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Photo Credits: StraightUp Solar
Net Metering &
Smart Solar Billing
On January 1, 2025, Illinois officially transitioned its Net Metering program to “Smart Solar Billing.” All new customers will now automatically be enrolled in Smart Solar Billing.
It is critical to notify all customers of this change regardless of whether they had a system installed prior to the transition or if they are just beginning their journey into solar.
We have created a toolkit to help you and your team understand the changes. The toolkit also includes materials for you to share with current and new customers to notify them of the transition.
ABOUT
What you
Need to Know
Illinois Has Sunset Net Metering
Illinois has sunset its Full Retail Net Metering program, which means new customers will automatically be enrolled in Smart Solar Billing. Smart Solar Billing is the new billing practice that Illinois deployed on January 1, 2025, and it is the successor to the Full Retail Net Metering structure. Customers on Smart Solar Billing can still access financial incentives through currently available one-time rebates and experience lower monthly electric bills.
KNOW
What to
Communicate to Customers
While the change does not impact legacy customers, it is recommended to still notify existing customers of this change and assure them their billing structure has not changed.
Here is what we recommend communicating to new customers:​
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Customers on Smart Solar Billing can access one-time use rebates that currently exist, such as the “Distributed Generation (DG) Rebate,” (also called the “Smart Inverter Rebate”), and the “Storage Rebate.”
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The DG Rebate – also known as the Smart Inverter Rebate – provides solar customers with a one-time rebate of $300 per kilowatt of generating capacity. For example, if a customer installs a 10-kilowatt system, then the customer will receive a $3,000 rebate.
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The Storage Rebate functions similarly to the DG Rebate, but for battery storage. Solar customers who also install battery storage will receive an additional one-time rebate of $300 per kilowatt hour of storage to help reduce the cost of battery storage and provide more energy resilience to homeowners.
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These financial rebates can be combined with existing federal and state incentives to reduce the overall cost of installing a solar panel system.
CUSTOMERS
FAQ
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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