Northern Ireland households can receive payment for surplus solar electricity exported to the grid, provided the installation, metering and export agreement meet the chosen provider’s requirements. Registering the system for payment is a separate task from having panels installed. Ofgem’s Smart Export Guarantee guidance applies to installations in Great Britain, so it should not be used as the application route for an NI home.
Rates and provider information checked: 15 October 2026.
What is the current Power NI export rate?
Power NI publishes an export rate of 11.88p per kWh for 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027 on its renewable tariff page. This is the rate for eligible exported electricity under that arrangement, rather than a payment for every unit the panels generate.
For a simple illustration, 1,500 kWh of qualifying export at 11.88p would produce £178.20. That calculation assumes every unit falls within the stated tariff period and is eligible for that rate. It is not a forecast of how much a particular roof will export.
Which electricity does the export meter record?
Generation is everything the solar system produces. Self-consumption is the part used in the property. Export is electricity sent into the network after the home’s demand and any battery charging are accounted for. The inverter app, generation meter and NIE Networks import/export meter can therefore show different figures while all are working correctly.
Ask the installer to demonstrate the correct export register and record the meter serial number. Do not submit total solar generation as an export reading. A photograph of the relevant register and meter identification can help resolve a later query.
How do you get registered for payment?
Power NI’s installer information sets out three steps: activate a Renewable Account, add the generating station and provide an opening export reading. Agree with the installer who will help you complete these, and retain the account confirmation and opening reading.
Before handover, check that the appropriate NIE Networks connection process has been completed and that the metering can record export correctly. Ask the export provider which installation documents it requires, when the agreement starts and how any meter change will be handled. Do not assume an installer submitting network paperwork has also opened your export account.
If you bought a house with panels, establish who owns the equipment and export rights before applying. A previous owner’s account or roof-lease arrangement may require a separate ownership process.
When are readings and payments due?
Power NI describes an annual export-reading process using the NIE Networks meter. Its published renewable contract identifies 30 September as the usual export reading date, or another date it specifies, with payment following the applicable annual reading. Follow the request in your own account and keep proof of submission; ask the provider if you miss it or the meter has changed.
ROC payments shown beside export information concern eligible legacy accreditation. A new installation should not include ROC income merely because a supplier’s tariff page lists ROC rates.
How should you compare other NI export offers?
Compare the current contract period, when the rate becomes known, payment timing, eligibility, fees and switching terms. For example, Share Energy’s microgeneration FAQs currently say its 2026/27 rate will be announced in July 2027. An earlier year’s advertised rate is therefore not a guaranteed 2026/27 comparison with Power NI’s published figure.
Check whether an offer requires you to buy imported electricity from the same company. Share Energy says its export customers can retain their existing import supplier. Obtain the terms for your particular offer rather than assuming this applies identically to every provider.
How do export payments fit into your savings?
Keep export income separate from avoided electricity purchases in your solar savings calculation. Using one unit at home can avoid an import charge; exporting it earns the export rate instead. Count each unit once.
A battery changes how much energy is exported and introduces losses and ownership costs. Compare those trade-offs in our solar-and-battery guide, then use a property-specific estimate in the payback calculation.
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