NorthWestern Energy
Most of the state, including Billings, Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls and Helena. The dominant utility in Montana, and the one whose attempt to end net metering the Commission rejected.
- Type
- Investor owned
- Accounts
- 400K
What they credit you
One for one, granted away at settle-up
Set by state ruleNet metering credits kilowatt hours one for one up to 50 kW. At the annual settle-up, any unused credit is granted to the utility without compensation.
- Month to month
- Month to month through the chosen annual cycle.
- Once a year
- Granted to the utility, not paid.
Set by undefined · checked 2026-09-05 · source
What your installer should be telling you
Choose your settle-up month deliberately and size to your own annual usage. Anything still banked at settle-up is gone.
NorthWestern is investor owned, so Mont. Code Ann. § 69-8-601 et seq., net metering 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 NorthWestern
What NorthWestern itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.
- The Commission refused to end it
- Montana regulators rejected NorthWestern Energy’s bid to end net metering and put solar customers in a separate rate class. The arrangement described here exists because that was refused.
- 50 kilowatts is the size limit
- It applies to all NorthWestern Energy net metered installations. For a house it is not a constraint.
- You choose the settle-up month, and it matters
- January, April, July and October are available. The month you pick decides which twelve months of production your credit bank is measured across, which in a state with Montana’s seasonal swing is a real decision rather than a formality.
- What is left at settle-up goes to the utility
- Any remaining unused kilowatt hour credit accumulated during the previous twelve months is granted to NorthWestern Energy without compensation to you.
From NorthWestern’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-05 · source
NorthWestern net metering questions
- Does NorthWestern offer one for one net metering?
- Yes. Net metering credits kilowatt hours one for one up to 50 kW. At the annual settle-up, any unused credit is granted to the utility without compensation. Month to month through the chosen annual cycle.
- What does NorthWestern pay for power sent back to the grid?
- One for one, granted away at settle-up. Granted to the utility, not paid.
- Do I need a battery with NorthWestern?
- Not for the economics. NorthWestern 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 NorthWestern bill?
- Sign in at northwesternenergy.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 NorthWestern?
- Choose your settle-up month deliberately and size to your own annual usage. Anything still banked at settle-up is gone.
Installers serving NorthWestern customers
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