Is a home battery worth it in Missouri?
Rates are moderate and incentives are thin, so a battery is mostly worth it for backup and, on Ameren, for keeping your own low-value export power. Confirm net metering terms with your utility; a 2026 cash buyer gets no federal purchase credit.
Missouri at a glance
- Average residential rate
- 14 cents per kWh
- Net metering
- Net metering is required of all Missouri utilities, but terms vary. Evergy offers one-to-one retail credit; Ameren Missouri credits excess at roughly 3.4 to 5.4 cents per kWh (avoided cost, below retail). Credits expire after 12 months.
- State battery incentive
- none (no statewide battery incentive; the city of Columbia utility offers a $500 per kW solar-only rebate, not for batteries)
- Time-of-use plans
- Common and relevant here
What drives battery value here
Tornadoes, ice storms, and summer storms drive periodic outages across the state. If your utility is Evergy, one-to-one net metering reduces the pure bill-arbitrage case for a battery. With Ameren's lower export rate, storing and self-using your solar is worth more. Backup during storm season is the clearer benefit. Confirm your utility's rate.
The federal picture in 2026
The federal residential purchase credit (Section 25D) expired on December 31, 2025, so a 2026 cash buyer gets nothing federal. The only surviving federal pathway is Section 48E, which a company claims on a lease or PPA. State and utility programs, where they exist, now do the heavy lifting.
Sources
- https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a
- https://www.energysage.com/local-data/solar-rebates-incentives/mo/
- https://www.ameren.com/service/renewables/solar
Rates and incentive amounts change; always confirm current terms with your utility or program administrator.
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