Homeowners in Cyprus are changing how they use solar energy. The old way of getting credit for solar power ended on December 31st. This was called net metering. Now, a new system called net billing starts on January 1st, 2026. This change helps the electricity grid.
The net metering system was popular for many years. People got full credit for solar energy sent to the grid. This encouraged many to install solar panels. However, too much solar energy started to stress the grid. In early 2025, the grid could not use about 145 gigawatt-hours of extra solar power. A new plan was needed.
The government and the electricity company created the net billing system. With net billing, energy sent to the grid gets paid at a lower price. Energy bought from the grid still costs the usual price. This system wants people to use their own solar power. It also encourages buying batteries to store extra energy.
Although direct money for solar panels is gone, the government will help with batteries. Starting January 1st, 2026, people can get money to install battery storage. This will help store solar energy for later use. It will make people use less power from the grid.
The electricity company has about 4,000 solar panel applications to review. They will try to finish these quickly. People who want solar panels now must learn about net billing. This new system helps manage renewable energy better in Cyprus.