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 retail providers to offer buyback plans that function similarly. Plans vary by how they calculate your export credit — from 1:1 match 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 retail 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.

Not really — 1:1 plans match your export credit to your import rate per kWh, but on these plans solar credits only offset energy charges. You still pay TDU delivery charges and base fees on top, which 1:1 credits cannot cover. So even on a 1:1 plan, you will always have some bill. By contrast, RTW and low export rate plans structure credits differently and can offset your full bill including delivery and base fees. Only a few providers like Meter Energy even offer 1:1 energy rate matching — most plans have a lower export rate than import rate.

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 benefit from 1:1 match or RTW plans with high export credits. Homes that consume most of their own solar save more with low export rate plans that minimize what you pay for grid electricity. 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.

It depends on the plan type. On 1:1 plans, solar credits only offset energy charges — you still owe TDU delivery and base fees, so $0 is not possible. But on RTW and low export rate plans, credits can offset your entire bill including delivery and fees, making $0 achievable for high exporters during sunny months. That said, consistently hitting $0 year-round with solar alone is difficult. A home battery system makes it much more reliable — VPP credits apply to your full bill regardless of plan type.

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.