Sunprint
The short answer
Entergy Texas serves about 538,000 customers in 27 Southeast Texas counties, including Jefferson, Orange and Montgomery. For new solar customers it has no one-for-one buyback. Every kWh you take from the grid is billed at the normal rate, and every kWh your panels send out is credited at Entergy Texas's avoided cost: 3.866 cents from May to September and 3.5865 cents the rest of 2026.
Solar you use the moment it's made still saves the full price, about 14.2 cents per kWh on an October 2026 bill. Entergy Texas has no solar rebate. In our estimate, a system sized to a $150 bill pays for itself in about 21 to 24 years at today's prices.
How Entergy Texas bills a solar home
Solar homes take service under Entergy Texas's Schedule SQF. For systems of 50 kW or less that applied on or after November 29, 2017, Entergy Texas uses Option 2C: the meter counts power in both directions, you're billed for all the power Entergy Texas supplies, and you're credited for all the power you send out at its avoided cost, the price it estimates it saves by not producing that power.
- Two seasons. The credit is higher May through September. Billing cycles that cross a season split the credit between the two rates.
- Updated yearly. Entergy Texas generally files new avoided cost estimates each February.
- Not against every charge. Solar credits can't reduce non-bypassable charges, the charges every customer pays whether or not they have solar.
- Credits carry over. Amounts under $50 owed to you stay on your account; once the credit tops $50, Entergy Texas can send a check.
A 1,000 kWh Entergy Texas bill, October 2026: $157.65
Before state, city or local taxes. Customer charge $14.00 plus metering $1.53. Riders include distribution, transmission, energy efficiency and storm recovery charges. Source: Entergy Texas's residential bill calculation for October 2026.
About 90% of that bill rises and falls with the kWh you buy, which is why power your panels supply directly is worth so much more than power they export.
Where your solar goes
A home uses solar power first. Only what the house can't use at that moment flows out to the grid. For a home with a $150 average bill and panels sized to cover 85% of its use, our estimate looks like this:
Our estimate, from the same model as our calculator: Beaumont sun, a typical household use pattern, Entergy Texas's October 2026 rate and its average 2026 credit. Your split depends on when you use power.
Less than half the power does about three quarters of the saving. Entergy Texas notes the same thing from the other side: the surplus on your bill won't match what your panels make, because your home uses the production first.
What solar saves on Entergy Texas
| Average monthly bill | System size | Yearly savings | Payback at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 4.5 kW | $480 to $550 | 21 to 24 years |
| $150 | 7.2 kW | $760 to $880 | 21 to 24 years |
| $200 | 9.9 kW | $1,050 to $1,200 | 21 to 24 years |
| $250 | 12.6 kW | $1,330 to $1,530 | 21 to 24 years |
Our estimate: panels sized to cover 85% of your use with Beaumont sun (NREL PVWatts), Entergy Texas's October 2026 rate and 2026 credits. Savings range from covering 75% to 95% of use. Payback counts rising prices (capped at 3% a year), 0.5% a year panel wear and no incentives, the method on our is solar worth it page.
Payback is long here because more than half the output is credited at under 4 cents. In our estimate it's similar across bill sizes, because a bigger system for a bigger household exports about the same share. Federal data put the average Entergy Texas home at 1,210 kWh and $165 a month in 2024.
Making solar pay better on Entergy Texas
- Use power while the sun is up. Running the dishwasher, laundry or pool pump at midday turns 3.7-cent exports into 14-cent savings.
- Size to your daytime use. Every extra panel past what the house uses in daylight mostly earns the avoided cost rate.
- Consider a battery. Storing midday surplus for the evening keeps it at the full rate, and it backs up your power; see the outage section below.
- Check the price per watt. At these credit rates, a lower price shortens payback more than anything else. Our Texas cost guide shows what Texans pay.
Connecting to Entergy Texas
- Under 15 kW AC: install first. Entergy Texas doesn't require pre-approval. The application, its interconnection agreement (Schedule IPODG) and a one-line diagram go in through Entergy's online portal once the system is complete. Only portal applications are accepted.
- 15 kW AC or more: get approval first. Entergy Texas checks whether the transformer can handle the system and may require an upgrade.
- Permits. Your city or county submits the approved permit through Entergy Texas's permit portal; Entergy Texas can't waive it.
- Back-feed inspection. Entergy Texas checks the wiring and the outside manual disconnect, and that the system won't feed the grid during an outage.
- Meter and credits. Your existing advanced meter is reprogrammed to count both directions, and credits start with the next bill.
Entergy Texas doesn't charge to join the program, though there can be a fee for a pre-interconnection study or costs for upgrades your system makes necessary. If you're on level billing, it can take months to reflect the solar savings, since it averages the last 12 months.
Moving? The interconnection agreement asks for 14 days' written notice of a change in ownership. If you buy a home that already has solar, Entergy Texas sends a new agreement to sign; without it, the account gets no credit for power sent to the grid.
Outages and batteries
Entergy Texas's FAQ is direct: solar systems on its program "must automatically shut down when there is a loss of power and may not be utilized as back-up power." Batteries are allowed. Federal data show why some customers want one: Entergy Texas customers averaged 42 hours without power in 2020 and 29 hours in 2024, counting major storms. Leaving out major event days, it was about 5 to 6 hours a year. Our battery guide covers what a battery runs and costs.
Your estimate in three steps
- Enter your billYour ZIP code, your utility and last month's bill.
- See your estimateA yearly savings range based on your utility's rates and the sun where you live.
- Choose what's nextAsk for a quote call if you want real pricing, or just keep the number.
See what solar could save you
It takes about a minute. You don't need a site visit, a commitment or a sales call to see your number.
Common questions
Does Entergy Texas have net metering?
Not one-for-one for new solar customers. Entergy Texas bills you for all the power it supplies and credits all the power your panels send to the grid at its avoided cost: 3.866 cents per kWh from May to September and 3.5865 cents the rest of 2026.
What is Entergy Texas's solar buyback rate in 2026?
3.866 cents per kWh for May through September and 3.5865 cents for October through April. Entergy Texas generally files updated avoided cost estimates each February.
Does Entergy Texas offer solar rebates?
No. Entergy Texas's solar FAQ says it does not offer any rebates or tax incentives for solar panels, and the 30% federal credit ended for home systems placed in service after 2025.
Is solar worth it with Entergy Texas?
It can be, but payback is long. In our estimate, a system sized to a $150 monthly bill pays back in about 21 to 24 years at $3.00 to $3.50 a watt, because most exported power is credited at under 4 cents. Using more of your solar at home, or a lower price, shortens it.
Do I need approval before installing solar with Entergy Texas?
Only for systems of 15 kW AC or more. Smaller systems apply through Entergy's online portal once installed; larger ones need pre-approval because Entergy Texas may need to upgrade the transformer.
Will my solar panels work during an Entergy Texas outage?
Not on their own. Entergy Texas says solar systems on its program must automatically shut down when the power goes out and can't be used as backup. You can add a battery for backup.
Related guides
- Is solar worth it in Texas?
- Texas solar buyback plans
- Solar batteries and Texas outages
- How much solar panels cost in Texas
- Texas solar incentives in 2026
- Solar for CenterPoint customers
Entergy Texas updates its avoided cost credit each year, and rates and riders change monthly. Estimates are ours, not Entergy Texas's. Sources: Entergy Texas: net metering for renewable energy resources · Entergy Texas distributed generation FAQ (PDF) · Entergy Texas residential bill calculation, October 2026 (PDF) · Entergy Texas: about us · EIA Form 861, 2024 sales and reliability data · PVWatts v8, National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL) · IRS FAQs on the 2025 changes to section 25D. Reviewed October 2026.
Next guideIs solar worth it in Texas? →