New Hampshire quietly kept one of the better net metering deals left in America: while California carved exports to fractions and Georgia never really offered them, the Granite State still credits your surplus at most of its retail value under the framework everyone calls net metering 2.0. Paired with some of the nation's highest electric rates, that policy is the entire engine of NH solar economics, and understanding its fine print is understanding whether your roof pays. Here is the honest version.
The 2026 headline: NH monthly netting credits exports at the energy and transmission portions of your rate plus part of distribution, most of retail, a policy that makes right-sized systems genuinely strong here despite zero state rebates.
How the 2.0 mechanics actually work
Your meter nets consumption against production within each billing month; surplus exports earn credits at the 2.0 rate, full energy service charge, full transmission, and a portion of distribution, rolling forward against future bills. The practical translation: an exported kilowatt-hour recovers most of what an imported one costs, close enough that solar output offsets your bill nearly one-for-one, distinct enough that self-consumption still edges out export on value. It is a system built for honest sizing rather than speculative overbuilding.
Utility by utility
| Utility | Net metering position |
|---|---|
| Eversource NH | Statewide 2.0 framework; the state's largest territory |
| Unitil | Statewide 2.0 framework |
| Liberty Utilities | Statewide 2.0 framework |
| NH Electric Co-op | Sets its own broadly similar member program |
The investor-owned utilities run the standard framework, with credit values tracking their current rates, which in New Hampshire run high and have trended higher. Co-op members follow NHEC's own program, similar in spirit, worth confirming in detail. Our Eversource NH guide covers the largest territory's specifics.
What it means for system design
Because exports earn slightly under retail, the design rule is size to your annual usage: let summer surpluses bank credits that winter draws down, and avoid chronic overproduction whose last kilowatt-hours are the design's weakest dollars. With no SMART-style production checks in NH (see the full incentive picture), netting-plus-rates is the whole engine, and it is a good one: typical paybacks around 9-12 years post-federal on well-sized systems, per our NH cost guide.
What to verify before you sign
Three date-stamps for any NH quote: your utility's current credit rate spelled out in dollars, the sizing justification against your actual usage history, and zero expired federal math anywhere in the savings column, the standing rule from our federal credit explainer. The policy is good; make sure the quote deserves it.
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire still have net metering in 2026?
Yes. New Hampshire's net metering framework remains open to new residential customers, crediting monthly net exports at a rate covering most, though not quite all, of the retail price, one of the friendlier surviving policies in the country.
What rate do exports earn under NH net metering 2.0?
Under the 2.0 structure, exports are credited at the full energy service and transmission portions of your rate plus a share of distribution, working out to most of retail value. The exact figure moves with your utility's current rates, which is why honest quotes state it explicitly.
Do all NH utilities follow the same net metering rules?
The investor-owned utilities (Eversource, Unitil, Liberty) follow the statewide framework; the New Hampshire Electric Co-op sets its own broadly similar program. Confirming your specific utility's current tariff is a required line on any honest quote.
Should I oversize my system to bank NH credits?
Modestly-sized-to-usage still wins: exports earn slightly below retail, so self-consumed power is worth marginally more than exported power, and large chronic surpluses are the weakest dollars in the design. Size to your annual usage; let netting smooth the seasons.
Keep reading
See what solar really costs at your address.
A free, no-pressure savings estimate — with the real 2026 incentive math built in.
Get my free estimate →