How FPL handles home solar (net metering)
If Florida Power & Light (FPL) serves your home and your solar is connected under its net metering terms, the power your panels send to the grid offsets the power you take from it, and any monthly excess becomes kWh credit for later bills. Any kWh still in your bank when your meter is read in December becomes a bill credit, at a separate rate FPL bases on its average annual cost of generating electricity. You still pay FPL's base charge, and its $30 minimum base bill applies to residential customers (FPL net metering FAQ; Sheet No. 10.010).
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and charges change, so confirm the current terms with FPL.
The rules behind it
Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) Rule 25-6.065 requires investor-owned utilities, FPL among them, to let customer-owned renewable generation up to 2 MW connect and net meter. In FPL's tariff, the billing terms are on Sheet No. 10.010 (section 10) and the interconnection agreements begin on Sheet Nos. 9.050, 9.055 and 9.065 (section 9). All four sheets took effect January 1, 2026.
How each month works
FPL bills you for the electricity you take from the grid beyond what your system supplies. If your system sends more to the grid than you use in a billing cycle, the excess is credited against your usage on the next month's bill, and credits keep offsetting usage for up to twelve months (Sheet No. 10.010).
Your bill won't show everything your panels produce, because power your home uses straight from them never passes through FPL's meter (FPL FAQ). The "Keep in mind" section of an FPL net metering bill shows what you sent to the grid, what was applied to the bill, and your kWh reserve (FPL bill guide).
The December true-up
FPL's FAQ says that if you have unused kWh in your bank when your meter is read in December, "a credit will be applied to your December bill" (FPL FAQ). The reserve is then reset to zero (FPL bill guide).
The tariff sets that credit at an average annual rate based on FPL's COG-1 As-Available Energy tariff, which is built on the energy costs FPL avoids hour by hour (Sheet Nos. 10.010 and 10.100, section 10). If you close your account, unused credits are paid out on the same basis. FPL says it recalculates the rate each year and that it tends to follow the cost of natural gas, most of its fuel mix (FPL FAQ).
What you still pay each month
FPL's residential rate, RS-1, has a base charge of $10.52 a month and a $30.00 minimum (Sheet No. 8.201, effective January 1, 2026, tariff section 8). Whether or not you send power to the grid, you pay at least the minimum or the base charge, whichever is greater (Sheet No. 10.010).
FPL calls this a $30 minimum base bill. The base bill is the base charge plus the base energy charge; fuel and other per-kWh charges are separate (FPL, understanding your bill; rate sheet, October 2026). The $30 check comes after any net metering kWh credits (FPL bill guide).
Connecting: tiers, fees and limits
FPL sorts systems into tiers by AC rating, which it calculates as the panels' DC rating times 0.85 (FPL guidelines):
- Tier 1, 10 kW or less: no application fee and no required insurance, though FPL recommends liability coverage of at least $100,000 (tariff section 9).
- Tier 2, over 10 kW up to 100 kW: a $400 application fee and at least $1 million of liability insurance (FPL tiers).
- Tier 3, over 100 kW up to 2 MW: a $1,000 application fee, at least $2 million of insurance, and a $2,000 study fee if a study is needed (FPL tiers; Sheet No. 9.066).
FPL limits generation to 90% of your service capacity, and upsizing its facilities for more is at the customer's expense. It also requires an estimated output below 115% of your annual kWh use, which its agreements measure against your previous 12 months (FPL guidelines; tariff section 9). Your past year's usage matters here: see how to read the kWh on your bill.
Steps for a Tier 1 system
From FPL's tiers page:
- Apply online for pre-approval before installation; FPL asks for items including your account number and equipment details (FPL application).
- After pre-approval, the system goes in and you sign the interconnection agreement online.
- The local building authority inspects it, and you upload the approved permit.
- FPL orders a bi-directional meter, which the PSC rule says comes at no additional cost to the customer. The system must not run connected to the grid until the meter is in; FPL then emails permission to operate.
Under the PSC rule, FPL must sign the agreement within 30 calendar days of a complete application (Rule 25-6.065). Moving into a home with solar already on it? FPL's FAQ says to apply to activate net metering.
Batteries
FPL's guidelines say battery energy is for the customer's own use; for now, it may not be sent to the grid. They add that a net metering customer may run its system during a grid outage if it has suitable equipment, such as a specialized inverter or a battery (FPL guidelines). Whether a particular home keeps any power on depends on system design.
Is FPL your utility?
Your electric bill names your utility. The PSC's service-area map shows FPL's territory, but the PSC calls its service areas approximate, so ask FPL if you are unsure.
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