I lead Greenfoot's solar division, and this is the question my team is hearing most from New Brunswick homeowners right now: is net metering going away? The short answer is that nothing has changed yet, but a proposal is on the table that deserves your attention.
If you own solar panels in New Brunswick, or you have been seriously considering installing them, the next few months could affect your return on investment for the next decade. NB Power has filed a proposal with the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (NBEUB) that would change how solar customers are credited for the electricity they send back to the grid. The proposal is not yet approved, the regulatory process is open, and the outcome is uncertain. But the math is clear enough that waiting to understand what is on the table is the expensive option.
Here is what the NBEUB filing (Matter EL-003-2025) actually says, what it would mean for a New Brunswick solar homeowner, and what Greenfoot recommends before the key dates pass.
What has NB Power actually proposed?
NB Power filed its 2026/27 General Rate Application with the NBEUB on October 1, 2025 as Matter EL-003-2025. Three significant changes to the net metering program are included in that filing:
- Lower export credit: the rate you receive for electricity your solar panels send to the grid would drop from the current 1-to-1 retail rate to roughly 6.77 cents per kWh. NB Power calls this an "avoided cost" rate. For context, NB Power's current residential retail rate is 15.39 cents per kWh as of April 2026, following a 4.29 percent increase.
- A new monthly demand charge: roughly $13 per kilowatt, calculated from the single highest 15-minute usage interval in the billing period.
- A higher commercial system cap: the maximum size for a net-metered commercial solar system would increase from 100 kW to 500 kW, with potential for up to 1 MW in certain circumstances. This change benefits businesses and is largely uncontested by intervenors. If you run a business in New Brunswick, our commercial solar team can walk you through what a larger cap could mean for your building.
The NBEUB has not ruled. Solar NB Solaire, a non-profit New Brunswick solar industry association, has registered as a formal intervenor and is challenging key elements of the proposal on behalf of solar ratepayers. The NBEUB's filings and proceedings database is public; the matter is searchable under EL-003-2025.
What is the proposed demand charge and why does it matter?
The demand charge is the piece of this proposal that catches most homeowners off guard. Most residential electricity customers in New Brunswick have never paid one. Demand charges are standard on commercial accounts but almost unheard of on home bills. Under the proposal, the charge would be calculated from the single highest 15-minute usage interval in the entire billing period, then multiplied by roughly $13 per kilowatt.
A single busy 15 minutes, not your average use, sets your charge for the whole month. Picture a cold Saturday morning: the oven is preheating, the dryer is running, someone is charging their electric vehicle, and the kettle is on. That one quarter-hour could pull 15 to 20 kilowatts. At $13 per kW, that single interval would add $195 to $260 to the month's bill on top of every other charge.
Solar panels do not help with a demand charge. At 7:30 AM on a January morning in Moncton or Fredericton, your panels are producing almost nothing. The demand spike that triggers the highest monthly charge happens exactly when solar output is at its lowest.
A properly sized battery can address this problem. A battery that discharges during high-demand intervals can flatten the 15-minute peak and reduce or eliminate the charge. For New Brunswick homeowners weighing solar, the demand charge shifts the financial calculus around battery storage: from an optional upgrade to a practical necessity if this proposal passes as filed. Every residential solar system Greenfoot designs can be quoted with and without battery storage so you can see exactly how the demand charge changes the numbers.
What is the grandfathering window and when does it close?
The NB Power filing includes a grandfathering provision. Solar customers whose applications are approved by October 31, 2026 and whose installations pass inspection by October 31, 2027 would remain on the current 1-to-1 net metering rules until 2037.
A few things are worth being clear about:
- These dates are part of the proposal, not the current rules. They apply only if the NBEUB approves the filing with these dates intact. The board could modify them.
- The October 31, 2026 application approval deadline and the October 31, 2027 inspection deadline are two separate gates. Clearing the first does not automatically mean the second will be met.
- No installer can guarantee you the 2037 rate today. The honest framing is: if the proposal is approved as filed with these dates, grandfathered customers would be protected. Any contract should reflect that conditionality in writing.
How is this different from the Save Energy NB rebate program?
There are two separate timelines for New Brunswick solar in 2026, and they are easy to mix up. The Save Energy NB program has its own registration and installation deadlines (check directly with Save Energy NB for current program details, as these can change). That program is administered separately from the NB Power net metering filing and has no connection to the grandfathering window.
Registering for the rebate does not protect your net metering rate. Clearing the grandfathering window does not get you the rebate. If you want both, you need to satisfy both programs' requirements independently.
What is not changing under this proposal?
- The federal 30% Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit for businesses, farms, and incorporated entities: unchanged, available through 2033.
- Current 1-to-1 net metering for customers already approved today: unchanged, and protected through 2037 for anyone grandfathered under the proposal.
- Net metering at Saint John Energy and Edmundston Energy: these are separate municipal utilities and NB Power's filing does not affect them.
- Net metering rules in other provinces: Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, and BC all have their own programs and are not affected by this filing.
- Property tax exemption on solar equipment in New Brunswick: unchanged.
What should New Brunswick homeowners considering solar do now?
The most important thing is to make an informed decision, not a rushed one. Here is Greenfoot's honest guidance:
- Model both scenarios: ask your installer to run the numbers under the current 1-to-1 rules and under the proposed net billing structure. Both scenarios deserve honest projections, because the outcome of the NBEUB proceeding is not certain.
- Reconsider battery storage: if the demand charge passes as filed, battery storage changes from a nice-to-have to a core part of the system design for many NB homes. Model it both ways before signing anything.
- Do not panic-buy, but do not ignore the timeline either: if you have been considering solar for the next year or two, the math genuinely changes if this proposal is approved. The grandfathering window, if it survives the regulatory process, represents real financial value.
- Consider participating in the public process: the NBEUB proceeding is open. Solar NB Solaire is accepting public support and you can also file comments directly with the board. Public participation shapes outcomes in these proceedings.
Greenfoot's solar team designs and installs turnkey systems across New Brunswick, from residential rooftop solar with battery storage to commercial installations that would benefit directly from the higher proposed cap. We can model your home or building under both the current and proposed billing structures. Book your free solar assessment and get an honest picture of what the numbers look like under both scenarios before the October deadline arrives.
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