Net Metering in Connecticut: How the RRES Program Works in 2026

Ask about "net metering in Connecticut" and you'll get a lot of outdated answers. Classic net metering closed to new customers at the end of 2021. What replaced it — the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) program — is arguably better in one big way: the terms are locked in for 20 years the day you enroll.

Here's how it works in 2026, in plain English.

What is the RRES program?

RRES is the state-supervised program through which Eversource and United Illuminating compensate homeowners for rooftop solar power. When you go solar in Connecticut, you choose one of two tariffs:

Option 1: The Netting tariff

This is the one most people still call "net metering," and it works the way you'd hope:

• Your panels power your home first, in real time
• Extra power flows to the grid, and your meter runs both ways — exports earn bill credits at the full retail electricity rate
• At night or on cloudy days you draw from the grid as usual, and credits offset what you buy
• Unused credits carry forward, so sunny months bank credits that cover darker ones

One important 2026 change: for netting applications received this year, the utilities apply a Solar Energy Adjustment of about 4¢ per kWh on solar generation. It trims the value of the netting tariff compared to earlier years — a real cost worth having in your quote, not a reason to panic. The homeowners who enrolled before the adjustment existed are grandfathered, which is a pattern worth noticing: the terms of each enrollment year get locked, and later years' terms have generally gotten less generous.

Option 2: The Buy-All tariff

Under Buy-All, you don't offset your own usage at all. Instead, every kilowatt-hour your system produces is sold to the utility at a fixed rate — about 32.9¢ per kWh for 2026 enrollments — and you keep buying your household power normally. Compensation can be taken as bill credits or quarterly cash payments.

Buy-All can pencil out well for homes with low usage or unusual rate situations, and the Solar Energy Adjustment doesn't apply to it. But for most families, the netting tariff matches how they actually use power.

What does "20-year rate lock" really mean?

It means the rules that apply to your system on the day you're approved stay your rules for two decades — regardless of what happens to rates, tariffs, or the program for later enrollees.

That's the piece that changes the psychology of solar in Connecticut. Utility rates reset twice a year and trend upward; your RRES terms don't move for 20 years. You're swapping a variable cost for a fixed one.

Does my meter really spin both ways?

Functionally, yes. You get a bidirectional meter, and on a sunny afternoon your home becomes a small power producer. It's the same grid, the same wires — the only thing that changes is which direction the electrons (and the money) flow.

If you want the friendly, visual version of this explanation, our 3-minute walkthrough covers it — including what your bill really charges you for today.

What should you check before enrolling?

• Your roof — orientation, shading, and condition. Every legitimate installer surveys the roof first; if it doesn't qualify, panels shouldn't go up.
• Which tariff fits your usage — netting for most homes; buy-all for edge cases. Ask for the math on both.
• The current year's terms — rates and adjustments change annually for new enrollments, so a quote from last year isn't this year's deal.
• The rest of the incentive picture — see our guide to Connecticut solar incentives in 2026, because the federal landscape changed sharply this year.

The bottom line

• Classic net metering is gone; RRES replaced it with 20-year locked terms
• The Netting tariff still credits exports at retail rate (minus a new ~4¢/kWh adjustment for 2026 applications)
• The Buy-All tariff pays a fixed ~32.9¢/kWh for all production
• Each year's terms have tended to get a little less generous — enrollment year matters