Xcel Energy
Western and northern Wisconsin, including Eau Claire, La Crosse and Superior. The strongest arrangement of the three large Wisconsin utilities, by a wide margin.
- Type
- Investor owned
- Accounts
- 270K
What they credit you
Retail rate monthly, cheque in January
Published termsMonthly excess generation is credited at the retail rate and rolls over, with any remaining balance paid by cheque on 1 January. Systems up to 100 kW are eligible.
- Month to month
- Month to month at the retail rate.
- Once a year
- Paid out by cheque on 1 January.
Published terms · checked 2026-09-05 · source
What your installer should be telling you
Confirm the current terms with Xcel directly; Wisconsin arrangements are set per utility and can be refiled.
Applying to Xcel
What Xcel itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.
- Monthly excess is credited at the retail rate
- If your system exports more than it imports within a month, the excess is credited at the same rate you pay, and rolls over to the next month. That is genuine one for one crediting and it is unusual in this state.
- And you get a cheque in January
- Any credit remaining at the end of the calendar year is paid out by cheque on 1 January. Not a bill credit that expires, an actual payment.
- Eligible up to 100 kW
- Well beyond anything a house needs, so size here is decided by your roof and your usage rather than by the tariff.
- Do not carry this across a territory line
- We Energies and Alliant credit excess at avoided cost, roughly a third of what Xcel pays. Wisconsin has no statewide rate, and a figure from a neighbour on a different utility is not your figure.
From Xcel’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-05 · source
Xcel net metering questions
- Does Xcel offer one for one net metering?
- Yes. Monthly excess generation is credited at the retail rate and rolls over, with any remaining balance paid by cheque on 1 January. Systems up to 100 kW are eligible. Month to month at the retail rate.
- What does Xcel pay for power sent back to the grid?
- Retail rate monthly, cheque in January. Paid out by cheque on 1 January.
- Do I need a battery with Xcel?
- Not for the economics. Xcel 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 Xcel bill?
- Sign in at xcelenergy.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 Xcel?
- Confirm the current terms with Xcel directly; Wisconsin arrangements are set per utility and can be refiled.
Installers serving Xcel customers
Pick one. Only the company you choose receives your details, and only that company calls you.
No installers listed for Xcel yet
Email us and we will find someone covering your area by hand.
Email us