Eversource Electricity Supply Rates Jump 24%: Run Your Own Solar Math

Yes, going solar looks better every time your utility raises rates. And Eversource just handed New Hampshire homeowners a big reason to run the numbers.

As of August 1, Eversource raised its rate nearly 24% to 14.009 cents per kWh. The utility points to data centers, electrification, and higher summer cooling demand. Whatever the cause, the effect on your bill is the same. You’re paying more for every kilowatt-hour you pull off the grid.

Keep in mind, 14 cents per kWh is for supply rates, not the total cost per kWh that Eversource charges for electricity. The other side of the equation is delivery rates (the cost of getting that electricity to your home). Bundled together, Eversource customers in New Hampshire can expect to pay 25-27 cents per kWh.

Here’s the thing about solar math. It doesn’t get worse when rates go up. It gets better.

Why a rate hike changes the break-even

Rooftop solar is basically a way to lock in your price per kWh for 25+ years. You pay upfront (or finance) for a system, and in exchange you stop buying a big chunk of power from the utility. The value of that swap depends almost entirely on one number: what you’d otherwise pay per kWh.

At 14.009 cents, every kilowatt-hour your panels produce is worth 24% more than it was in July. Same panels. Same sun. More savings.

Simply put: the higher your utility rate climbs, the faster solar pays for itself.

And this matters beyond New Hampshire. The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire only raised rates about 2%, which shows how much your supply choice swings the math. But utilities across the country face the same cost pressures Eversource cited.

Run your own solar math

You don’t need a spreadsheet degree to estimate this. Here’s the back-of-the-envelope version any homeowner can copy.

Step 1: Find your real rate

Pull up your bill and find your all-in cost per kWh (supply plus delivery). For a lot of Eversource customers, that’s now north of 14 cents on the supply side alone. Delivery charges push the true number higher.

Step 2: Estimate annual production

A typical New Hampshire home might use around 6,000-9,000 kWh a year. A rooftop system sized to cover most of that is a common starting point. Your actual production depends on roof orientation, shading, and system size.

Step 3: Multiply

Take the kWh your system offsets and multiply by your rate. At 14 cents, offsetting 8,000 kWh a year is worth about $1,120 in year one. At the old rate, that same production was worth roughly $900. That $200+ jump is the rate hike working in your favor.

Step 4: Divide by system cost

Solar panels cost varies, but a residential system commonly lands in the $15,000-$25,000 range before incentives. Divide your net cost by annual savings to get a rough payback period. For many homeowners paying rising utility rates, that lands in the ballpark of 7-12 years, with 15+ years of near-free power after.

Pro Tip: Rates rarely go down. If Eversource keeps climbing, your payback shortens further, because your solar savings rise right along with the rate you avoided.

The 2026 tax credit reality

One big change to factor in. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill signed July 4, 2025, homeowners who buy a system with cash or a loan no longer qualify for the 30% federal tax credit (the ITC, or Investment Tax Credit) after December 31, 2025.

That doesn’t kill the math. It changes it. Plus, third-party ownership options like Prepaid Leases and PPAs give homeowners a path to benefit from a business-claimed solar tax credit as an upfront discount to their solar cost.

And the rising-rate case for solar stands on its own. You’re comparing solar’s fixed cost against a utility rate that just jumped 24%.

Solar.com’s Advice: Don’t guess. Get real numbers on your roof.

What to do next

Re-run your math for solar. Or, better yet, let us do it for you in 90 seconds. Just punch in your address and get a real solar price for your roof.

The rate hike already happened. The only question left is whether you keep paying it.