Compare Texas solar buyback plans

A solar buyback plan credits you for excess solar energy your panels send to the grid, offsetting your electricity costs when you draw power at night or on cloudy days. Texas has no statewide net metering law, but the deregulated electricity market allows electricity providers to offer buyback plans that function similarly. Plans vary by how they calculate your export credit — from fixed export rates to real-time wholesale pricing.

Any homeowner with grid-connected solar panels in a deregulated Texas area can enroll in a solar buyback plan. You must be in a TDU service territory like Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, or TNMP. Your utility must install a bi-directional (net) meter that tracks both electricity you import and export. Most plans accept systems up to 25-50 kW. Homes in regulated co-op areas are not eligible. Check our service areas page to verify eligibility.

No — Texas has no statewide net metering law that guarantees full retail credit for exported solar energy. Instead, Texas's deregulated electricity market allows electricity providers to offer solar buyback plans with varying credit structures. This gives homeowners more plan choices than states with fixed net metering, but it also means rates differ significantly between providers and plan types.

Legacy and limited 1:1 plans exist, but they do not guarantee a true zero bill because solar credits usually offset energy charges only. You still pay TDU delivery charges and base fees on top, which solar credits cannot cover. Meter retired its 1:1 Match plan in April 2026. New Meter customers choose Saver, Earner, Standard, or +Battery variants; eligible battery VPP credits can offset base fees and delivery charges.

RTW plans credit your solar exports at the real-time ERCOT wholesale electricity price, which changes every 15 minutes based on grid supply and demand. Export credits can spike above 15-50¢/kWh during Texas summer peaks but drop to 1-3¢/kWh in winter and spring. Providers like Octopus Energy and Champion Energy use this model. RTW plans work well for homeowners comfortable with variable income who export heavily during summer afternoons.

The best plan depends on your export-to-import ratio — how much solar you send to the grid versus how much grid power you use. Homes that export a lot of solar often benefit from higher locked export credits. Homes that consume most of their own solar often save more with lower import rates and no base fee. Battery owners should explore VPP programs for additional credits on top of their solar buyback rate. Use the comparison tool above to see estimated costs based on your usage. Read our guide to choosing the best plan for a detailed breakdown.

Solar alone generally cannot produce a true $0 Texas electricity bill because solar credits offset energy charges only, not base fees, delivery charges, taxes, or regulatory fees. Eligible battery VPP credits are different: they can offset the full bill, including base and delivery charges, which makes a $0 bill much more realistic.

No — as of 2026, no Texas electricity provider offers a plan that combines free nighttime electricity with solar export credits. Just Energy previously offered this combination but has since discontinued it. Solar homeowners must choose between a free nights plan (free power at night, no export credits) or a solar buyback plan (export credits, but you pay for all grid power). For most solar homes, a buyback plan saves more overall.