The full explainer
How net metering actually works in New Brunswick
Your panels, your meter, and NB Power — explained the way I'd explain it at your kitchen table.
The 60-second version
Panels produce, your home uses first
When the sun is up, your panels power your house directly. Nothing leaves the property until your own demand is met.
Excess goes to the grid as credit
Anything extra flows out to NB Power, and your meter banks it as a credit — kilowatt-hour for kilowatt-hour.
At night and in winter, you draw it back
When your panels aren't producing, you pull those banked credits back down at the same rate you earned them.
NB Power, specifically
Under NB Power's net metering program you get a 1:1 credit at the retail rate — 15.39¢/kWh as of April 14, 2026. Every kilowatt-hour you send to the grid offsets a kilowatt-hour you pull back later, at full value. Systems up to 100 kW are eligible, which covers every home and most small businesses.
There's one catch worth understanding: accounts reconcile once a year, on March 31. Any credit left in your account at that point is cleared — you don't get paid out for it. That's exactly why I size a system to match your annual usage rather than build the biggest array your roof can hold. Overproducing just donates power to NB Power.
Saint John Energy is different
If you're served by Saint John Energy rather than NB Power, the rules change. Exported power is credited at roughly 8.15¢/kWh — about 90% of avoided cost, and well below the retail rate you pay. That means a system designed to bank a big surplus doesn't pay the way it would on NB Power; it usually makes more sense to size closer to what you use during daylight hours.
If you're in Saint John Energy territory, talk to me before finalizing a design — the sizing math is genuinely different.
Heads up — proposed change
The pending 2027 net metering change
NB Power has filed a proposal that would change how solar is credited starting April 1, 2027. Under the proposal, the 1:1 credit goes away and is replaced by a buy rate around 6.77¢/kWh, a sell rate around 9.22¢/kWh, and a demand charge of about $13/kW.
There's a grandfathering window: systems connected to the grid by October 31, 2026 may keep today's terms.
Status: Proposed — pending EUB approval. This is proposed, not approved. Verify the current status with the NB Energy and Utilities Board. For a longer discussion, watch Rudi's conversation with NB Power leadership.
What this means for your decision
Here's a worked example for a typical 8 kW south-facing Fredericton system producing about 9,176 kWh a year. These are energy-value estimates for comparison — a real design would refine them.
Connect before October 31, 2026
Current 1:1 net metering
$1,412/yr
Production credited at the full retail rate of 15.39¢/kWh.
Connect after the 2027 change
If approved as proposed
≈ $756/yr
Energy value only, blending the 6.77¢ buy and 9.22¢ sell rates. A $13/kW demand charge would reduce this further.
I'm not showing you this to create urgency — it's genuinely proposed and may change. But if you were already leaning toward solar, the grandfathering window is worth understanding. Send me your bill and I'll model your specific case.
Net metering questions
What is net metering, and how does it work with NB Power?
Net metering is the arrangement that lets your solar panels spin your meter backwards. When your panels make more power than your house is using, the extra flows to the grid and NB Power banks it as a credit. At night or in winter, you draw that credit back down at the same rate you earned it — a one-to-one credit against the retail rate. Systems up to 100 kW are eligible. Credits reconcile once a year, so I size systems to match your annual usage rather than overbuild.
What happens to extra credits I don't use?
NB Power reconciles net metering accounts once a year, on March 31. Any credits left over at that point are cleared — you don’t get paid out for them. That’s the main reason I don’t oversize a system: banking power you’ll never draw back down is money spent for no return. The goal is to match your production to your yearly usage as closely as the roof allows.
I'm on Saint John Energy — is net metering different for me?
Yes. Saint John Energy runs its own utility, separate from NB Power, and it credits exported power at roughly 8.15 ¢/kWh — about 90% of avoided cost, and well below the retail rate you pay. That changes the sizing math: with a lower export credit, a system tuned to cover what you use during daylight often makes more sense than one built to bank a large surplus. If you’re in Saint John Energy territory, talk to me before finalizing a design.
I've heard NB Power is changing net metering in 2027. Should I wait?
There is a proposed change — not an approved one. NB Power has filed a proposal that would move to a buy rate near 6.77 ¢/kWh, a sell rate near 9.22 ¢/kWh, and a demand charge around $13/kW. It has not been approved by the Energy and Utilities Board. The filing also describes a grandfathering window: systems connected to the grid by October 31, 2026 may keep today’s terms. I’d rather walk you through what this means for your specific situation than tell you to rush — see the Net Metering page for the full breakdown.
Not sure how the change affects you?
Send me your last power bill and I'll run the numbers for your house — under today's rules and the proposed ones.
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