Sunprint
The short answer
Florida's biggest utilities have to offer net metering under a state rule. Smaller ones, the city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives, write their own programs, and the terms vary a lot. Across the guides we have written, what a utility credits for the power your system sends to the grid ranges from about 4 cents per kWh to the full retail rate.
That means the same solar system can be worth very different amounts depending on which utility is on your bill. Below is how fifteen of them handle it, six questions to ask yours, and a searchable list of the smaller utilities that do not have their own guide yet.
How fifteen smaller utilities pay for solar exports
| Utility | Type | What it credits for power you send to the grid | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPL, Duke, TECO | Investor-owned | Retail-rate credits under the state net metering rule | At FPL and Duke, leftover credits at year end are paid at a low avoided-cost rate |
| JEA | City-owned | Its fuel rate, about 3.6 to 6.0 cents per kWh over the past year | The credit is far below the retail rate |
| OUC | City-owned | Full retail for newer systems through October 31, 2026, then about 4.6 cents | Older systems connected by June 30, 2025 keep retail through 2045 |
| Lakeland Electric | City-owned | A solar price plan: $0.02674 per kWh plus a $5.77 per kW peak demand charge | Net metering is limited to 10 kW for residential systems |
| Tallahassee | City-owned | Full retail value in kWh credits | Credits expire at your anniversary and are never paid out |
| Gainesville Regional Utilities | City-owned | GRU's fuel adjustment rate for new systems since April 2024 | A capacity check comes before you build |
| Kissimmee Utility Authority | City-owned | A bill credit under an agreement with FMPA, rate not posted | Credits accumulate and are paid if you close your account |
| Ocala Electric Utility | City-owned | A wholesale rate | Only the property owner can submit the agreements |
| Talquin Electric Cooperative | Co-op | Monthly credits for up to 12 months, then leftovers at Seminole's wholesale rate | A $45 monthly access charge stays even with solar |
| CHELCO | Co-op | A time-of-use credit tied to its wholesale supplier's costs | Unused credit reverts to the co-op if you leave net metering |
| Keys Energy Services | City-owned | Avoided cost for nearly everyone, and leftovers paid at year end | Only the first 75 customers got full retail |
| Beaches Energy | City-owned | Retail credit monthly, true-up at avoided cost yearly | Fees for applying are not posted |
| LCEC | Co-op | A flat 8.21 cents per kWh rate for the kWh you buy | Leftovers at year end are paid at avoided cost in January |
| Clay Electric | Co-op | Wholesale rates, instantly | Systems connected before May 1, 2022 keep an older banked program until 2037 |
| Withlacoochee River Electric | Co-op | Netted over a year, with excess at its supplier's avoided cost | You email the application as one PDF |
| SECO Energy | Co-op | 9.5 cents plus a monthly adjustment | A $500 to $1,000 application fee |
Each name links to a full guide with sources. Rules change, so confirm with your utility before you sign.
Six questions to ask your utility
- What do you credit per kWh for power I send to the grid, and does that rate change? JEA and Gainesville tie it to fuel costs, and SECO adjusts it monthly.
- Do credits roll over, expire or get paid out? Tallahassee's expire each year, while Kissimmee's accumulate.
- Will I be moved to a different rate plan? Lakeland puts solar homes on a demand-charge plan.
- What does it cost to apply, and is insurance required? SECO charges $500 to $1,000, Kissimmee charges $320 above 10 kW, and Withlacoochee and Kissimmee want $1,000,000 of coverage above 10 kW.
- Who submits the paperwork, and before or after installation? Ocala only accepts it from the property owner.
- What happens if I sell the house? OUC's older retail credit does not pass to homes sold after June 30, 2025, and SECO can cancel and re-issue the agreement.
Find your smaller utility
These 26 utilities do not have their own guide yet. Type a name, then check your savings with your utility already selected. An asterisk means we estimated the rate from limited data.
No match. Your bill names your utility, or choose Other in the calculator.
Which utility do I have?
Your bill names your utility. To see rates for every utility we cover, including the largest, go to solar by utility. If you are on FPL, read our FPL guide.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and Florida sun.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.
See what solar could save you
It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.
Common questions
Do smaller Florida utilities have to follow the same solar rules as FPL?
No. The state's net metering rule, Florida Administrative Code 25-6.065, applies to investor-owned utilities like FPL, Duke and TECO. City-owned utilities and electric cooperatives write their own programs, and as the guides above show, their terms differ a lot.
Why does my city or co-op utility pay less for solar power?
Because it can set its own terms. Several pay a wholesale price, a fuel rate or a lower rate for exports instead of the retail rate. JEA pays its fuel rate and Gainesville Regional Utilities cut what it pays new systems to its fuel adjustment rate in April 2024, for example.
Is solar worth it with a smaller utility?
It can be, but the answer depends on how your utility credits exports. If it credits only a low rate, the value comes from power you use at home, so a system sized to your daytime use and your yearly total does better than an oversized one. Ask the questions on this page, then compare our estimate, which is a top end at those utilities, with each quote.
What if my utility is not in the list?
Your bill names your utility. If you cannot find it here, choose Other in the calculator and it will use a Florida average, which may not match your utility's rules. Ask your utility the questions on this page.
How accurate is the Sunprint estimate for a smaller utility?
It starts from your utility's average residential rate, and an asterisk in the list marks rates we estimated from limited data. It values all your solar output at that rate, so at utilities that pay less for exports the real savings can be lower.
How do I find my utility's solar rules?
Search for your utility's name with net metering, and look for its rate schedule and interconnection application. Then call or email and ask the six questions above. If the answers are not in writing, ask where they are published.
Related guides
- How much solar do I need for a $300 to $700 electric bill?
- Florida solar incentives: what is still available
- Florida electric rates by utility
- How to check a solar company in Florida
Sources: each utility guide linked above lists its own sources, including the utility's tariffs, filings and program pages
Next guideFlorida net metering explained →