In West Virginia, the one solar incentive left is a credit on your electric bill. You earn it on the solar power you send to the grid. The credit is 12.41 cents per kWh if Appalachian Power or Wheeling Power sends your bill, and 9.343 cents per kWh if Mon Power or Potomac Edison does. The state’s 2025 Tax Credit Recap Schedule lists no tax credit for home solar, and there was no state rebate when we checked. The older rule that gave full credit is closed to new homes at all four companies.
Recently changed: the last date to finish a system under the full-credit rule at Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power was September 1, 2026. New homes there now get 12.41 cents per kWh. Mon Power and Potomac Edison raised their home energy charge on August 1, 2026. Their solar credit stayed at 9.343 cents per kWh.
Two credit rates, one state: what West Virginia utilities pay for solar power you send out
West Virginia has one kind of solar incentive today: a bill credit for the power your panels send to the grid. The amount depends on the company that sends your electric bill.
The credit system is called net metering: your utility credits you for solar power you send to the grid. At the four big companies, new homes no longer swap one kWh for one kWh. They get a fixed credit per kWh, approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC), the state’s utility regulator.
Solar power you use at home, at the moment your panels make it, never reaches the meter. It replaces power you would have bought. With Mon Power that saves 12.023 cents per kWh in energy charges, against 9.343 cents per kWh for power you send out. So the more of your solar power you use yourself, the more each kWh is worth.
| Who sends your bill | Credit per kWh sent out | 1,000 kWh sent out earn | Rate is set until | Full credit closed to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power or Wheeling Power | 12.41 cents per kWh | $124.10 | No end date. Changes need PSC approval. | Homes that applied after March 1, 2026 or were not finished by September 1, 2026 |
| Mon Power or Potomac Edison | 9.343 cents per kWh | $93.43 | December 31, 2026 | Homes that applied after December 31, 2024 or were not finished by December 31, 2025 |
| Co-op, city utility or small power company | Set by each utility | Ask your utility | Ask your utility | Ask your utility |
The credit shows up on your electric bill. The federal tax credit is $0 for systems finished after December 31, 2025.
Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power, Mon Power or Potomac Edison: find the name on your bill
The company name is at the top of your electric bill. Open it to see your credit, the rules behind it and what to watch.
Appalachian Power or Wheeling PowerSouthern West Virginia, including Charleston, Huntington and Beckley, and the Wheeling area. Both belong to American Electric Power (AEP).12.41 cents per kWh for power sent to the grid
What you can get with Appalachian Power or Wheeling Power
- Credit for power you send to the grid12.41 cents per kWh
Paid as a bill credit on each kWh your panels send out. Example: 100 kWh earn $12.41. Power you take from the grid is billed at your normal rate.
- Full credit under the older ruleClosed
Only for homes that applied by March 1, 2026 and were finished by September 1, 2026. Those homes swap one kWh sent out for one kWh used later, until March 1, 2051.
Your bill credits
Your utility credits you for solar power your home does not use. This is called net metering. The rule is Tariff N.M.S. A tariff is the utility’s official price sheet, approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC), the state’s utility regulator.
The credit cannot lower your monthly customer charge or a fixed minimum bill. The tariff does not say what happens when your credits are larger than your bill. Ask your utility for that answer in writing.
Watch out: A quote that swaps one kWh sent out for one kWh used later uses the older rule. For a system you apply for today, the credit is 12.41 cents per kWh.
Next: can your credit change later? and price and taxes.
Mon Power or Potomac EdisonMon Power: northern and central West Virginia, including Morgantown, Clarksburg and Parkersburg. Potomac Edison: the Eastern Panhandle. Both belong to FirstEnergy.9.343 cents per kWh, set through December 31, 2026
What you can get with Mon Power or Potomac Edison
- Credit for power you send to the grid9.343 cents per kWh
Paid as a bill credit on each kWh your panels send out. Example: 100 kWh earn $9.34.
- Power you use at homeSaves 12.023 cents per kWh
The energy charge on the home rate since August 1, 2026, before small added charges. Example: 100 kWh of solar used at home save $12.02.
- Rebate from the utilityNone
FirstEnergy says it has no rebate or incentive program for customer-owned systems in West Virginia.
- Full credit under the older ruleClosed
Only for homes that applied by December 31, 2024 and were finished by December 31, 2025. They keep full credits until December 31, 2049.
Your bill credits
Your utility credits you for solar power your home does not use. This is called net metering. The rule is the Net Energy Metering Rider in each company’s tariff, its official price sheet. Power you take from the grid is billed at your normal rate.
The home rate has a customer charge of $6.00 a month, which is also the minimum bill. The tariff does not say what happens when your credits are larger than your bill. Ask for that answer in writing.
Watch out: The 9.343 cents per kWh rate is only set through December 31, 2026. Ask your installer to show your savings with a lower credit as well.
Next: can your credit change later? and price and taxes.
A co-op, city utility or small power companyThe areas the four big companies do not serve.Rules differ. Get them in writing.
What you can get with A co-op, city utility or small power company
- State net metering ruleApplies
Net metering means your utility credits you for solar power you send to the grid. The state rule covers every electric utility. It sets the credit at the full retail rate, or at a rate the state regulator has approved for that utility.
- System size limit50 kW
For homes served by a co-op, a city-owned utility or a utility with fewer than 30,000 home customers. At the four big companies the home limit is 25 kW.
- Credit at your utilityAsk your utility
We could not confirm the current credit at the smaller utilities.
Your bill credits
Ask for the net metering price sheet before you sign. Find out what one kWh sent out earns, and if unused credits move to the next bill.
Watch out: Do not use the Appalachian Power or Mon Power credit to estimate savings on a co-op or city utility bill.
Next: can your credit change later? and price and taxes.
The sections below apply to every West Virginia home.
Get quotes built on your own utility
Your ZIP code starts a quote request with installers near you. A sound West Virginia quote names the company on your bill and the credit it pays today.
- Two rates in one stateAppalachian Power and Wheeling Power credit more per kWh than Mon Power and Potomac Edison.
- No cost to compareRequesting quotes is free, and you never have to sign.
- Sent to matched installersYour details go to the installers you are matched with.
Can the Mon Power or Appalachian Power solar credit change after you sign?
Yes. Neither credit is promised for the life of your system. Only homes on the older full-credit rule have a fixed end date.
- Mon Power and Potomac Edison: the tariff, the official price sheet, sets 9.343 cents per kWh through December 31, 2026. Any later rate needs PSC approval. No rate for the year after was in the tariff when we checked.
- Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power: the 12.41 cents per kWh credit comes from a PSC order of August 28, 2025. It has no end date, and the tariff says later changes need PSC approval.
- For your quote: an estimate that keeps today’s credit for the life of the system is a guess. Ask to see it with a lower credit.
Buying a West Virginia home that already has panels
An older system may be on the full-credit rule. It swaps one kWh sent out for one kWh used later. The rule stays with the house, not the owner, for 25 years. It ends on December 31, 2049 at Mon Power and Potomac Edison, and on March 1, 2051 at Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power.
Ask the utility in writing which rule the house is on. Adding panels that raise output by more than 10% or 1 kW, whichever is greater, moves the house to the new credit. Adding a battery does not.
Watch out: Ask the utility before you add panels to an older system. It must answer a written question about a planned addition within 10 business days.
Source: Mon Power tariff, Net Energy Metering Rider, Sheets 28-2 and 28-3
With no rebate, what does a West Virginia solar buyer pay, and how is it taxed?
You pay the full price. No state tax credit lowers it, and there was no state rebate when we checked.
A typical West Virginia home system is 9.87 kW. It costs about $29,700, or $3.01 per watt.
- State tax credit: the West Virginia Tax Division’s 2025 Tax Credit Recap Schedule for income tax lists no credit for home solar.
- Federal tax credit: ended for systems finished after December 31, 2025. With a lease or a power purchase agreement (PPA), a company owns the panels on your roof and you pay it each month. That company may claim a federal business credit. It lowers your price only if the company passes it on, so get it in the contract.
- Utility rebate: FirstEnergy says it has none for customer-owned systems. We found none at Appalachian Power or Wheeling Power.
- Sales tax: the Tax Division says every sale is taxable unless a specific exemption applies, and its list of sales tax exemptions names none for solar equipment. The state rate is 6%. For work that counts as a permanent improvement to a home, the contractor does not add sales tax to your bill. It pays the tax on the materials it buys, so the tax sits inside the price. Ask your installer how it treats your system, and if the quote includes all sales tax.
- Property tax: the Tax Division’s list of property tax exemptions does not name home solar, and it says that list is not complete. Ask your county assessor if panels change the assessed value of your home.
Watch out: A quote that still subtracts a federal tax credit from the price of a system you buy is out of date. Ask for a new one.
Can a West Virginia homeowners association keep panels off your roof?
Often not, but the law has limits. An association rule recorded after June 8, 2012 that bans or restricts solar on your home cannot be enforced (W. Va. Code 36-4-19).
Three limits apply. Rules recorded before that date still stand. The members of an association can vote to add a solar restriction. And reasonable rules, such as those for historic preservation, still apply.
This is a right, not money. It does not change your price or your bill credit.
Five reasons a Mon Power or Appalachian Power credit comes in under the quote
- Your quote uses the older full-credit rule. The last date to finish under it was September 1, 2026 at Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, and December 31, 2025 at Mon Power and Potomac Edison.
- Your system sends most of its power to the grid. Power sent out earns less than power used at home. At Mon Power, 100 kWh sent out earn $9.34. The same 100 kWh used at home save $12.02.
- Your estimate keeps the Mon Power credit steady for years. It is only set through December 31, 2026.
- You cannot show liability insurance. The utility wants proof of $100,000 of general liability cover with your application. Check your home insurance policy first.
- Your utility’s program is full. Each tariff limits all net metered systems to 3% of the utility’s highest hourly demand in the past year. Ask if there is room before you sign.
AEP portal or FirstEnergy portal: the West Virginia application in order
- Get proof of insurance. You need $100,000 of general liability cover for a home system.You, with your insurer.
- Apply to connect your system to the grid. This step is called interconnection. Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power use AEP’s online portal. Mon Power and Potomac Edison use FirstEnergy’s online portal. Send a one-line diagram (a simple drawing of the wiring), a site plan and the $30 fee for a system up to 25 kW.Usually your installer. Check your contract.
- Wait for approval, then install. The utility reviews the design before work starts.The utility, then your installer.
- Pass inspection and get the utility’s sign-off. Do not switch the system on before the utility approves it. At Mon Power and Potomac Edison the sign-off is the Certificate of Completion.Your installer, the electrical inspector and the utility.
- Read your first bill. Look for the kWh you sent out and the credit per kWh. It should be 12.41 cents per kWh or 9.343 cents per kWh.You.
Compare West Virginia quotes that name your credit
Enter your ZIP code to request quotes from installers in your area. Ask each one to write down the credit per kWh it used.
The form asks about your home first, then your contact details. EcoGen or its installer partners may contact you.
- Free to requestAsking for quotes costs nothing. You decide if you go ahead.
- Your home firstThe form starts with a few questions about your home. Name, email and phone come at the end.
- Check the credit lineUse the list on this page to test the bill credit in each quote.
More West Virginia solar guides
West Virginia solar incentive questions
Does West Virginia Have a Solar Tax Credit?
No. The West Virginia Tax Division’s 2025 Tax Credit Recap Schedule lists no income tax credit for home solar. The federal credit is $0 for a system finished after December 31, 2025.
Does West Virginia Have Solar Rebates?
We found none when we checked. FirstEnergy, the owner of Mon Power and Potomac Edison, says it has no rebate for customer-owned systems.
Does West Virginia Have Net Metering?
Yes, in a reduced form. New homes get a fixed credit for each kWh they send to the grid: 12.41 cents per kWh at Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, and 9.343 cents per kWh at Mon Power and Potomac Edison. Homes that joined before the change keep one-for-one credits for 25 years.
How Much Does Mon Power Pay for Solar Power?
Mon Power credits 9.343 cents per kWh for each kWh a new home system sends to the grid. Potomac Edison credits the same. Example: 1,000 kWh earn $93.43. The rate is set through December 31, 2026.
Did Appalachian Power End Net Metering in West Virginia?
It ended full credits for new homes. A home that applied after March 1, 2026, or was not finished by September 1, 2026, gets 12.41 cents per kWh for each kWh sent out. Homes that met both dates keep full credits until March 1, 2051.
Is There a Sales Tax Exemption for Solar Panels in West Virginia?
No. The West Virginia Tax Division says every sale is taxable unless a specific exemption applies, and its list of sales tax exemptions names none for solar equipment. The state rate is 6%. Ask your installer if the quote includes all sales tax.
Can an HOA Ban Solar Panels in West Virginia?
Only in some cases. An association rule recorded after June 8, 2012 that bans solar on your home cannot be enforced. Older rules, rules the members voted for and reasonable rules still apply.
Sources (15)
- Mon Power retail tariff, P.S.C. W. Va. No. 22: Net Energy Metering Rider and Schedule A: firstenergycorp.com
- Potomac Edison retail tariff, P.S.C. W. Va. No. 3: Net Energy Metering Rider and Schedule R: firstenergycorp.com
- FirstEnergy, West Virginia interconnection steps and fees: firstenergycorp.com
- FirstEnergy, West Virginia interconnection questions: firstenergycorp.com
- Public Service Commission of West Virginia, Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power tariff on file, Tariff N.M.S. (open the page and click View Tariff): psc.state.wv.us
- Appalachian Power, 2026 West Virginia Net Metering Customer Information Guide: appalachianpower.com
- West Virginia Secretary of State, PSC Rules Governing Electric Utility Net Metering Arrangements and Interconnections, 150CSR33: apps.sos.wv.gov
- West Virginia Code 36-4-19, solar energy covenants unenforceable: code.wvlegislature.gov
- West Virginia Tax Division, TSD-110, West Virginia Tax Credits: tax.wv.gov
- West Virginia Tax Division, TSD-300, Sales and Use Tax Exemptions: tax.wv.gov
- West Virginia Tax Division, TSD-310, Capital Improvement Rule: tax.wv.gov
- West Virginia Tax Division, Sales and Use Tax: tax.wv.gov
- West Virginia Tax Division, Property Tax Exemptions: tax.wv.gov
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit: irs.gov
- West Virginia Tax Division, 2025 Form IT-140 Tax Credit Recap Schedule: tax.wv.gov
