Is a home battery worth it in Ohio?
Rates are above the national midpoint and net metering credits survived a 2025 challenge, but with no state battery incentive the case rests on backup and self-supply.
Ohio at a glance
- Average residential rate
- 19 cents per kWh
- Net metering
- Investor-owned utilities must offer net metering; excess is credited at the generation (not full retail) rate, and unused credits carry forward. PUCO rejected AEP's 2025 attempt to cut credits.
- State battery incentive
- None we can source for 2026
- Time-of-use plans
- Less central here
What drives battery value here
Mixed severe-weather exposure (wind, ice, summer storms) but no single dominant outage driver. No state battery incentive, so value comes from backup and self-consumption rather than rebates.
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/oh/
Rates and incentive amounts change; always confirm current terms with your utility or program administrator.
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