Deemed export or Smart export?

dreaming

I had my solar installed in 2013 and have been receiving my FiT pyts (via Scottish Power) since. To be honest I haven't really thought about it much since. I don't have a smart meter fitted for the solar (but do for electric and gas, which is provided by Ovo), so have to read the meter quarterly and send them in, which is getting harder as the meter is up quite high and I can no longer stand on ladders. Anyway, I was thinking about how to get a smart meter fitted to aid me and I came across Smart Export Guarantee. I've tried to read up about it but can't work out whether I would be be better off financially if I switched to this. I am at home all day and try to use power "sensibly" - running dishwasher or washing machine on sunnier days and not leaving lights or appliances on unnecessarily (and have gas combi boiler for hot water and heating). So is there a way I can calculate the difference between the two tariffs? I have checked my electric usage for 2024 at 725.8kWh, which cost me £167.48, and I received FiT payments of £934.11 (3470 units/50%), so overall I am happy with things. Could I do better though by switching to Smart Export Tariff? Can anyone help me/point in towards how to work out the pros/cons? Many thanks.

Qyburn

If you have a smart meter for electricity it will probably be recording export even if it's not been set up for billing. Might be worth a check, if it is registering you can see exactly how much you're exporting.

By the way you should be getting two separate FIT payments. One for generation, so much per kWh generated whether you use it or not. The other for export, a much lower price per kWh.

dreaming

Thanks @Qyburn. You are right about the FiT payments being in 2 parts. To be honest I've never really looked at the paperwork that closely - just made sure the cash tallied to what I thought it would. Re the electric smart meter - how would I check whther it is recording export - I thought it was only connected to show what I import from the grid? Probably a bit ignorant of me but I think because I have OVO as my power provider, and receive export payments from Scottish Power I hadn't thought they might be connected. Once again, the electric smart meter is above the front door and I won't be able to see it myself, and unfortunately my daughter, who usually helps me with stuff like this had a minor operation today so won't be able to help for a couple of weeks. Do you think OVO would know. as I'm sure it was their installation a few years ago? I was trying the read about SEG on the OVO site but admit it meant very little to me and it seems I would have to stop my FIT pyts with Scottish Power to go with them. That then brings up another question - is there a difference in SEG payments between providers? I don't want to stop the FIT payments, which just about cover my electric and gas combined bills each year and find out I'm worse off. That's why I wondered if there was an easy way to calculate the different payments - deemed export vs. smart export.

QrizB

dreaming said:

Re the electric smart meter - how would I check whther it is recording export - I thought it was only connected to show what I import from the grid?

All UK domestic smart meters include an export register, it's part of the spec. Exactly how to read it varies significantly between models, though; some are easy, others need the correct chants and the blood of an avocado by moonlight.

What model is your meter? Share a photo if it's easier.

dreaming

QrizB said:

dreaming said:

Re the electric smart meter - how would I check whther it is recording export - I thought it was only connected to show what I import from the grid?

All UK domestic smart meters include an export register, it's part of the spec. Exactly how to read it varies significantly between models, though; some are easy, others need the correct chants and the blood of an avocado by moonlight.

What model is your meter? Share a photo if it's easier.

Ha - I could do with blood of an avocado to be honest, but I have just scoffed 2 Cadbury Cream Eggs (seemingly modelled on quail eggs these days) does that help? Sadly my technology skills (aka using my phone) is akin to my step ladder climbing skills - i.e. extemely limited. However, among the many photos of me peering haplessly at my phone to work out where the camera lens bit is, and lots of the back of cupboard housing the meter, I think it is a Liberty 100 model (does that sound right?). I may have to wait for my daughter to recover so she can read it, or kidnap a younger, tall person. Is SEG a better return than deemed export? By the way, you are very multi-talanted as you recently helped my with a query on topping up my state pension, so thank you very much @QrizB.

QrizB

Yes, the Secure Liberty 100. OK, it's fairly simple.

Wake up the display and press "9" until you get the EXP KWH display. Leave it for a moment and you'll get a number. This will be the amount of electricity exported since the meter was installed.

There's a slightly wobbly video here (not mine) that shows this, if you'd prefer a demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qFeYNKgnxk

QrizB

dreaming said:

Is SEG a better return than deemed export?

As to that question, "it all depends". For a 2013 FIT on deemed export you probably get paid about 5p/kWh for half of the electricity you generate. With metered export you get paid a sum for the *actual* electricity you export. That might be more than half, or it might be less.

Your options will be (in order of increasing hassle):

1. Stay on deemed export.
2. Switch to metered export but keep youe FIT export tariff (about 5p/kWh).
3. Metered export on one of your current FIT suppliers export tariffs (could be more than 5p, might be less).
4. Metered export on one of your current electricity suppliers export tariffs (could be more again, might be less).

There's a webpage here that does a fair job of comparing export tariffs;

https://www.sunsave.energy/solar-panels-advice/exporting-to-the-grid/best-seg-rates

You can probably ignore the ones that vary by time of day, so it looks like you could get 15p/kWh or more from EON, EDF, Octopus or Good Energy, 12p/kWh from OVO or Scottish Power, and much less from the others.

dreaming

That's a much better video than the one(s) I did to try to see the model. hHanks. Hmm, it looks as if I will have to wait for someone else to visit (Daughter has just emailed me to say she is home after her procedure and ok, but obviously out of action for a while now), as there is no way I could reach it to press a button, but that helps a lot, thank you. I might have a word with OVO tomorrow to see if they record it anywhere.