Electricity rate reference
SolarCalcNow currently uses 29.61 cents/kWh for Massachusetts.
$0.2961/kWh
29.61 ¢/kWh
EIA Table 5.6.A, June 2026 residential column; published August 26, 2026. Divide the published cents/kWh by 100. This preliminary statewide average is a fallback, not your utility tariff. Use your bill's energy-only rate; fixed charges remain payable.
A statewide residential average is a consistent early-planning input, not a reproduction of one utility bill. SolarCalcNow uses it to value electricity consumed directly from the solar system and to establish the annual energy-charge ceiling in the savings model. The calculation does not assume solar removes fixed charges, minimum bills, demand charges, taxes, or every time-of-use period. It also values exported production separately under the selected export assumption. This separation lets you test the effect of a different rate or export value without changing the system's physical production target.
Massachusetts' residential-rate context can make self-consumed solar valuable even though annual production is lower than in sunnier states. The calculator reflects that distinction by sizing from the production assumption and valuing energy from the rate assumption. Snow, roof orientation, and seasonal output can change the site result, so a state average should be used to frame questions rather than approve a design.
Review a full year of usage and separate energy charges from fixed or minimum charges that solar may not remove. Program rules and export treatment can change independently of the statewide rate. Ask the installer to show the exact tariff, production model, and gross price used in its proposal, and keep any incentive outside the comparison until its source, date, status, and household eligibility are verified.
These values come from the existing calculator engine. They multiply the annualized usage scenario by the source-linked state rate and do not include fixed charges, future rate increases, or a utility-specific tariff.
| Monthly usage | Annual usage | Modeled energy charge |
|---|---|---|
| 600 kWh | 7,200 kWh | $2,132 |
| 900 kWh | 10,800 kWh | $3,198 |
| 1,200 kWh | 14,400 kWh | $4,264 |
The calculator estimates bill savings from self-consumed solar at the selected residential rate. A higher rate can shorten payback, while a lower rate makes installed cost and export credit assumptions more important.
Utility plans, time-of-use pricing, net billing, fixed charges, and export credits can differ from a statewide average. Check your bill and utility tariff before treating a planning estimate as a quote.