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Not a utility. Not a government agency.

How does net metering work for new solar in Ameren Illinois?

By GSM Solar. Last reviewed November 3, 2026. Sources at the end.

When your panels make more power than your home uses, the extra goes out to the grid. Net metering gives you a credit on your billa credit on your bill for the power your panels send to the gridWhat net metering is, in Illinois Shines wordsIllinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 1, What is net metering?Verified Nov 3, 2026 for it. For a new system in Ameren Illinois, that credit covers supply charges. It does not cover delivery. That is the rule for systems that start on or after January 1, 2025credit for supply charges only, for systems that start on or after January 1, 2025Net metering for systems that start on or after January 1, 2025Illinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 3, When will net metering changes take place?Verified Nov 3, 2026.

1. What does the credit cover?

Your electric bill has a supply part, for the power itself, and a delivery part, for bringing it to your home. A new system gets a lower credit per kWh than systems already on net meteringa lower credit per kWh than systems already on net meteringCredit for systems that start net metering in 2025 or laterIllinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 7, What is the difference between the full retail net metering rate and the new net metering rate?Verified Nov 3, 2026. The credit covers supply and transmission. It leaves delivery out.

Illinois Shines walks through an example. Your panels send power out on sunny days, and your home pulls power in at night. In its example, 400 kWh sent out and 500 kWh used leaves 100 kWh net100 kWhIllinois Shines worked example: net usageIllinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 2, worked exampleVerified Nov 3, 2026. You pay supply and transmission charges only on that net amount.

2. What do you still pay for?

Delivery is the part that changed. You now pay delivery charges on all the power you pull from the griddelivery charges on all the power you pull from the gridDelivery charges under supply-only net meteringIllinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 2, What changes are coming to net metering in Illinois?Verified Nov 3, 2026, no matter how much you send back. In the same example, that means delivery charges on the full 500 kWh500 kWhIllinois Shines worked example: delivery chargesIllinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 2, worked exampleVerified Nov 3, 2026, not just the net amount.

Your bill also carries customer charges and fees that do not depend on how much power you usecustomer charges and fees that do not depend on how much power you useCharges that stay on the bill whatever you useIllinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 2, last sentence of the answerVerified Nov 3, 2026. So a home with new solar still gets a utility bill. Net metering changes what the bill counts. It does not make the bill go away.

3. When do the credits start?

Your installer works with your utility to connect the system. Once you sign up for net metering, the Illinois Shines guide says you should start to see credits generally within 1 to 2 monthsgenerally within 1 to 2 monthsWhen net metering credits show up on the billIllinois Shines, Your Guide to Going Solar with Illinois Shines (June 2026)Step 5, Installation of Your Solar ProjectVerified Nov 3, 2026. The Illinois Power Agency calls it a credit that appears on your electric billa credit that appears on your electric billNet metering credits, in the Illinois Power Agency fact sheetIllinois Power Agency, fact sheet on the three kinds of solar credits (September 2025)Opening list: three types of creditsVerified Nov 3, 2026.

4. What if the home had solar before 2025?

Older systems kept the old rules. A system that was already on full retail net metering keeps full retail net metering for the life of the systemfull retail net metering for the life of the systemSystems already on full retail net metering before 2025Illinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024)Question 2, last paragraphVerified Nov 3, 2026. In Ameren territory, that holds unless the system is changed so much that it doubles in size.

If you are buying a home that already has solar, ask which kind of net metering it is on. The answer changes what the credit covers.

Sources.

  1. Illinois Shines, FAQs Related to Changes in Net Metering in Illinois (July 26, 2024), checked November 2026.
  2. Illinois Shines, Your Guide to Going Solar with Illinois Shines (June 2026), checked November 2026.
  3. Illinois Power Agency, fact sheet on the three kinds of solar credits (September 2025), checked November 2026.