PSEG Long Island Net Metering, Explained

What net metering is

A note up front: Long Island Solar Pros provides solar installation help — we are not a PSEG partner and not a NYSERDA-designated contractor. This guide is meant to help homeowners understand what to ask before signing a solar proposal. Your licensed local installer files the interconnection paperwork; the planning review helps you read what the installer is proposing.

Solar customers in PSEG Long Island territory remain connected to the PSEG grid. When your panels generate more power than your home uses, the excess flows back to the grid through a net meter that measures electricity flowing in both directions. That excess generation can earn energy credits that reduce future bills.

According to PSEG Long Island, more than 70,000 Long Island homeowners have rooftop solar PV — net metering is the mechanism that makes the economics work for most of them. For addresses inside the Village of Freeport the utility is Freeport Electric, not PSEG Long Island, and the program credits and meter-read process are different — verify utility details through Freeport Electric for those homes rather than assuming PSEG rules apply.

You will still receive a monthly PSEG bill

Even with a properly sized solar system, you will still receive a monthly PSEG Long Island bill. That is because solar customers remain connected to the grid, and PSEG's monthly bill includes daily service charges and other grid-connection fees that are not zeroed out by net metering credits.

A right-sized solar system replaces a meaningful portion of your usage charges. It does not eliminate the bill entirely.

Time-of-Day rates and the Energy Credit Bank

PSEG Long Island's Time-of-Day net meter program tracks credits in an Energy Credit Bank, and Time-of-Day customers may have separate banks for peak, off-peak, and super-off-peak periods. This is one of the reasons battery storage is increasingly common on Long Island — it gives you more control over when stored solar energy is consumed versus exported.

Where battery storage fits in

Battery storage gives Long Island homeowners more control over when their solar energy is used. Instead of exporting all excess generation, you can store some of it and use it later — during evening hours, during peak rate periods, or during PSEG outages. Battery backup is a planning option, not a guarantee of uninterrupted power; the runtime depends on the battery size, the loads connected, and how the system is configured by your installer.

Whether that math works for your home depends on your usage pattern, the battery size, and the rate plan you are on. The planning conversation walks through that side by side with any installer proposal you are reviewing. Incentives change and eligibility varies — confirm details with the program administrator and a qualified tax professional.