NB Power Net Metering Changes 2026: What's on the Table

The short version

NB Power has filed a proposal with the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (NBEUB), Matter EL-003-2025 that would rewrite how solar customers are billed. The 1-to-1 retail credit goes away (replaced by a roughly 6.77¢/kWh export credit), a new monthly demand charge of about $13/kW gets added, and the commercial cap rises to 500 kW. Anyone with paperwork approved by October 31, 2026 (inspection done by October 31, 2027) would be grandfathered under today's rules until 2037. None of it is approved yet, but waiting to see what happens is, for most homeowners, the more expensive option.

Written and reviewed by the Solar X Engineering Team. ESA/ECRA Licensed Electrical Contractor (Ontario, Licence 7017538). Active NB Power Net Metering registered contractor.

Last verified: May 20, 2026 against current NB Power, Save Energy NB, NBEUB, and CRA documentation. Nothing here is legal, regulatory, or financial advice; figures come from NB Power's filing and intervenor materials, and we will update this page when the EUB rules.

If you own solar in New Brunswick, or you have been thinking about it, the next few months matter more than the last few years did.

NB Power has filed a proposal that would rewrite how solar customers are billed. The short version: the 1-to-1 retail credit goes away, a new monthly demand charge gets added, and the commercial cap goes up. None of this is approved yet. The board has not ruled, Solar NB Solaire has formally intervened, and the public process is still open. But the writing is on the wall.

What's actually changing

Side-by-side, here is the proposal versus the rules in effect today. The figures come from NB Power's filing as summarized by Solar NB Solaire, and reflect what is on NB Power's own net metering program page.

Item	Today	Proposed (pending NBEUB approval)
Credit for exported solar energy	1-to-1 retail rate (around 9.22¢/kWh in the residential class shown in the filing)	About 6.77¢/kWh, “avoided cost”
Power used from the grid at night	Same retail rate everyone pays	Around 9.22¢/kWh under the proposed split-rate structure
Unused credit on March 31 (annual true-up)	Cancelled, resets to zero	Carried forward at the lower 6.77¢/kWh rate
Monthly demand charge	None for residential net metering	Roughly $13 per kW, based on the single highest 15-minute usage spike in the billing period
Commercial system size cap	100 kW	500 kW (up to 1 MW in certain cases)
Grandfathering	N/A	Approved applications by Oct 31, 2026 + inspections done by Oct 31, 2027 locked in until 2037

One thing worth flagging right away: the residential retail rate has moved. NB Power's current residential rate is 15.39¢/kWh as of April 14, 2026, after a 4.29% increase. That “9.22¢” figure in the proposed structure is not what the average residential customer pays per kWh today. It is an energy-only component the utility wants to use for solar customers under a new “net billing” framework. The distinction matters, and it is one of the things intervenors are pushing back on.

The number most people are going to miss: the demand charge

If there is one line item in this proposal that is going to catch people off guard, it is the $13/kW demand charge. Most homeowners have never paid one. They are standard on commercial bills, almost unheard of on residential.

Here is the catch: it is not based on your average use. It is based on the single highest 15-minute interval in the whole billing period.

Run the numbers

Say your house pulls 20 kW for 15 minutes on a cold Saturday morning. The oven is preheating for brunch, the dryer is running, somebody is charging the EV, the kettle is on. That is one bad moment. Demand charge for that month: 20 kW × $13/kW = $260, on top of your energy charges.

Two honest implications, because we would rather you hear it from us than figure it out the hard way:

Solar alone will not fix this

Your panels are doing essentially nothing at 7:30 AM in January. The kind of demand spike that triggers the charge usually happens when your production is at its lowest. The charge lands either way.

A battery does change the math

A properly sized battery can flatten that 15-minute peak by discharging during the spike. That is exactly how this kind of charge gets managed in places that already have it. Nevada is the most-watched recent example; Utility Dive's coverage of the NV Energy decision is worth a read.

For context, our net metering guide walks through how net metering structurally works in Canada. What NB Power is proposing is not really net metering anymore. It is closer to what is called net billing, because exports and imports get valued at different rates.

Why now?

The filing is part of a bigger story at the NBEUB. NB Power filed its 2026/27 General Rate Application on October 1, 2025 as Matter EL-003-2025, asking for a 4.75% across-the-board rate increase, which NB Power describes as about $10.90/month for the average residential customer using 1,350 kWh/month. According to CBC News coverage of the filing, the utility has also signalled (though not yet filed) that further increases near 6.5% are tentatively expected for the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years. In January 2026, NB Power filed additional motions with the EUB, including an interim rate request, citing financial pressure and a delayed GRA hearing.

NB Power's stated reason for the net metering changes is the one almost every North American utility uses when it restructures solar tariffs: retail-rate net metering, they argue, shifts grid costs from solar customers onto non-solar customers. Intervenors (Solar NB Solaire, the public intervenor, ratepayer groups) are pushing back on that framing and on how the demand charge is designed.

This is not theoretical. The same pattern just played out in Nevada, where the state's Public Utilities Commission approved a similar demand charge and 15-minute netting structure for NV Energy in September 2025. Consumer advocates argued the changes were unlawful under Nevada's net metering statutes and have filed for reconsideration. Whatever happens in Nevada is going to shape the arguments here.

What Solar NB Solaire is doing

Solar NB Solaire (SNBS) is a volunteer-led, non-profit New Brunswick solar industry association. They have registered as a formal intervenor in the NBEUB proceeding. Their position, summarized:

The proposed export credit understates what distributed solar is actually worth to the grid.
A residential demand charge based on a single 15-minute spike is regressive and disproportionately hits households that cannot shift large loads: people on electric heat, EV owners, anyone with induction cooking.
The grandfathering window is reasonable in concept, but the implementation timeline (inspection by Oct 31, 2027) puts pressure on installers and inspectors that may not be deliverable at volume.

You can follow the intervention, see the filings, and add your name to the public process at solarnbsolaire.ca (look for the “Join us” tab). NBEUB filings are public; the matters and decisions database is open. If you own solar today, or you are planning to install, the public process is open and numbers on the record matter to the board.

The deadline most people are confusing with this one

There are two separate clocks ticking right now in New Brunswick, and they are easy to mix up.

Clock 1 · Rebate registration

May 27, 2026. Registration for the Save Energy NB Total Home Energy Savings Program (residential) and the Business Rebate Program (commercial) closes. Installations must be done by January 31, 2027 to get paid. This is not the net metering change. We broke it down in our New Brunswick rebate sunset blog.

Clock 2 · Net metering grandfathering

October 31, 2026 / October 31, 2027. This one is proposed, not approved, and the dates could move. Under the filing, you would need an approved application by October 31, 2026 and an inspection done by October 31, 2027 to lock in current 1-to-1 net metering through 2037.

The two clocks do not tick together. Registering for the rebate does not protect your net metering rate. Locking in your net metering rate does not get you the rebate. If you want both, you have to clear both gates separately.

Who actually gets hurt by this (and who doesn't)

Honest read, no spin.

Hit hardest if this passes as filed

Homeowners on electric heat: big summer exports, big winter imports, and now both sides of the meter work against you.
EV owners running Level 2 chargers without smart scheduling. One DC fast-charge session can set your demand peak for the month.
Solar-only systems with no battery. Nothing to shave the spike with.

Come out roughly okay

Solar plus a properly sized battery. The battery flattens peaks and shifts exports. Math still works.
Anyone grandfathered under the proposed dates. 1-to-1 retail credit through 2037 is genuinely valuable protection.
Commercial customers between 100 kW and 500 kW. The cap increase is real and clearly positive.
Saint John Energy and Edmundston Energy customers. Separate municipal utilities; NB Power's filing does not touch them.

What we're telling our New Brunswick customers right now

Solar X is an ESA/ECRA-licensed electrical contractor (Licence 7017538) and an active NB Power Net Metering registered contractor. Here is the practical guidance we are giving people considering solar in 2026:

1
If you've been considering solar for the next 12 to 18 months, move it up
Not out of panic, out of math. The numbers are genuinely better today than they will be if this proposal goes through as filed. Grandfathering is a real, measurable financial protection worth tens of thousands of dollars over the life of a system in jurisdictions that have already been through this transition.
2
Get the rebate registration in before May 27, 2026
This is independent of the net metering question. If you are even thinking about solar, register. It costs you nothing and keeps your option open for up to $3,000 residential or up to $250,000 commercial.
3
Re-run the math with a battery in the mix
A demand charge that does not exist today changes the equation tomorrow. If this passes, battery storage moves from “nice to have” to core to the design for a lot of New Brunswick homes. Do not panic-buy; do not assume the proposal passes as written either. Model both scenarios honestly.
4
Do not sign with any installer who guarantees the grandfathering deadline
That date is proposed. It depends on the EUB approving it. Anyone telling you they can lock in your 2037 rate today is overpromising. The honest framing: if the proposal is approved as filed, applications approved by October 31, 2026 are protected. That conditionality should be in writing in your contract.
5
Participate in the public process
Sign on with Solar NB Solaire, or file directly with the NBEUB. Broad public participation moves outcomes; a recent NB example is the smart meter proceeding, which was materially reshaped during hearings.

What isn't changing

For the sake of being accurate, here is what this proposal does not affect:

Federal 30% Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit for businesses, farms, and incorporated entities. Unchanged, available through 2033. See our Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit guide.
NB Power's existing 1-to-1 net metering for current approved customers. Unchanged today, and protected through 2037 for anyone grandfathered under the proposal.
Property tax exemption on solar equipment in New Brunswick. Unchanged.
Net metering at Saint John Energy and Edmundston Energy. Separate municipal utilities, separate rules. Our New Brunswick solar guide covers the by-city differences.
Net metering in other provinces. Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia and elsewhere are untouched by NB Power's filing. See our Canadian solar incentives guide.

Two clocks are ticking. Get ahead of both.

Solar X is an ESA/ECRA Licensed Electrical Contractor and a registered NB Power Net Metering contractor. We'll model your system under both the current rules and the proposed net billing structure, sequence your install to clear the rebate and grandfathering gates where possible, and put the conditionality in writing. No installer can guarantee an EUB outcome, and we won't pretend otherwise.

Book a New Brunswick Consultation Call 1-833-376-5279

Common questions

Is the NB Power net metering change a done deal?+

No. The proposal is filed with the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (Matter EL-003-2025) and is being challenged by intervenors, including Solar NB Solaire. Until the board issues a decision, current 1-to-1 retail-rate net metering rules still apply.

When will the NBEUB decide?+

The NBEUB sets its own schedule. The net metering proposal sits inside NB Power's 2026/27 General Rate Application, Matter EL-003-2025. Current dates and filings are published on the NBEUB matters and decisions database at nbeub.ca.

If I install solar this summer, am I grandfathered?+

Only if the proposal passes with the dates as filed. Under the proposed terms, you would need an approved application by October 31, 2026 and an inspection completed by October 31, 2027 to lock in current 1-to-1 net metering through 2037. No installer can guarantee an EUB outcome. Anyone who promises to lock in your 2037 rate today is overpromising; the honest framing is conditional on board approval.

Does the proposed demand charge apply to me if I have solar?+

Under the proposal as filed: yes, unless you are grandfathered. The demand charge is calculated on what you pull from the grid, and even high-production solar homes draw from the grid during peaks such as winter mornings and summer evenings. The charge is roughly $13 per kW, based on the single highest 15-minute usage interval in the billing period.

Can a battery eliminate the demand charge?+

Eliminate is too strong. A correctly sized battery can substantially reduce your peak demand reading by discharging during your usage spikes, which is exactly how this kind of charge is managed in jurisdictions that already have it. Whether that reduction pays for the battery depends on your specific usage pattern, which Solar X models on a project basis.

What changes for commercial and farm customers?+

The system size cap rises from 100 kW to 500 kW (up to 1 MW in certain cases), which is genuinely positive for commercial and agricultural solar. However, the proposed demand charge and the lower export credit still apply, so the net economic effect depends on the load profile of the specific site.

Does this affect Saint John Energy or Edmundston Energy customers?+

No. Saint John Energy and Edmundston Energy are separate municipal utilities with their own net metering rules. NB Power's filing with the NBEUB does not directly touch them. Net metering in Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and other provinces is also unaffected.

What to do next

If you are a New Brunswick homeowner or business considering solar in 2026:

Book a consultation with our New Brunswick team at solar-x.ca/provinces/new-brunswick or call 1-833-376-5279.
Read the rebate sunset details in our May 27, 2026 deadline guide.
Sign on as a public supporter of the intervention at solarnbsolaire.ca.
Follow Matter EL-003-2025 at nbeub.ca.

We will update this article every time NB Power, Solar NB Solaire, or the NBEUB releases new material information.

Contact Solar X

Solar X - New Brunswick Solar Installation

1-833-376-5279
solar-x.ca/contact
solar-x.ca/provinces/new-brunswick
ESA/ECRA Licensed Electrical Contractor - Licence 7017538

About this article

Written and reviewed by the Solar X Engineering Team. Solar X is an ESA/ECRA Licensed Electrical Contractor (Licence 7017538), compliant with the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety, Technical Inspection Services, and an active NB Power Net Metering registered contractor. Last verified May 20, 2026 against current NB Power, Save Energy NB, NBEUB, and CRA documentation. The proposed rule changes summarized here are drawn from NB Power's filings with the NBEUB and intervenor materials published by Solar NB Solaire. Numbers and dates marked “proposed” are subject to change pending the EUB's decision. Nothing in this article is legal, regulatory, or financial advice.

Primary sources cited

Related Solar X resources

Reviewed by the Solar X Engineering Team. Solar X is an ESA/ECRA Licensed Electrical Contractor (Licence 7017538), a registered NB Power Net Metering contractor, and a Save Energy NB Total Home Energy Savings Program participating installer. The net metering changes described in this article are proposed and have not been approved by the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board. All figures are drawn from NB Power's filing in Matter EL-003-2025 and intervenor materials published by Solar NB Solaire, and are subject to change pending the board's decision. Always confirm current program rules and rates directly with NB Power and the NBEUB before making a purchase decision.

NB Power Net Metering Changes 2026 - Key Facts

NB Power Wants to Change How Solar Customers Are Billed. Here's What's Actually on the Table.