack see the New York solar hub. City views are in our guides to solar in Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, White Plains, and Yonkers.

How to choose an installer who sets your CBC and net metering up right

New York City and Westchester have a deep, competitive installer market, and the interconnection paperwork and the net-metering-versus-Value-Stack decision are where a good installer earns their keep. Rather than chasing a “best installer” list, screen any company against objective criteria:

• A valid New York home improvement contractor license, which in New York City is issued by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
• NABCEP certification, the industry’s professional standard for PV installers.
• A clear workmanship and equipment warranty in writing.
• Real experience with Con Edison interconnection and Permission to Operate, and a willingness to model both net metering and the Value Stack on your real usage.
• A written quote that shows your bill after solar with the CBC and the service charge included, and that does not count the federal homeowner credit that ended after December 31, 2025. For how we research and match, see how MySolarFY works and how we source our data.

MySolarFY matches you with licensed installers that serve your area so you can compare real local quotes side by side, with no obligation.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Con Edison CBC charge in 2026? The Customer Benefit Contribution is a mandatory monthly charge New York adds to net-metered solar, sized to your system in kilowatts. For a Con Edison residential customer it is $1.41 per kW of installed solar per month, effective March 1, 2026 under the utility’s filed tariff (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026). On a 7 kW system that is about $10 a month, or roughly $118 a year. It is non-bypassable, so your solar credits cannot offset it, and it funds statewide public-benefit programs. A system on the VDER Value Stack pays a lower CBC of $0.71 per kW instead.

Does the CBC charge go away, or is it locked in? It does not go away, and the rate is not locked. Your Phase One net-metering arrangement runs a long fixed term, commonly described as 20 years from interconnection (DSIRE New York, as of 2026), but the CBC’s $/kW figure is recalculated and can change even mid-year: Con Edison raised its residential net-metering rate from $1.29 in January to $1.41 effective March 1, 2026 (Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026). That is why quoting a single locked CBC for 20 years is misleading. Date the figure instead: as of 2026 it is $1.41 per kW per month for a Con Edison home, and you should confirm the current rate before you sign.

Am I on net metering or the VDER Value Stack with Con Edison? A new residential rooftop system in Con Edison territory defaults to Phase One net metering, which credits your exports 1-for-1 at the full retail rate (Con Edison distributed generation tariffs, as of 2026). The VDER Value Stack is an opt-in alternative aimed mainly at larger and community solar, and for a typical home it usually totals less than full retail. So unless you deliberately choose the Value Stack, you are on net metering, which is the stronger deal for most NYC and Westchester homes. Ask your installer to confirm which track your quote assumes.

Why is my Con Edison bill not zero after going solar? Two reasons. First, net metering offsets only the energy you use, while the CBC and the basic monthly service charge still apply even when your energy charge nets out (NYSERDA, as of 2026). Second, sizing: a system smaller than your yearly use leaves part of your power bought at Con Edison’s high retail rate. A good quote shows your expected bill after solar with the service charge and the CBC included, not a promise that the bill disappears. Plan for a small monthly Con Edison bill rather than none.

Is there still a NY-Sun rebate for Con Edison customers? For most Con Edison rooftops, no. The standard residential NY-Sun Megawatt Block is fully allocated in Con Edison territory, so the upfront per-watt rebate that generic guides promise generally no longer applies there (NYSERDA NY-Sun, as of 2026). The one exception is the income-eligible Affordable Solar incentive, which remains for qualifying households. What still carries the payback in Con Edison territory is full retail net metering against New York’s high 28.55 cents per kWh rate, plus New York’s 25 percent state tax credit. Confirm the current block status on the NYSERDA Con Edison dashboard before you decide.

What happened to the federal solar tax credit for Con Edison customers in 2026? The 30 percent federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a Con Edison homeowner buying with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS, as of 2026). A separate commercial credit, Section 48E, can apply to leased and PPA systems, but the business that owns the system claims it, not the homeowner. New York’s net metering, its 25 percent state credit, and the property and sales tax exemptions were not affected, and against Con Edison’s high rates they still carry a strong payback. See what the end of the federal solar tax credit means in 2026.

Does the CBC make solar not worth it in New York City? No. The CBC trims the return a little, but it is small next to the value of full retail net metering at New York’s high rate. According to MySolarFY’s analysis (as of July 2026), a 7 kW Con Edison system nets about $2,555 a year after the CBC, because the roughly $118 annual charge is a little over four percent of the bill offset that net metering delivers at 28.55 cents per kWh (EIA, as of March 2026; Con Edison CBC Rate Design tariff, Statement No. 8, effective 2026). Your own result depends on your usage, roof, and system size, so run your address for a real estimate.

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Reviewed by the SolarFY Editor (reviewed July 2026). Figures were verified against the linked Con Edison filed CBC tariff, NYSERDA, DSIRE, EIA, NREL PVWatts, IRS, and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance sources as of July 2026; the Customer Benefit Contribution rate, net-metering terms, and electricity rates are set by the Public Service Commission and the utilities and are reviewed regularly, so confirm the current figures with Con Edison and NYSERDA before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about how MySolarFY works.

MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, tax advisor, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation. Lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase; on a lease or PPA the tax benefits and incentives generally go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit (Section 25D) that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Net-metering credits, the CBC, savings, and electricity rates vary by utility and year and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.