Customers who install solar and export surplus generation to the BC Hydro grid are served under BC Hydro's self-generation framework. BC Hydro closed the net metering service rate (Rate Schedule 1289) to new customers effective July 1, 2026, and a new self-generation service rate (Rate Schedule 2289) now applies. Any planning that relies on older net-metering guidance is out of date.
Where the framework comes from
BC Hydro administers customer generation, and its rates and service rules are set and approved through the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC). Net metering was the long-standing arrangement that let a qualified customer export surplus solar and receive credit; the self-generation rate is its current successor for new customers.
The 2026 change
Effective July 1, 2026, BC Hydro closed the net metering service rate (RS 1289) to new customers and introduced a self-generation service rate (RS 2289). The shift can change how exports are valued — potentially moving from a kilowatt-hour-for-kilowatt-hour net metering credit toward a net-billing style settlement. Treat the self-generation rate as the current reference rather than relying on older net-metering guides.
How export credits work
When your solar system produces more than you use, the surplus flows to the grid and you receive a credit. How that credit is calculated, applied and settled depends on your rate schedule and on BC Hydro's self-generation rules. The practical steps and settlement can differ from earlier net-metering arrangements, so confirm the current position before sizing a system around export assumptions.
Eligibility and limits
Eligibility, system-size limits, and the type of metering used are set by the rate schedule in force and by BC Hydro. Not every customer or system qualifies automatically, and the conditions that applied when a neighbour installed may not apply to you today. Confirm the current position with BC Hydro before sizing a system around self-generation credit assumptions.
What to check before relying on self-generation
- The current self-generation rate (RS 2289) — not the closed net metering rate alone.
- BC Hydro's application steps, forms and connection requirements.
- The system-size and eligibility limits that apply to your account.
- How BC Hydro calculates and settles export credits today.
- Any available CleanBC or BC Hydro solar and battery rebates.