Plug-in Solar Export Payments in the UK

Plug-in solar is not currently eligible for payments through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). However, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has confirmed directly to PluginSolarCalculator.com that electricity suppliers are free to offer separate export tariffs to compliant plug-in solar installations. Some suppliers have already indicated that they are working on ways for plug-in solar customers to receive export payments.

This guide explains how export payments work, why plug-in solar currently falls outside SEG, how much exported electricity could be worth, and what you will need to qualify for an export tariff.

Current position at a glance

• Surplus plug-in solar electricity is exported to the grid. You will only be paid for it if you are signed up to an eligible export tariff.
• Plug-in solar is not currently eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The existing SEG certification requirements do not accommodate the normal self-install plug-in solar route.
• Electricity suppliers can offer separate export tariffs outside SEG. DESNZ has confirmed that these tariffs can be offered to compliant plug-in solar installations.
• Plug-in solar export tariffs are starting to emerge. Suppliers including Octopus Energy, British Gas and Fuse Energy have indicated that export payments will be available, but fully published plug-in solar application processes are not yet established.
• Export payments are an added benefit, not the main value of plug-in solar. The biggest financial benefit will still come from using the electricity generated and buying less power from the grid.
• Larger plug-in solar systems could earn £24 to £69 a year from exported electricity. Our modelling suggests export payments are likely to be much smaller for 400W systems.
• You will need a compliant, registered system, an export MPAN and a compatible smart meter. These are the main requirements you are likely to need before you can receive export payments.

What happens to plug-in solar electricity you don't use?

When your plug-in solar panels generate more electricity than your home is using, the surplus is exported back into the electricity grid.

For example, if your panels are producing 500W while your home is using 300W, the solar supplies that 300W demand and the remaining 200W is exported.

Because plug-in solar is relatively small-scale generation, most households are expected to use a large proportion of the electricity they generate directly. However, there will still be periods when generation exceeds household demand, particularly on sunny days and during the brighter spring and summer months.

Battery storage is excluded from the current plug-in solar framework, so surplus electricity cannot be stored for later. Once it is exported, it no longer provides a direct saving on your electricity bill. Unless you are signed up to an eligible export tariff, you will receive no payment for it.

Can you get paid for plug-in solar exports?

Not yet, but compliant plug-in solar installations may be able to receive export payments in future through supplier export tariffs.

Plug-in solar is not currently eligible for payments through the existing Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme. SEG requires eligible solar installations and installers to be certified through MCS or an equivalent recognised scheme. Because plug-in solar is designed to be self-installed, a typical compliant installation will not have an MCS-certified installer or installation certificate.

We asked DESNZ whether self-installed plug-in solar could qualify for SEG and whether suppliers could offer an alternative route. The department confirmed:

At present, plug-in solar systems are not eligible for export payments under the SEG scheme.

Suppliers are free to offer export tariffs outside the SEG framework to compliant plug-in solar installations that meet the requirements of the Interim Product Specification.

So while plug-in solar is currently excluded from SEG, it is not excluded from future export payments. Suppliers can introduce their own tariffs for compliant plug-in solar systems, and some have already indicated that they are working on options.

Which suppliers are supporting plug-in solar export payments?

There is not yet an established market of dedicated plug-in solar export tariffs, but several suppliers have indicated that they intend to support export payments.

Octopus Energy

Octopus Energy currently gives the clearest indication of how this could work. Its plug-in solar guidance says plug-in solar customers can join an Octopus export tariff, such as Outgoing Octopus, to receive payment for surplus electricity.

Octopus has not yet published a complete plug-in-solar-specific application process. For comparison, Outgoing Octopus currently pays 12p per kWh.

British Gas

British Gas says it is building compatible tariffs and smart services for plug-in solar, although it has not yet published a dedicated plug-in solar export rate or application process.

For comparison, its current Smart Export Guarantee tariff pays 12p per kWh to qualifying British Gas electricity customers, but export rates for plug-in solar tariffs have not yet been announced.

Fuse Energy

Fuse Energy has also indicated that it plans to introduce an export tariff for plug-in solar, although it has not yet announced a rate or application process.

For comparison, Fuse's current Smart Export Guarantee tariff pays 13p per kWh to eligible conventional solar customers, but export rates for plug-in solar tariffs have not yet been announced.

Other energy suppliers

We have not found any other major UK energy suppliers that have publicly committed to supporting export payments for plug-in solar.

OVO, E.ON Next and ScottishPower have all publicly discussed or indicated that they are exploring plug-in solar more broadly, but none has yet confirmed a plug-in solar export tariff or application route.

We will update this guide as soon as other suppliers announce support for plug-in solar export payments.

How much could plug-in solar export payments be worth?

We analysed 10,044 combinations using generation data from our Plug-in Solar Calculator to estimate how much electricity different plug-in solar systems could export. The results below show the average ranges for 400W, 800W and 1,200W systems.

To illustrate what those exports could be worth, we applied the current Outgoing Octopus rate of 12p per kWh. This is a comparison rate, not a confirmed plug-in solar export tariff.

The Sources and methodology section of this article explains exactly how we modelled these export estimates.

Are export payments worth it?

For most households, export payments are likely to be a secondary financial benefit rather than the main reason to install plug-in solar. The biggest savings will still come from using the electricity your panels generate as it is produced, but export payments could still add useful extra value where a system regularly produces more electricity than the home can use.

For smaller 400W systems, our modelling suggests the benefit is likely to be limited, with export payments of around £10 or less per year. For larger two-panel systems, however, export payments start to become more worthwhile.

For a typical 800W two-panel system, our modelling suggests annual export payments of around £24–£38, depending on household electricity use.

Larger, oversized systems are likely to benefit most. A setup with 1,200W of panel capacity, while still limited to 800W of inverter output, could receive around £45–£69 a year under the scenarios we modelled.

The current plug-in solar framework allows even larger systems, with up to four panels and 2,000W of total panel capacity. We have not modelled those systems here, but their higher generation means they could export more electricity and potentially receive higher annual export payments.

Export income will also be seasonal. Most surplus generation will occur during the brighter spring and summer months, rather than arriving evenly throughout the year.

For larger plug-in solar systems, export payments could therefore provide a worthwhile additional benefit on top of the savings already achieved by buying less electricity from the grid. They are unlikely to transform the economics of plug-in solar on their own, but they could add a useful extra return from electricity that would otherwise be exported without payment.

What do you need to receive export payments?

Because plug-in solar export tariffs are still being developed, the exact application process and supplier requirements are not yet clear. However, based on the current plug-in solar rules and the information DESNZ provided to us, you are likely to need the following three things before you can receive export payments.

1. A compliant and registered plug-in solar system

Your plug-in solar setup will need to meet the UK requirements and be correctly registered with your Distribution Network Operator (DNO).

For compliant plug-in solar, registration is completed through the myplugin.solar portal. This creates a record of the installation with the local electricity network and is separate from applying for an export tariff.

See our guide to registering plug-in solar with your DNO for the full process.

2. A compatible smart meter

You do not need a smart meter simply to use plug-in solar, but you will need one to receive export payments.

The smart meter records how much electricity you export and provides the half-hourly readings needed by your supplier. If you already have a smart meter, your supplier will be able to confirm whether it is suitable for their export tariff.

3. An export MPAN

DESNZ has confirmed that you will need an export Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) before receiving export payments. This separately identifies electricity exported from your property.

The exact process for obtaining an export MPAN for plug-in solar is not yet clear. Depending on the supplier, they may request one from your DNO on your behalf as part of the export tariff application.

DESNZ says the arrangements vary between DNOs and suppliers, so the process should become clearer as plug-in solar export tariffs and their application requirements are finalised.

What should plug-in solar owners do now?

No action is needed right now. But if you own, or are planning to buy, a plug-in solar system with 800W of panels or more, signing up to an export tariff could be worthwhile once suitable tariffs become available.

The main financial benefit of plug-in solar will still come from using the electricity you generate yourself, but export payments could provide a useful additional return on surplus electricity. Our Plug-in Solar Calculator already estimates how much solar electricity your home is unlikely to use, giving you an indication of how much you could potentially export and earn from.

To qualify for a plug-in solar export tariff, you will need to be using a fully compliant kit that has been registered with your DNO, and you will need a compatible smart meter. An export MPAN will also be required as part of the export setup.