Eversource
Greater Boston, the South Shore, Cape Cod and much of western Massachusetts. The largest utility in the state. Net metering terms follow the state framework, so the difference against National Grid is the retail rate itself.
- Type
- Investor owned
- Accounts
- 1.5M
What they credit you
100% of retail up to 25 kW
Set by state ruleResidential systems up to 25 kW AC are credited at the full retail rate, a threshold raised from 10 kW in February 2025. Above it, Market Net Metering applies at roughly 60% of retail.
- Month to month
- Credits carry forward on the account.
Set by undefined · checked 2026-09-05 · source
What your installer should be telling you
Confirm the current threshold and the Market Net Metering percentage in writing, and check whether the SMART incentive is still open to new residential systems in your utility’s block.
Eversource is investor owned, so M.G.L. c. 164 § 138-140 and 220 CMR 18.00 applies and these terms are set by the state rather than by a board that can revise them. That is the strongest position a homeowner can be in on net metering.
Applying to Eversource
What Eversource itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.
- The full credit threshold moved to 25 kW in February 2025
- Residential systems up to 25 kW AC are credited at 100% of the retail rate at all three investor owned utilities. The old figure was 10 kW. If a quote treats 10 kW as the ceiling, it is out of date.
- Above the threshold the rate drops sharply
- Larger systems move to Market Net Metering, reported at roughly 60% of the retail rate. The step is not gradual, so a design that crosses the line for a small gain in output can lose on value.
- Under 10 kW you are also outside the aggregate caps
- Private residential systems up to 10 kW AC are exempt from the net metering caps, which is a separate protection from the crediting rate and worth knowing if caps in your territory are tight.
- SMART is a production incentive, not an export rate
- Under SMART 3.0 residential systems are reported to receive $0.03 per kWh generated for ten years. It is paid on what you generate rather than on what you export, so it stacks with self consumption rather than competing with it.
- More than forty municipal light plants are outside all of this
- Massachusetts has an unusually large number of municipal utilities, and they are not bound by the state net metering requirement. If your bill comes from a town light department, none of the above is your rule.
From Eversource’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-05 · source
Eversource net metering questions
- Does Eversource offer one for one net metering?
- Yes. Residential systems up to 25 kW AC are credited at the full retail rate, a threshold raised from 10 kW in February 2025. Above it, Market Net Metering applies at roughly 60% of retail. Credits carry forward on the account.
- What does Eversource pay for power sent back to the grid?
- 100% of retail up to 25 kW.
- Do I need a battery with Eversource?
- Not for the economics. Eversource credits exports at the retail rate, so power you send out during the day comes back at the same value after dark without storage. A battery is still worth considering for outages during hurricane season, but it is an upgrade here rather than a requirement.
- How do I find my Eversource bill?
- Sign in at eversource.com. Open My Account, then Billing. Open the latest bill and save the PDF. Or screenshot the summary page. If you cannot get to it, a rough guess at your average monthly amount is enough to start.
- What is the catch with Eversource?
- Confirm the current threshold and the Market Net Metering percentage in writing, and check whether the SMART incentive is still open to new residential systems in your utility’s block.
Installers serving Eversource customers
Pick one. Only the company you choose receives your details, and only that company calls you.
These are real companies operating in Eversource territory, ordered by reviews, years trading and BBB grade. None of them pays us for placement. Pick the one you want and we will call you to arrange it.
Ordering combines three things we read from primary sources: Google review count and rating, years trading taken from the company’s Better Business Bureau profile rather than its own marketing, and its BBB letter grade. BBB accreditation is shown but never scored, because it is a paid membership rather than a mark of quality.
Check any contractor license yourself at the state register. Do that before you sign anything, with any company, including ours.