Ameren Missouri: how it credits the solar power you send to the grid
Monthly net metering: exports offset usage within the month, and excess is credited at Ameren's avoided-cost rate, well below retail.
Checked November 12, 2026. Utilities change these rules; check the current tariff before you sign.
How it works
Exported power earns roughly 85% of the retail price on average.
Ameren Missouri serves St. Louis and eastern Missouri.
A system sized to your monthly use earns close to full value; summer surpluses earn the low avoided-cost rate.
What it means for a typical Missouri home
An average Missouri home uses about 12,444 kWh a year. An 8 kW system costs about $20,560 at the 2026 median price and makes about 11,464 kWh in its first year, of which we assume about 6,878 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 Ameren Missouri's credit | $1,387 | 15 years | $21,187 |
| If every exported kWh earned the full price | $1,525 | 14 years | $25,575 |
The difference, about $4,388 over 25 years, is what Ameren Missouri'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 Missouri's average electricity price; Ameren Missouri's own prices may be higher or lower. Paid in cash, no federal credit, prices rising 2.5% a year, one inverter replacement.
Utilities in neighboring states
| Utility | State | Exported power | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameren Missouri | Missouri | Monthly netting | About 85% of retail |
| ComEd | Illinois | Reduced credit (net billing) | About 50% of retail |
| Ameren Illinois | Illinois | Reduced credit (net billing) | About 50% of retail |
| LG&E and KU | Kentucky | Reduced credit (net billing) | 7.5¢ |
| Evergy (Kansas and Missouri) | Kansas | Monthly netting | About 85% of retail |
| OG&E | Oklahoma | Monthly netting | About 85% of retail |
All 55 utilities · Solar in Missouri · Lease and PPA terms by company
Sources: Solar Energy Nerds: net metering by state, 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.