In short: Vermont homes paid about 23.8 cents per kWh in July 2026, roughly 30% above the U.S. average, and averaged nearly 12 hours without power in 2024. Less sun than most states, but high prices, net metering credits near 21 cents and a utility battery lease make storage and solar worth a close look.
Vermont is a small market with one dominant utility, Green Mountain Power (GMP), which serves about four in five customers. That matters, because many of the best options here, from net metering credits to leased batteries, run through utility programs rather than state rebates. Here is how Vermont’s own numbers shape each choice.
Vermont at a glance
- Residential electricity price: 23.75 cents per kWh in July 2026 against a U.S. average of 18.31 cents (EIA, preliminary); up from 22.14 cents a year earlier. The 2026 average through July was 23.95 cents.
- Outages, 2024: about 697 minutes per customer with major events (11.6 hours) and 275 minutes without; 2.5 interruptions per customer with major events, 1.7 without (EIA-861).
- Solar resource: 3.53 kWh per square meter per day at Burlington (NASA POWER), roughly 1,030 kWh a year per kW of panels by our estimate; south-facing tilted panels usually do better.
- Net metering: yes, with changes. Under Public Utility Commission Rule 5.100, credits are based on the statewide blended residential rate, $0.2071 per kWh from August 1, 2026, plus or minus adjustors.
- Plug-in (balcony) solar law: in force since July 1, 2026 (Act 149): up to 1,200 W per meter, smart meter and certified equipment required, exports not paid.
- Electric vehicles: about 11,900 battery-electric and 7,700 plug-in hybrid vehicles through 2025; 1,356 public charging ports at 545 locations (AFDC, October 2026).
- Utilities (2024): Green Mountain Power (81% of customers), Vermont Electric Cooperative (12%) and Burlington Electric Department (7%).
- Weather hazards: FEMA rates Vermont’s overall expected annual loss very low; winter weather is the highest rated hazard, at relatively moderate (National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Wildfire shutoffs: no utility shutoff program found.
Backup power in Vermont
Here is a puzzle in the data. FEMA’s index, which measures expected dollar losses from natural hazards, rates Vermont among the lowest-risk states. Yet EIA’s outage numbers are high: nearly 12 hours per customer in 2024, and 275 minutes even on ordinary days without major events, the second-highest normal-day figure in our state data after West Virginia. Whatever the causes, the practical lesson is the same: Vermont homes lose power often and sometimes for long stretches, and most of those outages happen in the cold half of the year, when heat matters.
Think first about heat and water. A wood stove keeps working without power; a pellet stove, oil or propane boiler, or heat pump does not. A rural well pump and a basement sump pump are next. Then the fridge and freezer.
- Home battery: at Vermont’s price, a battery can also save money every day by shifting use, and GMP offers a leased option (below). Batteries are excellent for the many short outages; for multi-day storms, pair one with solar or keep a generator. Try our battery backup calculator.
- Standby or portable generator: still the cheapest way to ride out a long outage. Run portables outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust away from doors and windows, never in a garage or mudroom (CPSC), and keep snow clear of the exhaust. A licensed electrician installs the transfer switch or interlock. Size it with the generator sizing tool.
- Portable power station: for a boiler circulator, phones, lights and a CPAP through short outages. See portable power.
Compare them in our generators and home batteries guides.
Solar in Vermont
Vermont has the weakest sun of any state we cover here: about 1,030 kWh per kW a year by our horizontal-surface estimate. What makes solar work anyway is the price of what it replaces. A 6 kW array might make around 6,180 kWh a year. Valued at the 20.71-cent blended rate, that is roughly $1,280 a year; at the 23.75-cent retail price for power you use directly, about $1,470. Net metering adjustors, including a new negative siting adjustor for some project categories in the 2026 update, can move the credit, so ask your installer which category and adjustors apply to you. These are estimates, not promises.
Two state tax rules help. Small solar plants under 50 kW that are net-metered or off-grid are not subject to municipal property tax, and net-metering systems are exempt from Vermont’s 6% sales tax (claimed with Form S-3E). Check the Vermont Department of Taxes pages before you buy; rules change. The federal credit ended for home systems finished after December 31, 2025.
Snow sheds off tilted panels, but expect little output in December. Read our net metering guide, compare prices in solar panel cost, check your roof with the solar potential tool and start from the solar guide.
Plug-in solar in Vermont
Since July 1, 2026, Act 149 allows plug-in solar of up to 1,200 W per meter, with a smart meter and UL 3700 or equivalent certified equipment. Exports are not paid, and customers already on net metering cannot add one. By our rough estimate a well-placed 1,200 W kit could make up to about 1,200 kWh a year, worth up to about $290 at the July 2026 price if your home uses all of it; balcony and vertical mounting make less.
Home batteries in Vermont
Vermont’s largest utility runs its own home battery program. Green Mountain Power customers can lease two home batteries for 10 years at $55 a month, or pay $5,500 once, in exchange for letting GMP draw on the stored energy during peak times. GMP also runs a bring-your-own-device program for batteries you buy yourself. Final cost depends on the installer and the site, and enrollment has had waitlists, so check GMP’s energy storage page for current terms. Customers of Vermont Electric Co-op or Burlington Electric should ask their utility directly.
For buying outright, compare prices in home battery cost and options in the batteries hub.
EV charging in Vermont
Vermont has about nine battery-electric cars for every public charging port, one of the better ratios in the country, with 329 DC fast ports among 1,356. Home charging costs more than in most states because of the price: at 30 kWh per 100 miles (a typical figure on fueleconomy.gov labels), about $7.10 per 100 miles at 23.75 cents, or roughly $855 for 12,000 miles a year (our estimate). Winter cold raises that. Ask your utility about off-peak or EV rates, which can cut the cost a lot. The federal charger credit ended for equipment placed in service after June 30, 2026. See home EV charging and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Vermont: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Off-grid, small wind and micro-hydro
Average wind is about 4.4 to 4.5 meters per second at 50 meters (NASA POWER), but only about 2.3 at 10 meters, so small wind is poor at typical sites and needs a measured, exposed ridge. The state’s small-system tax rules cover wind as well as solar under the sales tax exemption. Many Vermont properties have brooks, but we have no state micro-hydro data yet; water rights and permits apply. For camps and cabins, see off-grid power, wind energy and hydroelectric power.
Licensing and permits
Electricians are licensed statewide (master and journeyman) through the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, and its Electricians Licensing Board. The state publishes a list of active electrician licenses. Net-metered systems go through the Public Utility Commission’s Rule 5.100 process and your utility’s interconnection approval; ask your town about local permits.
Local guides in Vermont
Utilities, rates, outage records, permit offices and local programs for each area:
Where we cover in Vermont
- Burlington: Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Colchester, Williston
- Central Vermont: Montpelier, Barre, Rutland
- Upper Valley: Hartford
- Southern Vermont: Bennington, Brattleboro
Local pages will follow as we verify local information and installers.
Get quotes in Vermont
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Frequently asked questions
Does Vermont have net metering?
Yes. Under Public Utility Commission Rule 5.100, net-metered solar earns bill credits based on the statewide blended residential rate, $0.2071 per kWh from August 1, 2026, plus or minus REC and siting adjustors that depend on the project category. The 2026 update added a negative siting adjustor for some categories, so confirm yours before signing.
Is solar worth it in Vermont with so little sun?
Often, because each kWh is valuable. A 6 kW array might make about 6,180 kWh a year by our estimate, worth roughly $1,280 to $1,470 at Vermont’s credit and retail rates. Property tax and sales tax exemptions help. Shade, roof direction and your net metering category matter more than the state average.
How does the Green Mountain Power battery lease work?
GMP leases two home batteries for 10 years at $55 a month, or $5,500 paid once. You get backup power during outages, and GMP can use the stored energy at peak times to lower costs for all customers. Final cost depends on your installer and site, so check GMP’s energy storage page for current terms.
Is balcony solar legal in Vermont?
Yes, since July 1, 2026. Act 149 allows up to 1,200 W of plug-in solar per meter, with a smart meter and UL 3700 or equivalent certified equipment. Exported power is not paid, and homes already on net metering cannot add one. Tell your utility before you plug in.
Why does Vermont have so many power outages?
EIA’s 2024 data show about 697 minutes without power per customer including major events, and 275 minutes on ordinary days, the second-highest normal-day figure among states after West Virginia, even though FEMA rates Vermont’s dollar losses from natural hazards very low overall. Whatever the cause on your road, plan backup for heat, water and food.
Sources
Prices: EIA Electric Power Monthly, July 2026 (preliminary). Outages and utilities: EIA-861, 2024. Solar and wind resource: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020 averages; kWh and dollar figures are our estimates. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. EVs and charging: AFDC, read October 3, 2026. Net metering: Vermont Public Utility Commission. Plug-in solar: Act 149 of 2026. Tax exemptions: Vermont Department of Taxes. Battery lease: Green Mountain Power. Licensing: Vermont Division of Fire Safety. All checked October 2026.