Net Metering in Utah: How Rocky Mountain Power's Net Billing Really Works in 2026

This guide explains what net metering is, what replaced it in Utah, exactly how you get paid in 2026, and how to design a system that works with the current rules instead of against them.

Short answer: Utah no longer offers traditional 1-to-1 net metering to new solar customers. If you install solar today, Rocky Mountain Power compensates you under a “net billing” program (Schedule 137) that pays 4.855¢ per kWh in summer and 4.033¢ per kWh in winter for the electricity you export to the grid — less than half of what you pay for the power you buy. That gap changes how a smart solar system should be designed, and it’s the single most misunderstood part of going solar in Utah right now.

This guide explains what net metering is, what replaced it in Utah, exactly how you get paid in 2026, and how to design a system that works with the current rules instead of against them.

What Is Net Metering and Does Utah Still Have It?

Net metering is the classic arrangement most people picture when they think about solar: every kilowatt-hour your panels send to the grid earns a credit equal to a kilowatt-hour you take back later. Your meter effectively “runs backward,” and the grid acts like a free battery.

Utah retired that model for new customers years ago. Today, new Rocky Mountain Power solar customers are enrolled in net billing: you still offset your own usage in real time, but exported power is purchased at a set export credit rate that’s lower than the retail rate you pay. The distinction sounds technical. Financially, it’s the whole ballgame.

A Quick History: Three Programs, Three Sets of Rules

Which rules apply to you depends on when your system was interconnected:

Schedule 135: original net metering. Closed to new customers in 2017. Existing participants are grandfathered under the old 1-to-1 style crediting until January 1, 2036.
Schedule 136: the Transition Program. Covered customers who applied between late 2017 and October 30, 2020. Grandfathered until January 1, 2033.
Schedule 137: net billing. Every new residential solar customer since late 2020. This is the program that applies to any system you install in 2026.

If you’re on one of the older programs, that grandfathered status has real value — more on protecting it below.

How Schedule 137 Net Billing Works in 2026

You offset your own usage first – instantly

Under net billing, solar production is netted against your home’s consumption instantaneously. Power your home uses as your panels produce it is worth the full retail rate, because it’s electricity you simply never buy. Only the surplus flowing out to the grid earns the lower export credit rate.

Exports earn the current export credit rate

As of March 1, 2026, Rocky Mountain Power’s residential export credit rates in Utah are 4.855¢ per kWh in summer (June–September) and 4.033¢ per kWh in winter (October–May), per the tariff approved by the Utah Public Service Commission. For comparison, standard residential power costs roughly 10–11¢ per kWh — and under the new time-of-use structure, summer peak power (6–10 p.m.) can run over 32¢ per kWh, as we covered in our breakdown of Rocky Mountain Power’s new rate shifts.

Two things to know about these rates: they’re updated every year on March 1, and they’ve been trending down – the 2026 update cut the summer rate about 15% from the year before. Any savings estimate built on older, higher export rates is already stale.

Unused credits expire every March

Export credits roll forward month to month, but they don’t bank forever: any balance left at your March meter reading each year expires. You can’t stockpile summer credits indefinitely – which is one more reason oversizing a system rarely pays under today’s rules.

What Net Billing Means for Your Solar Design

Here’s the practical takeaway: under net billing, a kilowatt-hour you use yourself is worth two to six times more than a kilowatt-hour you export. Good design in 2026 follows directly from that math:

Right-size the system. The goal is matching your actual usage profile, not covering your roof. Bigger isn’t better when surplus power earns 4–5¢.
Shift usage into solar hours. Running the dishwasher, laundry, EV charging, and pre-cooling the house while the sun is up converts cheap exports into full-retail savings.
Consider a battery seriously. A battery stores midday surplus and discharges it during the 6–10 p.m. peak window, when grid power is most expensive. Rocky Mountain Power’s Wattsmart Battery program also pays enrollment incentives and annual bill credits for qualifying batteries. See our guide to solar with battery storage in Utah.
Get the rate assumptions in writing. Any proposal should state which rate schedule and export credit rates it assumes. If it doesn’t, ask why.

Already Have Solar? Protect Your Grandfathered Status

If your system was interconnected under Schedule 135 or 136, you’re earning meaningfully better credit terms than new customers – until 2036 or 2033 respectively. Before you expand your array, add a battery, or make major changes, confirm how the modification affects your program status. Changes to a grandfathered system can trigger a move to current rules, and that’s not something you want to discover after the fact. A reputable installer will check this before quoting; it’s one of the questions we walk through in how to choose a solar installation company in Utah.

Is Solar Still Worth It in Utah Under Net Billing?

For many homes, yes – but the winning strategy changed. A decade ago, you sized a system big, banked 1-to-1 credits, and let the grid do the work. In 2026, the value comes from self-consumption: producing power and using it yourself, with a battery bridging the evening peak. Between rising utility rates, the new time-of-use pricing, and battery incentives, a well-designed system still delivers solid lifetime returns, especially now that the federal tax credit landscape has changed and honest, current-rules math matters more than ever. For the bigger picture, see solar power benefits in Utah in 2026.

5 Questions to Ask About Net Billing Before You Sign

Which rate schedule does this quote assume? It should say Schedule 137 with the current export credit rates – not last year’s numbers, and never 1-to-1 net metering.
What share of production does the design assume I’ll self-consume? A good proposal models your actual usage pattern, not a generic curve.
How does the payback change if export rates keep declining? Ask to see the sensitivity, since rates reset every March 1.
Would a battery change the math for my home? With 32¢ peak pricing and Wattsmart incentives, the answer is worth an honest look – not an automatic yes or no.
What happens to my March credit balance? If the salesperson doesn’t know credits expire at the March true-up, keep shopping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Utah have net metering in 2026?

Not for new customers. Traditional 1-to-1 net metering closed to new Rocky Mountain Power customers in 2017. New solar customers are compensated under Schedule 137 net billing, which pays a set export credit rate for surplus power sent to the grid.

How much does Rocky Mountain Power pay for solar power?

As of March 1, 2026: 4.855¢ per kWh for exports in summer (June–September) and 4.033¢ per kWh in winter (October–May) for residential customers. Rates are recalculated annually and take effect each March 1.

Do my solar credits expire?

Yes. Export credits offset your bills month to month, but any unused balance expires at your regularly scheduled March meter reading each year.

I have net metering from before 2020 – will I lose it?

Not automatically. Schedule 135 customers are grandfathered until January 1, 2036, and Schedule 136 (Transition Program) customers until January 1, 2033. But modifying or expanding your system can affect that status, so check with your installer and the utility before making changes.

Is it better to get a battery because of net billing?

Often, yes. Because exported power earns 4–5¢ while evening peak power can cost over 32¢, storing your surplus and using it at night captures far more value than exporting it. Add the Wattsmart Battery incentives and backup-power benefits, and batteries have become the centerpiece of well-designed Utah systems – though the right answer still depends on your usage and budget.

Design for the Rules That Exist, Not the Ones That Used To

Gardner Energy has installed solar in Utah since 2004 – through net metering, the Transition Program, and net billing. We design systems around your actual usage data and the current tariff, so the savings you’re shown are the savings you get.

Call us at 801-689-2618, email estimating@gardner-energy.com, or get started here for a no-pressure assessment built on 2026 rules.