Town of Reading and solar
Town of Reading is a municipal utility serving about 26,573 homes in Massachusetts. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 20.0¢34% below Massachusetts average
- Typical bill
- $165826 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 10.4 yrs7.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Town of Reading customers
Full retail net metering (Massachusetts rule).
Massachusetts investor-owned utilities credit residential solar exports at close to the full retail rate (net metering credits), and credits roll over indefinitely. On top of that, the SMART 3.0 program pays a fixed per-kWh incentive for 20 years.
Solar for a typical Town of Reading home
| System | 7.7 kW (100% of 826 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $25,445, $24,445 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,893 |
| Payback | 10.4 years |
| 25-year net | $48,270 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 339
- Share of customers
- 1.3%
- Residential solar capacity
- 3 MW
- Residential customers
- 26,573
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Town of Reading and solar
Does Town of Reading have net metering?
Town of Reading follows Massachusetts's rules: Massachusetts investor-owned utilities credit residential solar exports at close to the full retail rate (net metering credits), and credits roll over indefinitely. On top of that, the SMART 3.0 program pays a fixed per-kWh incentive for 20 years.
How much does electricity cost with Town of Reading?
Residential customers paid an average of 20.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 20.0¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 826 kWh a month, a bill of about $165.
Is solar worth it with Town of Reading?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 7.7 kW system costing about $24,445 pays back in about 10.4 years, with $48,270 net over 25 years.
How many Town of Reading customers have solar?
About 339 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.3% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Town of Reading - (MA) (EIA ID 15748). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.