Typical customer: Not worth it

City of Elizabethton and solar

City of Elizabethton is a municipal utility serving about 23,381 homes in Tennessee. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.

Average price (2026 est.)
12.6¢7% below Tennessee average
Typical bill
$1471,163 kWh a month
Exports credited
~21%No statewide net metering
Typical payback
Never5.1 kW, cash

Export rules for City of Elizabethton customers

No statewide net metering (Tennessee rule).

Tennessee has no net metering law; almost all homes are served by TVA-supplied local power companies. Solar offsets your own usage, but exported power is typically bought at TVA's low wholesale avoided-cost rate (about 2.7 c/kWh in late 2026) or a local utility's own rate.

Tennessee net metering details

Solar for a typical City of Elizabethton home

System5.1 kW (50% of 1,163 kWh/month)
Cost$19,310
First-year savings$704
Paybacknever within 25 years
25-year net−$723

Uses the utility's average price.

Solar adoption

Homes with solar (2025)
—
Share of customers
—
Residential solar capacity
—
Residential customers
23,381

EIA-861, 2025.

Questions about City of Elizabethton and solar

Does City of Elizabethton have net metering?

City of Elizabethton follows Tennessee's rules: Tennessee has no net metering law; almost all homes are served by TVA-supplied local power companies. Solar offsets your own usage, but exported power is typically bought at TVA's low wholesale avoided-cost rate (about 2.7 c/kWh in late 2026) or a local utility's own rate.

How much does electricity cost with City of Elizabethton?

Residential customers paid an average of 12.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.6¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,163 kWh a month, a bill of about $147.

Is solar worth it with City of Elizabethton?

For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 5.1 kW system costing about $19,310 does not pay back within 25 years, with −$723 net over 25 years.

How many City of Elizabethton customers have solar?

City of Elizabethton did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.

Legal name: City of Elizabethton - (TN) (EIA ID 5763). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.