Earn money from your solar panels or wind turbine with our Smart Export Tariff
Our mission is to end fossil fuels. We want to see as much green energy flowing into the grid as possible – and that includes the electricity from your home solar panels or wind turbine.
Join our Smart Export Tariff (SET) and we’ll pay you for the extra energy your panels or wind generation system feeds back into the grid. It’s our version of the government’s Smart Export Guarantee scheme – the difference is that you’ll be helping to make a greener Britain because we invest our profits into building new sources of green energy.
You don’t have to be an Ecotricity customer to join, but if we also supply your electricity you will receive a higher export rate. You can choose from two Smart Export Tariffs.
Smart Import and Export
On our Import and Export Tariff, you’ll switch to Ecotricity as your electricity provider if you’re not already with us. We’ll pay you for the energy you feed into the grid, and we’ll also provide you with green electricity for when your home generation doesn’t cover your needs.
Choosing Ecotricity for your green electricity is one of the biggest things you can do to help fight climate change. You’ll also receive our highest rate for exports – we’ll pay you 8.9p for every kWh of electricity that you export to the grid.
Smart Export
On our Export-only Tariff, you don’t need to switch to Ecotricity as your supplier. We’ll pay you 5p for every kWh of electricity that you export to the grid.
It's quick and easy to join our Smart Export Tariff
Complete the switching journey and upload your documents. Our team of experts will then get to work to set up your supply.
If everything looks good, we’ll apply to your regional Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for an export Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN). It usually takes one to four weeks for this to be created.
Once we have your MPAN, we’ll connect it to your Ecotricity export account within five working days and send you an email asking for a first meter reading.
We’ll then connect to your smart meter and start measuring the energy you export. We’ll pay you once a quarter and send you details of all the green energy you’re helping to put into the grid.
Interested? Apply now by clicking here.
If you have any questions, see if they're answered below in our Frequently Asked Questions or email us at export@ecotricity.co.uk.
Smart Export Tariff FAQs
You’ll need a home solar or wind generation system with a maximum generation capacity of 5MW.
Yes, you’ll need to have a SMETS1 or SMETS2 smart meter that’s working and communicating plus consent to half hourly readings. If you don’t have one, we can install one for you.
We’ll calculate and pay you for your energy every three months. If we also supply you with green electricity, you’ll get our highest export rate and have two accounts with us – one for import and one for export. Each account will be billed and paid separately.
There’s a zero pence standing charge on both our Smart Export Tariffs. This isn’t a mistake – we’re obligated to include a standing charge, even though we’re not charging for it. You’ll see a zero amount on your export statements for the standing charge.
If we also supply you with green electricity, then a normal standing charge will apply for your import account – but your export account standing charge will be zero.
If you’re a member of the government’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme that closed to new applicants in 2019, you’ll need to inform your FIT Licensee to opt out of FIT Export before signing up for our Smart Export Tariff. Alternatively, if you’d prefer you can switch to our Microtricity service and we'll handle all the admin for your payments, completely hassle-free.
It’s a variable tariff with no fixed contract term or termination fees. That means you can cancel at any time without paying exit fees.
Here are the Smart Export Tariff Terms and Conditions and the Principal Terms.
To join our Smart Export Tariff, you’ll need to provide us with:
Proof of ownership of the system
Your MCS Certificate
Your G98/DNO form
The name of your current energy supplier.
How to find your export reading
Button Type: Keypad (press 9)
Press button 9 on the meter keypad to flick through the displays
Flick through until the screen display ‘EXP KWH’
The export reading will appear after a couple of seconds
Button Type: A and B buttons
Press button A to wake the meter
Keep pressing button A to scroll through the screens
Look for a screen that shows ‘Total Active Export kWh’
This number is your export reading
Button Type: Up, Select and Down buttons
Press the middle button to open the main menu
Use the top and bottom buttons to scroll through the display screens
Find the screen that displays “Cum. EXP”
The figure shown is your export reading
Button Type: Green A button
Press and hold the green A button for 3-5 seconds to wake the screen, until you see “Time”
Keep pressing A to cycle through the display
Look for a screen labelled ‘Total Act Export”
The export register reading will be displayed there
Button Type: Green A and B buttons
Press the green A button to bring up the display
Then press B to cycle through the screens
Search for a screen showing ‘Export’ or ‘Total Export kWh’
That number is your export register reading
Button Type: Up and Down buttons
Press the up button to light up the display
Press the up button again to bring up the menu
Select “General Display” by holding the up button
Scroll until you get to ‘Active MD Export’
The number shown is your export register reading
