Going solar on Evergy Missouri: net metering, time-of-use rates, and the application timeline.
Evergy Missouri serves about 540,000 customers across two divisions (Missouri Metro and Missouri West) covering Kansas City and most of western Missouri. Since October 2023, every Evergy Missouri customer is on a time-of-use rate plan, which changes the math on solar in ways the rest of the state has not seen yet. Here is everything a homeowner needs to know about going solar on Evergy: the rules, the application process, the bill credit math, and the cities Solar Assure serves.
▸ The numbers, at a glance
Residential System Size Cap100 kW DC
Net Metering Cap (statewide)5% of peak demand
Application Review (≤10 kW)30 business days
Default Rate PlanStandard Peak Saver (TOU)
Peak Rate (Summer 4-8 PM)~$0.38/kWh
Off-Peak Rate~$0.09/kWh
Net Metering Contact816-242-5971
Bill Credit RolloverMonthly · annual true-up
By Joshua Hayeslip · Co-Founder, Solar Assure
Updated April 25, 2026~ 12 min read
▸ Service Territories
Two divisions, one set of rules.
Evergy Missouri operates as two separately tariffed companies regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission. Both follow the same Missouri Easy Connection Act for net metering, but rate plans, fixed charges, and rate-case timing differ. Confirm which division serves your address before quoting solar.
Evergy Missouri Metro
~310,000 customers · KCMO core
Serves the Kansas City Missouri metro core and surrounding areas. Cities include Kansas City (Missouri side), Marshall, Salisbury, Carrollton, and parts of Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties. This is the older Kansas City Power & Light territory now operating under the Evergy brand.
Evergy Missouri West
Western Missouri · KCP&L West legacy
Serves western Missouri outside the KC Metro core. Cities include Lees Summit, Independence, Blue Springs, St. Joseph, Liberty, Platte City, Warrensburg, and rural counties south and east of Kansas City. Formerly KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations and Aquila.
Both divisions interconnect solar under the same Missouri statute, so the application paperwork, the 100 kW residential cap, the 30-business-day review window for systems 10 kilowatts DC or smaller, and the no-fee bi-directional meter installation are identical. The difference is in the dollars: Missouri Metro and Missouri West have separately approved tariffs, separately approved time-of-use rate structures, and separate rate-case schedules. Most installers (Solar Assure included) confirm your division during the initial site assessment by checking your Evergy account.
If your home address is in St. Joseph, Liberty, Platte City, or western suburbs north and south of the KC metro, you are most likely on Missouri West. If you are in the urban core of Kansas City Missouri or in north-central Missouri counties, you are most likely on Missouri Metro. Your Evergy bill shows which company you are billed by in the masthead.
▸ Net Metering on Evergy MO
How net metering works in plain English.
Net metering is a billing arrangement, not a separate program you sign up for. Once your system is approved, your single electric meter is replaced with a bi-directional meter that measures both directions of energy flow. Here is how the credits work.
The bi-directional meter
Your existing single-direction meter (which only measures imports from the grid) is replaced by a bi-directional meter at no cost to you for residential systems 10 kW DC or smaller. The new meter records two separate registers: kilowatt-hours delivered to your home from the grid (kWh delivered) and kilowatt-hours received from your home back to the grid (kWh received). Evergy installs and programs the new meter within 30 business days of an approved post-installation inspection.
Monthly bill calculation
Each billing cycle, Evergy subtracts your kWh received from your kWh delivered. If you delivered more than you received (typical for spring and fall when production is high and consumption is moderate), the difference rolls forward as a credit on your next month's bill at the full retail rate. If you received more than you delivered (typical for summer with heavy AC use), you pay the retail rate for the net difference plus your fixed monthly customer charge.
Annual true-up
At the end of your annual true-up period (typically aligned with your billing anniversary), any remaining accumulated net excess generation is purchased by Evergy at the avoided cost rate. The avoided cost rate is significantly lower than retail, often around 25 to 35% of retail value, because it reflects what Evergy would have paid wholesale generators to produce the same kilowatt-hours. This is why most installers (including Solar Assure) size systems to offset roughly 100% of annual usage rather than oversize: extra production beyond your annual consumption is paid back at wholesale rates, not retail.
Time-of-use complexity
Because all Evergy Missouri customers are on time-of-use rate plans (mandated by the Missouri Public Service Commission since October 2023), net metering credits are calculated separately within each time-of-use period (on-peak, off-peak, and super off-peak). If you export 5 kWh during the 4 to 8 PM summer peak when the rate is approximately 38 cents per kilowatt-hour, that export credits at the peak rate. If you import 5 kWh overnight at off-peak when the rate is around 9 cents per kilowatt-hour, you pay the off-peak rate. This time-of-use netting means that homes exporting heavily during summer afternoon peaks can dramatically outperform a flat-rate net metering arrangement. It also makes batteries highly valuable: charge during off-peak, discharge during peak, and stack the savings on top of net metering credits.
Worked example: typical Lees Summit home
Sample monthly bill · summer peak month · 9 kW system
Energy received (home → grid, peak hours):−420 kWh × $0.38 = −$159.60
Energy delivered (off-peak):540 kWh × $0.09 = $48.60
Energy received (off-peak):−85 kWh × $0.09 = −$7.65
Fixed monthly customer charge:$13.00
Net bill this month:$0.75 (zero usable energy charges; rolls forward credit)
This example shows a properly sized Lees Summit home on Evergy Missouri West, exporting heavily during the 4 to 8 PM peak window when their solar production is at maximum and the grid pays the highest rate. The peak-hour exports (worth 38 cents per kWh) more than offset peak-hour imports plus a chunk of off-peak imports. This is why time-of-use rates are usually a tailwind for solar in Missouri, not a headwind.
▸ Application Process
From signed contract to permission to operate: the timeline.
Solar Assure handles all Evergy paperwork on behalf of customers we install for. This is what happens behind the scenes between your contract signature and the day your meter starts spinning backwards.
1
Day 1 to 7
Contract signed, design finalized
Solar Assure completes the in-person site assessment, finalizes the system design in Aurora Solar (a professional solar design tool), and prepares the application package: one-line electrical diagram, site plan or site map, equipment specification sheets for inverter and modules, and the licensed electrician or engineer certification of code compliance.
2
Day 7 to 10
Application submitted to Evergy
The complete application is uploaded through Evergy's online portal. For systems 10 kilowatts DC or smaller (which covers most homes), the Easy Connection Act requires Evergy to use a simplified all-in-one application form. Solar Assure copies the customer on the submission so you have a paper trail.
3
Day 10 to 40
Evergy review and conditional approval
Evergy reviews residential applications 10 kW DC or smaller within 30 business days. Larger systems take up to 90 days under the Easy Connection Act. Approval is conditional on the system being installed exactly as designed. If the design needs revision, Evergy returns the application with comments. Solar Assure handles any back-and-forth.
4
Day 40 to 60
Local permits and physical installation
With Evergy approval in hand, Solar Assure pulls local building and electrical permits with your city's authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). The physical install is usually completed in a single day. Local AHJ inspection follows within a week or two. We then submit installation photos, the production meter can image, and inverter spec confirmation to Evergy.
5
Day 60 to 80
Evergy post-installation inspection
Evergy performs a post-installation inspection within 21 business days of receiving complete installation documentation. This usually consists of a remote review of the photos and documentation rather than an in-person visit. If the install matches the approved design, the inspection passes immediately.
6
Day 80 to 110
Bi-directional meter installed and PTO granted
Within 30 business days of an approved post-inspection, Evergy schedules a meter exchange. A technician swaps your existing single-direction meter for a bi-directional net meter at no cost. Your account is updated to a net metering rate on the same day. The customer receives a Permission to Operate (PTO) email, and the system is officially generating credits.
▸ Comparing Missouri Utilities
Evergy Missouri vs. Ameren Missouri.
Both Missouri investor-owned utilities follow the same Easy Connection Act, but the customer experience differs. Here is how they compare for solar customers as of April 2026.
Topic
Evergy Missouri (Metro & West)
Ameren Missouri
Residential system cap
100 kW DC
100 kW DC
Default residential rate
Time-of-use (mandated since Oct 2023)
Flat-rate (with optional TOU)
Approximate residential rate
~$0.115 average (varies by TOU period)
~$0.135 flat
Peak rate (summer 4-8 PM)
~$0.38/kWh (Standard Peak Saver default)
N/A (flat rate by default)
Application review (≤10 kW)
30 business days
30 business days
Bi-directional meter cost
Free for residential ≤10 kW
Free for residential ≤10 kW
Net metering credits
1:1 retail; TOU period-matched
1:1 retail; flat
Annual true-up
Avoided cost on excess
Avoided cost on excess
Solar contact
netmeteringapp@evergy.com · 816-242-5971
Ameren solar customer service
Recent rate change
Missouri West +7% (2024); Metro +14.9% requested for Jan 2027
+12% effective June 2025; ~$14/mo per residential bill
The headline difference is time-of-use rates. Ameren Missouri customers default to flat-rate billing where every kilowatt-hour costs roughly the same any time of day. Evergy Missouri customers default to time-of-use, where kilowatt-hours during 4 to 8 PM in summer cost more than four times what they cost overnight. For solar, this is mostly a tailwind: a typical 9 kilowatt south-facing system in Kansas City peaks production right around the time peak rates kick in, and exports during those four hours credit at the peak rate. Pairing solar with a battery on Evergy Missouri amplifies the advantage further.
Solar Assure handles residential solar installs across the western half of Missouri, primarily for Evergy Missouri Metro and Missouri West customers. Below are the cities with dedicated guides.
We also serve Liberty, Platte City, Warrensburg, and other Evergy Missouri West communities throughout Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties. If your home is in the western half of Missouri and your electric bill comes from Evergy, we can quote you. The fastest way to find out is the solar cost calculator with your address; it will pull your roof and run the numbers in about 60 seconds.
▸ FAQ
Common questions about Evergy Missouri solar.
What is the difference between Evergy Missouri Metro and Evergy Missouri West?
Evergy Missouri operates two separately tariffed service territories. Evergy Missouri Metro serves about 310,000 customers in the Kansas City Missouri metro area plus Marshall, Salisbury, and Carrollton. Evergy Missouri West serves western Missouri including St. Joseph, Liberty, Platte City, Warrensburg, Lees Summit, Independence, Blue Springs, and surrounding communities. The two divisions are regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission under separate tariffs but follow the same Missouri net metering law (RSMo 386.890). Solar customers should know which division serves their specific address because rate plans, fixed charges, and rate-case timing differ between the two.
What is the residential solar system size cap on Evergy Missouri?
100 kilowatts DC for residential systems under Missouri's Easy Connection Act (RSMo 386.890). For context, a typical Missouri home installs a 7 to 12 kilowatt system, so the 100 kW cap is well above what residential customers actually need. Systems exceeding 100 kW DC must apply under parallel generation rather than net metering, in which case excess energy is credited at the wholesale rate rather than the retail rate. Evergy also limits total enrolled net metering capacity to 5% of its Missouri peak demand on a first-come, first-served basis. This statewide cap has not been reached as of April 2026.
How do Evergy's mandatory time-of-use rates affect solar economics?
The Missouri Public Service Commission required Evergy to move all Missouri customers onto time-of-use rate plans starting October 2023. Under the default Standard Peak Saver plan, summer weekday peak rates jump from approximately 9 cents per kilowatt-hour off-peak to 38 cents per kilowatt-hour during 4 to 8 PM. This dramatic peak rate makes solar plus battery storage particularly valuable on Evergy Missouri because exporting excess solar power during the late afternoon peak credits at the high peak rate, while charging a battery during off-peak hours and discharging during peak hours further multiplies savings. Evergy's net metering for time-of-use customers credits exports at the rate matching the time period of export (on-peak, off-peak, or super off-peak).
How long does Evergy's solar application process take?
Evergy reviews residential applications for systems 10 kilowatts DC or smaller within 30 business days of receipt. Larger systems take longer, with up to 90 days allowed under the Easy Connection Act. After approval, the customer has 12 months to complete installation. Post-installation inspection is performed within 21 business days after Evergy receives all required documentation. The bi-directional net meter is then installed within 30 business days of an approved post-inspection. From signed contract to permission to operate, the typical end-to-end timeline for a Solar Assure install on Evergy Missouri runs 8 to 12 weeks.
What are Evergy Missouri's net metering credit rules?
The bi-directional meter measures the net difference between energy delivered by Evergy and energy received from the customer's solar system within each billing period. If the customer exports more than they import in a month, the excess is carried forward as a kilowatt-hour credit on the next month's bill at the full retail rate. At the end of the customer's annual true-up period, any remaining net excess generation is purchased by Evergy at the avoided cost rate, which is significantly lower than retail. For time-of-use customers, the netting happens separately within each time period (on-peak, off-peak, super off-peak), which can benefit homes that export heavily during peak hours.
What does the Evergy net metering application require?
The application package must include a one-line electrical diagram, a site plan or map showing equipment locations, equipment specification sheets for the inverter and storage devices (with current UL certifications), and a certification from a licensed electrician or engineer that the installation meets all applicable codes. For systems 10 kW DC or smaller, the application uses a simplified all-in-one form mandated by the Missouri Easy Connection Act. Evergy provides the application portal at evergy.com under Smart Energy Solutions. There is no application fee for residential net metering on Evergy Missouri (the $300 prescreening fee mentioned on Evergy's site applies only to large commercial DER projects).
Does Evergy pay for installing the net meter?
Yes. Under Missouri law (RSMo 386.890), the utility cannot charge interconnection fees, standby fees, or capacity fees that are unique to net metering customers compared to standard customers. The bi-directional meter installation is performed by Evergy at no cost to the customer for residential systems 10 kW DC or smaller. The only customer cost is for any subsequent meter testing or replacement specifically necessitated by the customer's system, which is rare. Evergy's process document confirms that the bi-directional meter is installed within 30 business days of an approved post-inspection.
Can I add a battery later on an Evergy Missouri net metering system?
Yes, but it requires an amended interconnection agreement. The amendment must be submitted to Evergy with updated equipment specification sheets and a revised one-line diagram showing the battery, inverter changes (if any), and how the battery is interconnected. Evergy reviews amendments within 30 days for residential systems. Battery-ready system designs done at the time of original installation use a different interconnection topology than retrofit installs and are usually less expensive overall. Solar Assure typically recommends thinking through battery decisions at the original quote stage to avoid retrofit costs and a second round of permitting. Try the solar cost calculator with the battery option enabled to see what adding a Franklin aPower 2 looks like for your home.
What rates does Evergy Missouri offer solar customers?
All Missouri Evergy customers including solar customers must select one of four time-of-use rate plans: Standard Peak Saver (default, with peak rates 4 to 8 PM), Peak Reward Saver (gentler peak differential), Nights and Weekends Saver (cheaper overnight and weekend rates), and an EV-friendly time-of-use plan with deeper off-peak discounts. Solar customers can compare expected bills under each plan using Evergy's Rate Comparison Tool with their historical usage data, or have their solar installer model expected production curves against each rate plan. Most solar-only homes (no battery) on Evergy Missouri benefit from Standard Peak Saver because they export heavily during summer peak hours when rates are highest.
Are Evergy Missouri rates increasing in 2027?
Possibly. Evergy filed a rate review request with the Missouri Public Service Commission on February 6, 2026, asking for a 14.9% rate increase for Missouri Metro customers (the first rate increase request in four years). If approved by the Missouri Public Service Commission, the new rates would take effect January 1, 2027. The average residential customer would pay about $17.70 more per month. The increase request reflects Evergy's investment of more than $500 million in the Missouri Metro service area since 2022. Missouri West customers had a separate rate adjustment of approximately 7% in 2024. These rate increases make solar more economically attractive over time because solar locks in your effective electricity cost for the 25-year system life.
Ready to run the numbers for your home?
The free solar cost calculator pulls your roof from satellite, runs Evergy's tariff against your monthly bill, and shows your expected savings, payback, and battery option. About 60 seconds.
Written by Joshua HayeslipCo-Founder, Solar Assure · Lake Saint Louis, Missouri
Joshua co-founded Solar Assure with his wife Tori in 2022 after a decade in solar sales and installation. He handles all Evergy and Ameren paperwork personally for residential customers in Missouri and Kansas. Reach him at josh@solarassure.net or (636) 679-0998. Read more →
By Joshua Hayeslip · Co-Founder, Solar Assure
Updated April 25, 2026
~ 12 min read