A home with solar panels can be exporting electricity and not being paid for it, if a form was never sent or a smart meter was never fitted. Neither is difficult to fix, and the payment can run for the life of the panels.
Quick facts
- What it is
- Payment for the excess solar electricity you export
- Rate
- Set by your electricity supplier — it varies
- Tax-free
- First €400 a year, 2024 to 2028
- Notify
- ESB Networks, on an NC6 or NC7 form
- The catch
- No smart meter when you qualify for one means no payment yet
- Farms and businesses
- Covered too
What it is
"The Micro-generation Support Scheme allows homes, businesses, farms and community buildings to sell any excess electricity they produce from solar panels back to the grid."
"If you sell excess renewable energy to the grid, you get a payment known as a Clean Export Guarantee (CEG)."
"The amount you get paid depends on your energy provider." That makes it one more reason to compare suppliers — the export rate is part of the deal, not a fixed national figure. Our switching guide covers how.
Who qualifies
"The scheme is available for homes and non-domestic sites, such as farms, businesses and community buildings."
For a home: it must have solar panels, "Have been built before 2021", "Have a Meter Point Registration Number (MPRN) from the Meter Registration System Operator (MRSO)", and be registered with an electricity supplier.
And a pleasant surprise: "Your home does not need to meet any minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) to qualify."
The form nobody sends
"You must tell ESB Networks that you plan to install solar panels. You can do this by completing a NC6 form (pdf) or a NC7 form (pdf) , depending on the size of your microgeneration system."
The NC6 covers most homes — "Single phase electricity and less than 6kW" or "3 phase electricity and less than 11kW". Larger systems up to 50kW use the NC7.
Your installer can fill it in with you. If you cannot remember whether yours was sent, ask them — a system ESB Networks does not know about is not being paid for.
The smart meter catch
"If you have a smart meter, this will measure the exact amount of electricity you use and sell. This is automatically recorded every half an hour by your smart meter."
But: "If you don’t have a smart meter, but you qualify for one, you will not be paid for the electricity you sell until your smart meter has been installed."
Every month without it is exported electricity you are giving away. If you have panels and an old meter, requesting the smart meter is the first call to make.
The tax-free €400
"From 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2028 if you sell your electricity back to the national grid, you qualify for a tax exemption of €400 per year on the income you generate from selling your excess electricity."
Anything above the €400 a year is taxable income.
Common questions
What is the Clean Export Guarantee?
The payment you receive when you sell excess renewable electricity, such as from solar panels, back to the grid through your electricity supplier.
How much will I be paid?
It depends on your energy provider — the rate is set by the supplier, not nationally, so it is worth comparing when you choose or switch supplier.
Is the payment taxed?
From 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2028 the first €400 a year of income from selling excess electricity is tax-exempt.
Why am I not being paid for my exports?
The two usual reasons are that ESB Networks was never notified on an NC6 or NC7 form, or that you qualify for a smart meter but do not have one — in which case you are not paid until it is installed.
Does my home need a good BER?
No. Your home does not need to meet any minimum Building Energy Rating to qualify.
Can a farm or business sell electricity too?
Yes. The scheme is available for non-domestic sites such as farms, businesses and community buildings.