Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Updated October 19, 2026.
A typical Missouri home system is 7.69 kW and costs about $21,071 in cash at $2.74 per watt. Its simple payback before incentives is about 15.7 years at Ameren Missouri, the largest utility, and 14.5 to 18.0 years across the large private utilities. Solar power cancels power you buy within each billing month; a month-end surplus earns only 1.90¢ to 3.84¢ and expires in 12 months.
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State law makes every Missouri electric utility net your solar power against the power you buy, one bill at a time. Where each kWh lands decides what it is worth.
| Utility | Price per kWh netted | Left over at month end | Yearly saving | Simple payback before incentives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameren Missouri | 13.22¢ | 7.3% at 3.58¢ | $1,346 | 15.7 years |
| Liberty (Empire District Electric) | 13.50¢ | 0.3% at 3.30¢ | $1,449 | 14.5 years |
| Evergy Missouri Metro | 12.22¢ | 1.9% at 1.90¢ | $1,294 | 16.3 years |
| Evergy Missouri West | 11.08¢ | 2.1% at 1.98¢ | $1,172 | 18.0 years |
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These figures use the share of output each utility’s solar homes leave over at month end, 0.3% to 7.3% in federal data. A system that spills more surplus than that, such as one built to fill a roof, takes longer, because a surplus kWh earns only 1.90¢ to 3.84¢.
All three net within the month at your full price. They differ only in what they pay for power left over when the bill closes. The utility’s name is at the top of your electric bill.
3.39¢ from October to May. Sheet 171, in force since June 1, 2026, with the same rates as the sheet before it.
Next: ask which rate plan you are on. On Smart Saver, Overnight Saver and Ultimate Saver, netting happens inside each time period.
1.98¢ at Evergy Missouri West. The same rate all year, in force since February 21, 2025.
Next: size closely to your monthly use, since a surplus earns the least here.
3.30¢ from October to May. Rider NM, in force since February 14, 2025.
Next: ask for a 12-month table priced at these rates.
| Utility | June to September | October to May | In force since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameren Missouri | 3.84¢ | 3.39¢ | June 1, 2026 |
| Liberty | 3.31¢ | 3.30¢ | February 14, 2025 |
| Evergy Missouri West | 1.98¢ | 1.98¢ | February 21, 2025 |
| Evergy Missouri Metro | 1.90¢ | 1.90¢ | February 21, 2025 |
| Columbia city utility | Your full rate | Your full rate | See Columbia |
| Co-ops and other city utilities | Set by each | Set by each | Ask in writing |
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Only for leftover power. Some guides say Evergy, around Kansas City, credits exported power one for one at full price while Ameren Missouri, around St. Louis, pays a low rate. Missouri law gives both the same rule: power sent out cancels power bought within the billing month, and only a month-end surplus earns the lower rate. Evergy’s rate for that surplus, 1.90¢ or 1.98¢, is below Ameren’s 3.84¢ or 3.39¢.
Co-ops and city utilities must offer net metering too, and each sets its own surplus rate. City Utilities of Springfield resets its rate every six months; we did not find its current rate on an official page, so we list no figure.
Four numbers in Missouri law shape what a new solar home can count on. None of them has an end date.
Each month-end credit expires 12 months after it is issued, or when you close the account, with no payment.
A utility may close net metering to new homes once solar reaches 5% of its peak load of the year before.
It may also refuse new connections for the rest of a year once that year’s approvals reach 1% of peak load.
Ameren, Evergy and Liberty restate their surplus rates every odd-numbered year.
Net metering covers systems up to 100 kW. The utility must answer an application within 30 days for a system of 10 kW or less, and within 90 days above that. Ask your utility how close it is to either limit before you sign.
City of Columbia Utilities serves one city, and it is the one Missouri utility we found that pays a solar rebate. Most Missouri homes cannot use it.
Based on system size, with a higher rebate for panels set up to produce more at peak times. A 7.69 kW system is $3,845 at the base rate.
A month-end surplus is credited at your current electric rate and carried to the next bill.
1% interest for up to 3 years, 3% for 4 to 5 years, 5% for 6 to 10 years. No prepayment penalty.
The utility must approve the rebate and loan before the panels go up.
For the loan, the home must meet insulation minimums, panels need a 25-year maker’s warranty and the inverter a 10-year one. We did not model a Columbia payback.
The September 2026 benchmark is $2.74 per watt, $0.15 below the US average. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.
| Size (kW) | Cash price | Power made a year |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | $13,700 | 6,995 kWh |
| 7.69 kW (typical) | $21,071 | 10,758 kWh |
| 8 kW | $21,920 | 11,192 kWh |
| 10 kW | $27,400 | 13,990 kWh |
Outside Columbia, nothing pays you back for the purchase. One tax break is built into the installer’s price.
The installer buys it tax-free, under a law in force since August 28, 2022. You file nothing.
Missouri’s 2025 list of income tax credits (Form MO-TC) has none for home solar.
Not for a system you own placed in service after December 31, 2025.
The Missouri Supreme Court held it unconstitutional on August 9, 2022.
| Way to pay | Who owns the panels | Missouri point to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | You | No sales tax on the equipment; ask whether a battery is taxed |
| Loan | You | Columbia customers can borrow up to $15,000 from the city at 1% to 5%; compare any financed total with cash |
| Lease | The company | The sales tax exemption also covers leased systems; ask about transfer or buyout if you sell |
| PPA | The company | Price per kWh against your utility’s full price and its surplus rate |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Missouri incentives guideWhat $0-down solar means in Missouri
Companies that list Missouri service, A to Z, not ranked. All three are based outside the state and name mostly western and northern Missouri towns. Facts from their own sites, read October 13 and 14, 2026.
None of the three publishes a Missouri license number. Licensing in Missouri is set by cities and counties, so ask for the license that covers your address. A listed town does not mean every address is served. How we make money.
Ask each installer to price leftover power at your utility’s surplus rate, not at your full price.
EcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges. You never pay us. Privacy policy
CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.
About Dean
Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.
About TrevorEditorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology
