As of August 2026, Florida still credits rooftop solar exports at the full retail electricity rate, about 15 cents per kWh. For customers of the state’s big utilities, FPL, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric, extra kWh roll over from month to month, and once a year any leftover credit is paid out at the lower wholesale rate.
If you are weighing rooftop solar in Florida, net metering is the rule that decides what your panels are worth. It is the credit your utility gives you for the power you send back to the grid. Florida keeps one of the more homeowner friendly versions of it, and this page explains the rule, the monthly rollover, the once a year true up, how the big utilities handle it, and one change that already happened federally. Every figure here is checked against the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida statute, the EIA, and the IRS, with the sources linked.
How net metering works in Florida
Net metering nets your solar production against the power you pull from the grid. When your panels make more than the home uses, the extra flows back to the utility and you earn a credit. When the home uses more than the panels make, at night or on a cloudy day, you draw from the grid and spend those credits. A bidirectional meter tracks both directions.
The value of that credit is the whole game. In Florida, an exported kWh is credited at the same retail rate you would have paid for it, so a kWh out is worth a kWh in. For the general mechanics of how export credits work, see how net metering credits your solar exports. This page covers what is specific to Florida.
Florida’s 1:1 retail net metering rule, and the 2022 veto that kept it
Florida’s investor-owned utilities credit solar exports at the full retail rate, 1 for 1. The rule lives in Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 and Florida Statute 366.91, which require investor-owned utilities to offer net metering for residential systems and to credit exported energy at the retail rate (Florida Public Service Commission; Fla. Stat. 366.91). Residential systems up to a set capacity qualify, and your utility runs the interconnection and metering.
This almost changed. In 2022 the Legislature passed HB 741, which would have stepped Florida’s export credit down from the retail rate toward a lower avoided-cost rate starting in 2023. Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed it in April 2022, so the retail-rate rule stayed in place (Florida Senate, HB 741 (2022)). That veto is the reason a Florida homeowner in 2026 still gets full retail credit, while several other states have already cut theirs.
| Detail | Florida in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Export credit rate | Full retail rate, 1 for 1, for investor-owned utilities |
| Rollover | Unused kWh credits carry to the next month |
| Annual true-up | Leftover credit paid once a year at the lower wholesale (avoided-cost) rate |
| Who sets it | FL PSC Rule 25-6.065 and Fla. Stat. 366.91 |
| Average residential rate | About 15.38 cents per kWh (EIA, April 2026) |
| Applies to | Investor-owned utilities by rule; municipals and co-ops set their own terms |
The monthly rollover and the annual true-up
Credits roll over each month, then reset once a year. During the year, any month your panels send back more than you use, the extra becomes a kWh credit that carries to the next month at the same retail value. That is what smooths out a sunny spring against a heavy-use summer. Once a year the utility trues up your account. If you still have leftover credits at that point, the utility pays them out, but at the lower wholesale rate, not retail (Florida Public Service Commission). Because that annual payout is worth less per kWh than a bill credit, the smart move is to size a system close to your yearly usage rather than oversizing it to chase a big year-end check.
| What happens | How it is valued |
|---|---|
| You export more than you use in a month | kWh credit at the full retail rate, carried to next month |
| You use more than you export in a month | Banked credits offset the draw, then you pay the balance |
| Leftover credit at the yearly true-up | Paid out at the lower wholesale (avoided-cost) rate |
To see how this bill credit turns into monthly savings, read how solar lowers your electricity bill, and to weigh the full cost and payback in Florida, see what solar costs in Florida.
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Net metering at FPL, Duke Energy Florida, and TECO
The three big investor-owned utilities all follow the same state rule, but each runs its own paperwork. Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric (TECO) each credit exports at the full retail rate, roll credits monthly, and true up once a year under FL PSC Rule 25-6.065. Where they differ is the interconnection process, the application forms, and the exact month your true-up lands. Before you sign, confirm the current terms on your own utility’s net-metering page, since the details move.
| Utility | Net-metering credit | What is utility-specific |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light (FPL) | Full retail rate, monthly rollover, annual true-up | Its own interconnection application and true-up month |
| Duke Energy Florida | Full retail rate, monthly rollover, annual true-up | Its own interconnection portal and forms |
| Tampa Electric (TECO) | Full retail rate, monthly rollover, annual true-up | Its own application timeline and metering steps |
For a full breakdown of solar on an FPL account, see our guide to FPL solar and net metering, and for the other two big investor-owned utilities, our guides to Duke Energy Florida solar and net metering and Tampa Electric (TECO) solar and net metering. For the statewide picture and the other Florida incentives, start at the Florida solar hub.
Municipal utilities and co-ops: verify your own program
The 1 for 1 retail rule applies to investor-owned utilities, not every Florida provider. Municipal utilities such as JEA in Jacksonville, OUC in Orlando, and City of Tallahassee Utilities, and rural electric cooperatives, must offer net metering but set their own credit terms, and some pay less than the full retail rate. So if you are outside FPL, Duke, or TECO, check your own provider’s net-metering terms before you size a system, and use the statewide incentive list at DSIRE Florida as a starting point.
What the end of the federal tax credit means for Florida solar in 2026
The federal homeowner credit is gone, but Florida net metering is not. The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit, Section 25D, ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, so a Florida homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS). What did not change is the thing that drives your return here: full retail net metering, plus Florida’s solar sales-tax and property-tax exemptions. For the full timeline, see what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026, and for the state-level perks, see the solar incentives that still apply.
One federal credit does still exist, and it is not yours to claim. Section 48E is a commercial credit taken by the business that owns a leased or PPA system, not by the homeowner. On a Florida lease or PPA, the company that owns the panels files for that credit, and your benefit is a lower or fixed power price with no up-front cost. The 25D homeowner credit, by contrast, ended after December 31, 2025.
How to size a system for Florida net metering
Because the annual true-up pays less than retail, the best Florida system covers your yearly usage without a large surplus. Production is strong here: Florida sun turns a mid-size array into real output.
According to MySolarFY’s analysis (August 2026), a 9 kW rooftop system in the Miami area produces about 13,900 kWh a year (NREL PVWatts v8), and under Florida’s full-retail net metering that output offsets roughly $2,150 of grid power a year at the state’s average residential rate of 15.38 cents per kWh. Your own number depends on your roof, shading, and usage, so treat that as a starting estimate and get a site-specific quote.
Frequently asked questions
Does Florida have net metering in 2026?
Yes. As of August 2026, Florida requires its investor-owned utilities, including FPL, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric, to offer net metering and to credit rooftop solar exports at the full retail rate under FL PSC Rule 25-6.065 and Florida Statute 366.91 (Florida Public Service Commission). Municipal utilities and co-ops must offer net metering too, but they set their own credit terms.
Does Florida use 1:1 retail net metering?
For investor-owned utilities, yes. An exported kWh is credited at the same retail rate you pay to buy power, about 15 cents per kWh on average (EIA, April 2026). A 2022 bill, HB 741, would have cut that toward a lower avoided-cost rate, but Governor DeSantis vetoed it in April 2022, so the full retail rule stayed in place (Florida Senate).
How does the annual true-up work for Florida solar?
During the year your extra kWh roll over month to month at the full retail rate. Once a year the utility trues up your account, and if you still have leftover credits, it pays them out at the lower wholesale, or avoided-cost, rate rather than retail (Florida Public Service Commission). Because the annual payout is worth less, sizing a system close to your yearly usage gives the best result.
Do FPL, Duke, and TECO all offer net metering?
Yes. Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric all credit solar exports at the full retail rate, roll credits monthly, and true up once a year, because they all follow the same state rule. What differs between them is the interconnection paperwork and the month your true-up lands, so confirm the current process on your own utility’s net-metering page before you commit.
What happened to the federal solar tax credit in Florida in 2026?
The 30% federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for expenditures made after December 31, 2025, so a Florida homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS). Florida net metering, the solar sales-tax exemption, and the property-tax exemption were not affected, so the state-level economics still stand.
Updated for 2026. Reviewed by the MySolarFY team. Figures were verified against the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Statute 366.91, the Florida Senate (HB 741), DSIRE, the EIA, and the IRS as of August 2026; net-metering terms, the annual true-up rate, and electricity rates change over time, so confirm current terms with your utility and the Florida PSC before you decide. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about the MySolarFY team and how we work.
MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not an installer, financing company, 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 net-metering bill credits often go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit that ended after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Eligibility, savings, incentives, and rates vary and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.
