Washington
Net metering in Washington, provider by provider.
Every provider in the state, and every figure below read from the published tariff or interconnection document rather than a comparison site. Some credit you the full retail rate for the power you send back. Most do not, and that difference is the whole reason this page exists.
Meter reading falling from 41926 to 41660 kilowatt hours. A 955 kilowatt hour month against 1,221 kilowatt hours produced leaves 0 kilowatt hours billed and 266 banked for next month, so the energy charge falls from $142.39 to $0.00 at 14.91 cents per kilowatt hour.
Washington average household use, 955 kWh a month, at the current published residential price of 14.91¢ 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.
Solar buyback rates in Washington, utility by utility
A billing period’s excess generation is credited in kilowatt hours on the next bill, one for one against what you later use. On 31 March each year any unused kilowatt hour credit is granted to the utility without compensation. The statute requires this only until 30 June 2029, or earlier where a utility reaches its 4% limit.
Credits you at retail, with a condition
- Puget Sound EnergyInvestor owned/1.2M accountsRetail, expires yearlyOne for one in kWh, granted to PSE on 31 March
- Seattle City LightMunicipal/480K accountsRetail, expires yearlyOne for one in kWh, zeroed each April
- AvistaInvestor owned/270K accountsRetail, expires yearlyOne for one in kWh, granted to Avista on 31 March
- Pacific PowerInvestor owned/140K accountsRetail, expires yearlyOne for one in kWh, granted to Pacific Power each March
- Snohomish County PUDMunicipal/380K accountsRetail, expires yearlyOne for one in kWh, zeroed each 31 March
Washington net metering rules
One for one, and the leftover goes to the utility.
- Who it binds
- Electric utilities under Chapter 80.60 RCW, which reaches the investor owned companies, the public utility districts and the municipal systems.
- What happens to a surplus
- Month to month as kilowatt hour credits through the annual cycle.
- How big a system you may build
- 100 kW AC under RCW 80.60.010(13).
RCW 80.60.030 — checked 2026-10-07
What actually happens after you pick
Most sites in this business hand your number to a sales team and disappear. We do the preparation first, so the company that turns up already knows your situation.
You see your real terms
Your provider page shows what that specific utility credits you, when it trues up, and where the catch is. Sourced and dated, not a sales page.
You choose the company
Companies serving your territory in Washington, with the reviews, years trading and BBB grade we found for each. You pick. Not a call center, not an auction.
We set the whole thing up
We call you, go through your bill and your last twelve months of use, work out what your utility owes you, and get the program paperwork in order.
They arrive prepared
The company you chose turns up to a job that is already understood, with your figures in hand. No cold pitch on your doorstep.
Solar installers in Washington
Every company we list for at least one Washington utility. Each profile shows the utilities it covers and what each one pays for the power you export.
Net metering in Washington: the questions people ask
- Does Washington have net metering?
- A billing period’s excess generation is credited in kilowatt hours on the next bill, one for one against what you later use. On 31 March each year any unused kilowatt hour credit is granted to the utility without compensation. The statute requires this only until 30 June 2029, or earlier where a utility reaches its 4% limit.
- What is the solar buyback rate in Washington?
- It is set utility by utility, not by the state. How the 5 providers we list in Washington credit the power you export: 5 at the retail rate, with a condition. Each one’s own page gives its figure and the date we read it.
- Is solar worth it in Washington in 2026?
- It depends mostly on what your utility pays for the power you export, because the 30% federal credit ended for systems completed after 31 December 2025. Washington homes use about 955 kWh a month at an average of 14.91 cents per kWh, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Where exports are credited at the full retail rate, each kilowatt hour your panels send back is worth about that much; where they are credited below retail, size the system to what you use while the sun is up. Check your own utility on this page before you get a quote for solar panels.
- Is there a solar tax credit in Washington in 2026?
- Not a federal one. The 30% federal credit, IRC Section 25D, ended for systems completed after 31 December 2025, and a deposit paid in 2025 does not preserve it. Anyone still quoting it is working from an old script. Any incentive left in Washington comes from the state or your utility, and what your utility pays for exported power is now most of the financial case.
- Which providers does the Washington rule cover?
- Electric utilities under Chapter 80.60 RCW, which reaches the investor owned companies, the public utility districts and the municipal systems.
- What happens to credits you do not use in Washington?
- Month to month as kilowatt hour credits through the annual cycle. On 31 March, any remaining unused credit is granted to the utility "without any compensation to the customer-generator".
- How big a solar system can you install in Washington?
- 100 kW AC under RCW 80.60.010(13).
- Which electricity providers does this cover in Washington?
- We have read the published terms of 5 providers in Washington: Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Avista, Pacific Power, Snohomish County PUD. Each has its own page with the figures taken from its own tariff or from the state’s own order.
Source: RCW 80.60.030, checked 2026-10-07.
Not sure which one you are on?
It is the name at the top of your bill. Find it on the schedule and we will show you what it pays.
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