AEP Ohio: how it credits the solar power you send to the grid
Exported power offsets your usage at the retail rate; power left over is credited at the lower generation rate. Regulators reaffirmed net metering in January 2026.
Checked November 12, 2026. Utilities change these rules; check the current tariff before you sign.
How it works
Exported power earns roughly 90% of the retail price on average.
AEP Ohio serves Columbus and much of central and southeastern Ohio.
Within a month, exports cancel bought kWh one-for-one; only the month's surplus drops to the generation-only rate.
If you buy power from a competing supplier, the surplus credit depends on that supplier's terms.
AEP also owns Appalachian Power in Virginia and West Virginia, where the solar rules are different.
What it means for a typical Ohio home
An average Ohio home uses about 10,488 kWh a year. A 7.5 kW system costs about $19,275 at the 2026 median price and makes about 9,720 kWh in its first year, of which we assume about 5,832 kWh goes out to the grid because no one is home to use it.
| First-year savings | Payback | 25-year savings, after the price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| With AEP Ohio's credit | $1,544 | 13 years | $27,481 |
| If every exported kWh earned the full price | $1,643 | 11 years | $30,632 |
The difference, about $3,152 over 25 years, is what AEP Ohio's rules cost a typical system compared with full net metering. Using more of the power at home, while the sun is up, closes some of that gap. Uses Ohio's average electricity price; AEP Ohio's own prices may be higher or lower. Paid in cash, no federal credit, prices rising 2.5% a year, one inverter replacement.
Also in Ohio: FirstEnergy Ohio (Ohio Edison, Illuminating Co., Toledo Edison) (about 90% of retail).
All 55 utilities · Solar in Ohio · Lease and PPA terms by company
Sources: SolarReviews: Net metering in 2026; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), final 2025 data: Annual State Historical Spreadsheets (Form EIA-861, released October 7, 2026) and Electric Power Annual (October 21, 2026); EnergySage: median quoted price, first half of 2026.