About this tool
Net Metering Savings Calculator is a free, in-browser tool that estimates how much a solar system trims your yearly electricity bill under net metering or net billing. Enter your annual production and consumption plus the retail and export rates, and it splits the energy and prices the result locally.
Of your solar output, the part you use as it is generated is self-consumption = min(production, consumption); the surplus is exported = max(production − consumption, 0); and any shortfall you still buy is imported = max(consumption − production, 0). Your solar bill is imported × retail rate − exported × buyback rate, plus any fixed monthly charge over the year, and your saving is that compared with the no-solar bill of consumption × retail rate.
Because many utilities now credit exports below the retail price (net billing rather than one-to-one net metering), set a separate buyback rate to see how much that policy affects the payoff. Use it to gauge annual true-up savings and how well your array is sized to your usage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between net metering and net billing?
Under classic (one-to-one) net metering, every exported kWh offsets an imported kWh at the full retail rate — set the buyback rate equal to the retail rate. Under net billing, exports are credited at a lower avoided-cost or feed-in rate, so enter that lower buyback rate to model the newer policies most utilities are moving to.
What does the annual true-up mean?
Many net-metering plans reconcile credits and charges once a year: months where you export build credits that offset months where you import. This tool works on annual totals, which approximates that yearly true-up. It does not model month-by-month carryover or credit expiry, which some utilities apply.
Why is self-consumption important?
Every kWh you use the moment it is produced avoids buying it at the full retail rate, which is usually worth more than exporting it for a lower buyback credit. Higher self-consumption — from shifting loads to daytime or adding a battery — improves savings whenever the buyback rate is below retail.
Does the result include fixed charges?
Yes, if you enter a fixed monthly charge it is added (×12) to both the solar and no-solar bills. Fixed connection or minimum-bill charges usually remain after going solar, so they do not change the savings figure but they do set a floor on your bill.
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