Solar Buyback Plans in Oncor Territory: How to Pick a Plan That Actually Pays You

In Oncor territory, the company that pays you for your extra solar power is your retail electric provider, not Oncor. Texas has no statewide net metering, so each provider writes its own buyback terms, and the best plan is the one whose Electricity Facts Label credits your exports fairly, lets credits roll over, and still has a low price for the power you buy back at night.

This guide explains how buyback works in the deregulated part of DFW as of October 2026, the plan structures you will run into, the fine print that quietly erases savings, and the exceptions if you live in co-op or municipal utility territory.

How do solar buyback plans work in Texas?

A solar buyback plan is an electricity plan that credits you for solar power your home sends back to the grid. In deregulated parts of Texas, retail electric providers decide whether to offer buyback, how much to credit and how credits are applied. Nothing in state law requires them to match the retail price you pay.

That is the key difference from states with net metering laws. In Texas, buyback is a product feature, not a right. Two neighbors on the same street in Keller or North Richland Hills, with identical panels, can see very different bills because they picked different plans.

The good news is that you can switch plans. If your current plan does not credit exports well, you can compare alternatives on the state’s Power to Choose site and move when your contract allows.

What is the difference between Oncor and your retail electric provider?

Oncor is the transmission and distribution utility (TDU) for most of Dallas–Fort Worth. It owns the poles, wires and smart meters and approves your solar interconnection. Your retail electric provider (REP) is the company you chose to buy electricity from; it sends your bill and sets your buyback terms.

In practice, the two roles split like this:

• Oncor reviews your installer’s interconnection application, issues Permission to Operate (PTO), reprograms your meter to record exports, and passes that export data to your REP. Oncor also charges delivery fees that appear on your bill through the REP.
• Your REP decides whether exports earn a credit, at what rate, whether credits roll over, and how they appear on your bill.

According to Oncor’s solar FAQ, the meter is reprogrammed about three weeks after PTO, and export data reaches your REP 30 to 60 days after PTO. That lag means your first month or two of exports may not show up as credits right away, even on a good plan. Oncor also requires inverters certified to UL 1741 and IEEE 1547, which your installer handles.

What types of solar buyback plans are available in DFW?

Most DFW buyback plans fall into a few structures: true net metering style plans that offset kWh one for one, fixed-rate credit plans that pay a set amount per exported kWh, wholesale-indexed plans tied to market prices, and buy-all/sell-all plans that bill every imported kWh and credit every exported kWh separately.

None of these is automatically best. The right plan depends on how much you export, what time of day, whether you have a battery and how much you still import at night. We are not quoting rates here on purpose, because offers change often and the only numbers that matter are the ones on a plan’s current EFL.

How do you read a solar plan’s Electricity Facts Label (EFL)?

The Electricity Facts Label is the standardized disclosure every Texas REP must publish for each plan. For solar owners, it shows the price you pay per kWh, the base and delivery charges, the contract term and cancellation fee, and, for buyback plans, how exports are credited and any limits on those credits.

When you open an EFL from Power to Choose or a provider’s site, look for these items:

1. Energy charge and average price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. With solar your net usage drops, so the low-usage price matters more than the headline 1,000 kWh number.
2. Base charge. A flat monthly fee you pay even if your net usage is zero.
3. Oncor delivery charges. These are passed through. Check whether exports offset only the energy charge or also part of delivery.
4. Buyback credit terms. The credit rate or method, and whether it applies to all exports or only up to your usage.
5. Caps and rollover. Whether unused credits carry forward, for how long, and whether they expire when you leave the plan.
6. Eligibility rules. Some plans require a specific installer, a battery or enrollment in a program.
7. Term and early termination fee. A long contract on a weak buyback plan can lock in poor value.

The plan’s Terms of Service document often holds the buyback details the EFL summarizes, so open both.

Do solar buyback credits roll over or have caps?

It depends entirely on the plan. Some Texas buyback plans roll unused credits forward month to month, some cap credits so they cannot exceed that month’s energy charges, and some forfeit leftover credits when the contract ends. Spring and fall, when DFW homes export the most, are when these limits cost the most.

Here is why that matters. In April and October, a Fort Worth home with solar may produce far more than it uses because AC loads are light. If credits are capped at your monthly charges and do not roll over, that surplus earns nothing. In July and August, the same home may use everything it produces and still import power in the evening.

A plan with rollover lets spring credits help pay summer bills. A capped plan does not. Ask the REP two questions in writing: what happens to credits above my monthly bill, and what happens to my credit balance if I switch or move?

Which buyback plan is best for a DFW home with a battery?

With a home battery, the buyback plan matters less because you can store midday solar for evening use instead of exporting it. Plans that credit exports below retail become less painful, and market-indexed plans can become more attractive if your system can export during high-price evening hours.

ERCOT’s tightest hours are now around 8 to 9 p.m., after solar output fades. The grid set an all-time demand record of 91,134 MW on July 22, 2026. A battery that covers your evening load helps you avoid buying power during that window and keeps essentials running if the grid goes down. Our battery backup page explains how a FranklinWH system works with solar, and our guide to picking the right battery for solar in DFW goes deeper on sizing.

What if you are not in Oncor territory?

If a co-op or municipal utility serves your home, you cannot choose a retail electric provider, and buyback rules come from that utility. Parts of Denton County and northern Tarrant County are served by CoServ, Tri-County Electric Cooperative or Denton Municipal Electric, each with its own interconnection process and solar credit policy.

A quick way to tell: if Power to Choose shows plans for your ZIP code and address, you are in a deregulated area, most likely Oncor in DFW. If it does not, check your bill for the utility name. Some neighborhoods near Northlake, Justin, Haslet and Denton sit close to service-area boundaries, so check your specific address rather than assuming from your ZIP code.

For co-op and municipal customers, ask the utility for its distributed generation or solar interconnection policy in writing, including how exports are credited, before you sign a solar contract.

How do you pick a solar buyback plan step by step?

Start with real data: 12 months of usage from Smart Meter Texas plus your installer’s monthly production estimate. Then estimate monthly imports and exports, shortlist three or four plans on Power to Choose, and compare each plan’s annual cost using its EFL, including base charges, delivery and credit limits.

1. Confirm your utility. Oncor territory means you choose a REP; co-op or municipal territory means you follow that utility’s rules.
2. Estimate exports by month. Your installer can model this from your roof and usage.
3. Shortlist plans that serve your address and offer solar buyback.
4. Run a 12-month comparison, not a one-month snapshot.
5. Time the switch. Enroll after PTO, once Oncor has reprogrammed your meter, and avoid early termination fees on your current plan if you can.
6. Recheck every renewal. Buyback offers change, and the best plan this year may not be next year.

If you are still deciding on a system, our solar power systems page covers what goes into a quote. When you are ready to size a system around a real buyback plan, contact Prometheus Power Solutions and we will walk through the numbers with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Oncor pay me for my solar power?

No. Oncor delivers power, approves interconnection and reprograms your meter, but your retail electric provider decides whether and how much to credit exported solar. Texas has no statewide net metering, so credits depend on the plan you choose.

How long after Permission to Operate do buyback credits start?

Oncor says it reprograms the meter about three weeks after PTO, and export data reaches your provider 30 to 60 days after PTO. Your first credits may lag behind your first exports.

Where can I compare solar buyback plans in Fort Worth?

Use PowerToChoose.org, the state-run comparison site, and open each plan’s Electricity Facts Label and Terms of Service. Check the credit method, rollover rules, caps, base charge and contract term.

Can CoServ or Tri-County customers choose a buyback plan?

No. Co-op and municipal utility customers cannot pick a retail provider. CoServ, Tri-County Electric Cooperative and Denton Municipal Electric set their own solar crediting rules, so ask your utility for its policy in writing.