Utility credits
Florida net metering, explained.
Net metering is the mechanism that turns midday surplus into a credit on next month's statement. It is also the reason your bill drops sharply but almost never reaches zero. Here is exactly how the credits are calculated, where they show up on the bill, and what interconnection asks of you.
What happens to each kilowatt-hour.
Four stages, in the order they occur across a day and a billing cycle.
Your array produces during the day
Everything the house is using at that moment is served first, straight from the roof. This is the cheapest energy in the system because it never touches the meter in either direction.
Surplus flows back to the grid
When production exceeds what the house is drawing — typically midday, when nobody is home — the excess exports through a bidirectional meter and is recorded as a credit in kilowatt-hours.
Night and evening pull from the grid
After sunset the house draws normally. Your statement nets the imported kilowatt-hours against the exported ones for the billing period, which is where the term net metering comes from.
Credits roll forward, not away
Months where you export more than you import generally carry a credit balance forward against later months. That is what lets a strong spring offset an August air-conditioning bill.
Reading the statement.
These lines are why solar reduces a bill rather than eliminating it.
- A fixed monthly customer charge that stays regardless of production
- Kilowatt-hours delivered from the grid during the billing period
- Kilowatt-hours you exported back, shown separately
- The net figure the energy charge is actually calculated on
- Any accumulated credit balance carried forward from prior months
- Taxes, franchise fees, and gross receipts charges applied to the bill
What interconnection involves.
We handle all of it — but you should know what is happening on your behalf.
- An interconnection application filed with your utility before energizing
- System size and inverter details matched to the utility's tier thresholds
- Proof of liability insurance where the utility requires it
- County permit and final electrical inspection sign-off
- A utility meter exchange for a bidirectional meter
- Written permission to operate before the system is legally switched on
Bill review
Send us a recent bill.
We read your usage and rate structure, then show what net metering would realistically do to the statement.
Step 1 — your details
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Questions we get about credits.
How does net metering work in Florida?
Your array serves the house first, exports the surplus to the grid, and the utility nets your imports against your exports over the billing period. Surplus credits generally roll forward to later months rather than expiring each cycle, which is how a high-production spring offsets a high-consumption summer.
Why is my bill not zero if I have solar?
Because part of a Florida utility bill is not energy. Fixed customer charges, taxes, franchise fees, and gross receipts charges are billed regardless of how much you produced. A well-designed system reduces the energy portion — it does not delete the statement.
Do I get a check for the power I export?
Not in the ordinary case. Exports become kilowatt-hour credits applied against future usage rather than cash. Utilities handle long-term surplus balances differently, so the specifics belong in a conversation about your utility, not a blanket promise.
Which utilities does this apply to?
Investor-owned utilities across our service area including TECO and Duke Energy operate net metering programs, and municipal utilities and rural co-ops run their own versions with their own paperwork. We file to whichever one serves your address and handle the application either way.
How long does interconnection take?
Interconnection and permission to operate are usually the longest part of the calendar, well beyond the install itself. Permitting, inspection scheduling, and the utility's own review each add time. We give you a realistic timeline instead of the best case.
Can I use my solar during a power outage?
Not with a grid-tied array alone. For safety, inverters shut down when the grid goes down so power cannot backfeed onto lines crews are working on. Running through an outage requires a battery and the right inverter architecture, which is a separate design decision.
Does an oversized system make me more money?
Not usually, and it is a common way to overpay. Systems are generally sized against your historical usage rather than against maximum roof area, and a large chronic surplus is worth less than the panels cost. We size to your bills.
What happens to net metering if I sell the house?
The interconnection agreement is tied to the service account, so the buyer typically establishes their own with the utility. How the array itself transfers depends on whether it is owned, leased, or on a prepaid lease — worth sorting out well before closing.
Do I still get a bill with net metering?
Yes. Florida utilities charge a fixed monthly customer charge and applicable fees regardless of how much you produce, so a well-sized array shrinks the bill without erasing it. Any company promising a zero bill is not describing how the tariff works.
What happens to credits I do not use?
Surplus kWh roll forward as credits on the account and offset later months, which is what carries a Florida home through low-production stretches and high-AC summers. Utilities true up the accumulated balance on their own schedule, so ask how yours handles the annual reconciliation.
How long does interconnection take?
It runs on the utility's queue after your local inspection passes, and the timeline varies by utility and season. We file the application, respond to utility conditions, and follow the approval through permission to operate so nothing sits waiting on a missing form.
Can I turn the system on before approval?
No. The array stays off until the utility grants permission to operate, and energizing early can create safety and tariff problems. We schedule the walkthrough for after PTO so you see real production on day one.
Does net metering differ between Duke, TECO, and Florida Power & Light?
The mechanics are similar but the tariff details, fixed charges, and true-up handling are not identical. We build your estimate on the schedule your specific utility bills you under rather than a statewide assumption.
Do I need a new meter?
Usually the utility swaps or reprograms the meter so it can measure flow in both directions. That step is part of interconnection and is scheduled by the utility, not something you arrange separately.
Does adding a battery change net metering?
Storage changes how much surplus you export, since some production charges the battery instead of flowing to the grid. It does not remove you from the tariff. If backup is a goal, the design should balance what you bank against what you export.
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