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Net Metering Program
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Virginia electric cooperatives net metering in Virginia

Rural Virginia, through thirteen member-owned distribution cooperatives. Governed by § 56-594.01 rather than § 56-594, with caps set against each co-op’s own system peak. Each co-op files its own net metering rider underneath that.

Type
Cooperative
Accounts
600K

What they credit you

Netted over a 12-month period; surplus paid only under a PPA you request

Set by state rule

Va. Code § 56-594.01 nets what the grid supplies against what the system feeds back over a 12-month net metering period that starts on the date of final interconnection. If the system makes more than the home uses over that period, the surplus is paid for only if you and your co-op enter a power purchase agreement, which the co-op must sign on your written request, at the rate in a Commission-approved net metering standard contract or tariff. Each co-op files its own rider, and those have not been read here.

Month to month
Netted across the 12-month net metering period.
Once a year
At the end of each 12-month period, surplus is bought only under a power purchase agreement you requested in writing, at the Commission-approved rate.

Set by Code of Virginia § 56-594 (and § 56-594.01 for cooperatives) · checked 2026-10-07 · source

Installers serving Virginia co-ops customers

Pick one. Only the company you choose receives your details, and only that company calls you.

Not sure which to choose?

These are real companies operating in Virginia co-ops territory. Bold Energy is listed first because it is the company we introduce first. That order is our choice, not a score. The other companies are 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.

What this looks like on a Virginia co-ops bill

An average Virginia household, against a system sized to cover its year. The energy charge is the part that goes to zero. The fixed monthly charge underneath it is the part that never does, and it is the number that decides whether a system pays for itself.

Meter readingkWh
Energy charge$177.71
$177.71
We have not read this provider’s own tariff yet, so we are not going to put a figure on what it still bills you at zero. The energy line above uses the statewide average. Ask them for their minimum bill in writing.
DirectionReading…

Meter reading falling from 41926 to 41638 kilowatt hours. A 1,032 kilowatt hour month against 1,320 kilowatt hours produced leaves 0 kilowatt hours billed and 288 banked for next month, so the energy charge falls from $177.71 to $0.00 at 17.22 cents per kilowatt hour.

Virginia average household use, 1,032 kWh a month, at the current published residential price of 17.22¢ per kWh. Your utility still bills a fixed monthly customer charge that no system offsets, so this is the energy part of the bill, which is the part that goes away.

What your installer should be telling you

A residential system may be up to 20 kW and no larger than your expected annual consumption, and above 10 kW you pay a monthly standby charge once the Commission approves your co-op’s method. Net metering is first come, first served until the co-op reaches 2% of its system peak for residential customers; each co-op must publish where it stands against that cap on its website. Ask your co-op for its net metering rider by name, and send the written PPA request before your first year starts.

Virginia co-ops is investor owned, so Code of Virginia § 56-594 (and § 56-594.01 for cooperatives) 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.

What Virginia co-ops bills you anyway

We have not read Virginia co-ops’s own tariff for this yet, so we are not going to print a figure. Almost every utility charges a fixed amount every month whatever you use, and it does not go away when your production covers your usage — ask Virginia co-ops for the residential customer charge, or the minimum bill, in writing before you sign anything.

Virginia co-ops net metering questions

Does Virginia co-ops offer one for one net metering?
Yes. Va. Code § 56-594.01 nets what the grid supplies against what the system feeds back over a 12-month net metering period that starts on the date of final interconnection. If the system makes more than the home uses over that period, the surplus is paid for only if you and your co-op enter a power purchase agreement, which the co-op must sign on your written request, at the rate in a Commission-approved net metering standard contract or tariff. Each co-op files its own rider, and those have not been read here. Netted across the 12-month net metering period.
What does Virginia co-ops pay for power sent back to the grid?
Netted over a 12-month period; surplus paid only under a PPA you request. At the end of each 12-month period, surplus is bought only under a power purchase agreement you requested in writing, at the Commission-approved rate.
Do I need a battery with Virginia co-ops?
Not for the economics. Virginia co-ops 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 Virginia co-ops bill?
Sign in to your cooperative’s website. 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 Virginia co-ops?
A residential system may be up to 20 kW and no larger than your expected annual consumption, and above 10 kW you pay a monthly standby charge once the Commission approves your co-op’s method. Net metering is first come, first served until the co-op reaches 2% of its system peak for residential customers; each co-op must publish where it stands against that cap on its website. Ask your co-op for its net metering rider by name, and send the written PPA request before your first year starts.