If Ameren Illinois is your electric utility, generally covering central and southern Illinois, net metering works a little differently than it does for ComEd customers. This page covers Ameren’s current net metering structure and what to ask your installer. It is general information, not an estimate of your bill or savings; those depend on your usage, system size and crediting choice.
Net metering under Rider NM
Ameren Illinois’s net metering program is set out in its Rider NM. Customers who applied to enroll after January 1, 2025 choose a permanent crediting method at enrollment:
- Usage netting: excess generation, including any carried-over credit, offsets your total electricity usage directly.
- Monetary value netting: excess generation converts to a dollar credit based on current pricing rather than offsetting usage directly.
Unused credits, under either method, do not expire and carry forward to future bills. Because the choice is described as permanent once made, ask your installer to walk through both options with your expected usage pattern before you enroll, rather than defaulting to whichever Ameren lists first.
Smart-inverter rebate and larger systems
Ameren also offers a rebate tied to smart-inverter equipment; accepting it changes how delivery-service crediting works under Rider NM, so ask your installer to explain that tradeoff specifically rather than assuming the rebate is a simple bonus with no effect on your credit structure. Generators above a certain size fall under a separate rider, Rider QF, and are compensated at wholesale market pricing rather than the retail-linked Rider NM structure; most single-family residential systems fall under Rider NM, but a larger system (for example, serving a bigger property or multiple structures) should be checked against this threshold with your installer.
Rate options as of mid-2026
Ameren’s own page states that, effective June 1, 2026, net metering customers gained access to all five of Ameren’s rate options along with a rate comparison tool. If you enrolled before that date, or if you are comparing rate plans now, ask your installer or Ameren directly which option fits your household’s usage, since the right choice depends on factors beyond solar alone.
Illinois Shines for Ameren customers
Illinois Shines, the state’s renewable energy credit program, works the same way regardless of which Illinois utility you have; it is separate from anything Ameren runs directly. See Illinois Shines and SRECs explained and the Illinois solar incentives page for how that program fits alongside Ameren’s net metering.
What to ask your installer
- Which Rider NM crediting method, usage netting or monetary value netting, fits my household’s usage, and is this choice really permanent once made?
- If you recommend the smart-inverter rebate, how does accepting it change my delivery-service crediting?
- Does my planned system size fall under Rider NM or the separate Rider QF?
- Can you show me Ameren’s current published rate options and comparison tool rather than a verbal estimate?
When this last changed
The permanent crediting-method choice took effect for applicants enrolling after January 1, 2025, and expanded rate-option access took effect June 1, 2026. Confirm current terms directly with Ameren or your installer before signing a contract.
Common questions
Can I switch crediting methods later if I change my mind?
Ameren describes the Rider NM crediting choice as permanent once made at enrollment. Confirm directly with Ameren before enrolling if you are unsure which method fits your situation.
Do unused net metering credits expire?
No. Ameren states that unused credits carry forward and do not expire under either crediting method.
Does SolarSiteIQ work with Ameren directly?
No. SolarSiteIQ is an independent service that connects homeowners with a local installer. We do not administer Ameren’s programs or guarantee any credit amount.
What if I am not sure which utility I have?
Check a recent electric bill. If you are not served by Ameren Illinois, see our ComEd page or confirm your provider’s own terms if it is a municipal utility or cooperative.
How do I get started?
Request a free, no-obligation assessment and SolarSiteIQ will connect you with one qualified local installer who can confirm current Ameren terms for your property. Start at /solar-step-1/.
Ready to see what applies to your home? Start your free assessment and SolarSiteIQ will connect you with one qualified local installer, no obligation.
