Net Metering Canada 2026

Net metering allows solar system owners to send excess electricity to the grid and receive credits on their utility bill. When your panels produce more than you consume, the surplus flows to the grid. Your meter tracks both imports and exports, and you pay only for your net consumption.

Every province with a licensed distribution utility offers a net metering program, including Ontario. Ontario has net metering under Ontario Regulation 541/05. Ontario homeowners choose between net metering and the Home Renovation Savings rebate, which requires load displacement. They cannot have both.

Credit calculations vary by province. Some credit at the full retail rate (Alberta), while others use a lower export rate (Saskatchewan). Credits typically roll over monthly with an annual settlement where remaining credits may be paid out or forfeited. Rollover and settlement rules vary by province.

Net metering allows you to export surplus energy to the grid for credits. Load displacement (the term used by Ontario's Home Renovation Savings program) means all generation is consumed on site, either immediately or stored in a battery, and nothing is exported. Ontario homeowners taking the HRS rebate must design for load displacement and are not eligible to enter a net metering agreement.

Most net metering programs are designed to offset your usage, not generate income. Credits reduce your bill but most provinces don't pay cash for excess generation. In Alberta, retail electricity plans marketed as "Solar Club" style products are private retailer contracts that can offer high export rates on contract terms — those are retail plans, not the provincial micro-generation program, and terms depend on the retailer and the contract you sign. Sizing your system to match annual usage generally maximizes value under a standard net metering program.