Electricity tariffs

When you start generating electricity from your solar system, you should sign up to a buy-back scheme with an electricity supplier.

There are two different types of tariff, Generation and Export:

  • Generation tariffs: you get paid for all electricity your solar system generates, even if used in your home. This is advisable if you expect to use in your home most of the electricity your system generates, therefore for smaller PV systems and/or if your electricity consumption is fairly high.
  • Export tariffs: you get paid for the electricity that you supply back to the grid network, but not for any electricity you use in the house. This is advisable if you only expect to use a small amount of the electricity your system generates, therefore for PV systems where your electricity consumption is fairly low.

 

Our systems are supplied with a generation meter. Some energy providers may require an additional export meter – click here for further information on the range of tariffs currently available from energy suppliers.

Also, set-price tariffs are available where a fixed amount is paid by the energy supplier based on the capacity of the solar installation.

Most buy-back tariffs are dependent on the householder getting their import supply from the same energy supplier, and some suppliers limit the choice of available import tariffs that can be used.

You should check tariffs are on offer from the supplier from which you currently purchase your electricity generation and how much your annual bill will be. You will want to take these costs into consideration alongside the generation/export tariff payment.

Referrals

If you install a system purchased from Smart Solar, and recommend a friend, we will give you a thank you payment of £200 once their system is installed and paid for.