Solar Feed-in-Tariff with EDF

inspectorperez

Just looking for a bit of a steer in respect of my solar FIT contract for EDF which I have had for about 13 years now.

The readings are submitted quarterly based on the solar meter which was installed from Day 1. The payment comprises two elements, one being the rate for energy generated and the second being a deemed rate at 50% of the quarterly generation (currently 5.07p per kWh).

Having had a smart meter for electricity consumption fitted several years ago, I just happened to notice the other day scrolling through the menu that there is a figure reported for "export" energy.

Just wondering if there is some way I should be reporting these figures as an alternative to the deemed calculation which has been performed historically by EDF? Even if it were possible, not sure how much difference it would make.

The generation rate I currently receive is 71.85p per kWh.

jennifernil

You do not need to report export as you are on the deemed export scheme, but you can opt to switch to  metered export, usually at a better rate of payment.  Once you have changed to metered export, you cannot change back.  

 You can switch to a different provider for your export if you wish, but usually the best rate you can get will be with whoever you buy your electricity from.

We were also with EDF for our FIT payments, same rate as you are on, but once we got a smart meter we checked how much of our generation we were actually exporting and found it was a good bit more than 50%.

We had moved our import to Octopus, so switched our FIT to them and then went onto their metered export rate.  We still get the same rate of FIT for our generation, but at present receive 15p per kWh for our export as we are import customers.

If we left Octopus for import, we would get a much lower rate from Octopus for our export , but we could choose to move our export to a different company.

It all turned into a bit of a saga originally as EDF were not keen to split the total FIT payments, so that is why we decided it was easier to move the whole thing to Octopus.  In the end it was advantageous as we now get a better rate for our export, meantime anyway.

Do you export more than 50% of your generation?

inspectorperez

jennifernil said:

You do not need to report export as you are on the deemed export scheme, but you can opt to switch to  metered export, usually at a better rate of payment.  Once you have changed to metered export, you cannot change back.  

 You can switch to a different provider for your export if you wish, but usually the best rate you can get will be with whoever you buy your electricity from.

We were also with EDF for our FIT payments, same rate as you are on, but once we got a smart meter we checked how much of our generation we were actually exporting and found it was a good bit more than 50%.

We had moved our import to Octopus, so switched our FIT to them and then went onto their metered export rate.  We still get the same rate of FIT for our generation, but at present receive 15p per kWh for our export as we are import customers.

If we left Octopus for import, we would get a much lower rate from Octopus for our export , but we could choose to move our export to a different company.

It all turned into a bit of a saga originally as EDF were not keen to split the total FIT payments, so that is why we decided it was easier to move the whole thing to Octopus.  In the end it was advantageous as we now get a better rate for our export, meantime anyway.

Do you export more than 50% of your generation?

That's really helpful thanks.

May I ask how you went about switching your FIT contract to Octopus?

I am currently with Octopus as a dual energy customer and it would make sense to switch to them.

I'm not sure what my export percentage is and will need to monitor.

At present the export figure is showing as circa 3,600 Kwh which I guess will be the accumulated total since the smart meter was fitted in 2023. This is roughly equivalent to my annual solar generation, so ball park over 2 years it must be circa 50%.

Just wondering also how the export reading would be reported to Octopus. Presumably they would need a starting figure at commencement date and thereafter generation reading from solar meter and export figure from smart meter?

Sorry if my questions seem a bit dumb, but would hate to upset the applecart and get something wrong as this source of income has been very handy since the installation.

Keep_pedalling

jennifernil said:

You do not need to report export as you are on the deemed export scheme, but you can opt to switch to  metered export, usually at a better rate of payment.  Once you have changed to metered export, you cannot change back.  

 You can switch to a different provider for your export if you wish, but usually the best rate you can get will be with whoever you buy your electricity from.

We were also with EDF for our FIT payments, same rate as you are on, but once we got a smart meter we checked how much of our generation we were actually exporting and found it was a good bit more than 50%.

We had moved our import to Octopus, so switched our FIT to them and then went onto their metered export rate.  We still get the same rate of FIT for our generation, but at present receive 15p per kWh for our export as we are import customers.

If we left Octopus for import, we would get a much lower rate from Octopus for our export , but we could choose to move our export to a different company.

It all turned into a bit of a saga originally as EDF were not keen to split the total FIT payments, so that is why we decided it was easier to move the whole thing to Octopus.  In the end it was advantageous as we now get a better rate for our export, meantime anyway.

Do you export more than 50% of your generation?

The OP will not get a better rate. Switching from FIT export to SEG payments only works with more recent installations where the fit FIT payments will be far lower than the OP is getting.

jennifernil

It is all done on line, there is a form somewhere on their website.  I think we rang them first and they sent us a link to the form.  You can choose to stay on deemed export, or switch to metered.  The metered amount payment is 15p, but no longer fixed, so even if you only export 50% it is still worth more.

You need an Mpan for the export, they will get that for you, before you can switch to metered export, so possibly  best just to move the whole FIT to them, then look into going on to metered export.   You will be paid for the deemed 50% export up to the date you move to metered so will need to send in a generation reading on that day.  They will set the date and ask for a generation meter reading. 

They can then read off the export figures from your smart meter and they usually do it for the same period as your bill and credit you the export payment against your use.   You will be asked for your generation readings every 3 months, as with EDF, and Octopus are pretty smart at paying, only a few days in our experience.  EDF were prompt payers too.

Octopus and EDF will agree between them the date your FIT moves to Octopus, EDF will pay you to that date, but may make you wait for that payment until the date they usually pay.  The transition should be seamless.

QrizB

jennifernil said:

You do not need to report export as you are on the deemed export scheme, but you can opt to switch to  metered export, usually at a better rate of payment.  Once you have changed to metered export, you cannot change back.

Per the letter of the FIT rules, you are obliged to tell your FIT supplier if you have an export meter fitted. All smart meters are export meters, so OP should inform EDF.

I did exactly this when my smart meter was fitted. EON thanked me left me on deemed export, but said I could switch to metered export if I wanted to. So far I've declined but I keep thinking about it!

jennifernil said:

Do you export more than 50% of your generation?

Depending on the export tariff, the breakeven can be much less than 50%. Someone with an early FIT and being paid 5.25p/kWh for deemed export would gain by switching to a 15p metered export tariff if they export at least 20% of their generation.

From my figures and others shared on the G&E forum, PV systems without a battery or diverter will often export 60-70% of generation.

Keep_pedalling said:

The OP will not get a better rate. Switching from FIT export to SEG payments only works with more recent installations where the fit FIT payments will be far lower than the OP is getting.

You are mistaken, and may be confusing the FIT export tariff with the FIT generation tariff.

The export tariff for early FITs is currently 5.25p/kWh. Later FITs pay 7.39p/kWh for export. See:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/feed-tariff-fit-tariff-table-1-april-2025

Both of these tariffs can be comfortably beaten by non-FIT export tariffs. Octopus and EDF are both offering 15p/kWh, for example.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/smart-export-guarantee-rates-the-best-and-worst-seg-tariffs-for-solar-panel-owners-azICP0i78MD8

You can opt out of FIT export payments without losing your generation payments.

mmmmikey

inspectorperez said:

Just looking for a bit of a steer in respect of my solar FIT contract for EDF which I have had for about 13 years now.

The readings are submitted quarterly based on the solar meter which was installed from Day 1. The payment comprises two elements, one being the rate for energy generated and the second being a deemed rate at 50% of the quarterly generation (currently 5.07p per kWh).

Having had a smart meter for electricity consumption fitted several years ago, I just happened to notice the other day scrolling through the menu that there is a figure reported for "export" energy.

Just wondering if there is some way I should be reporting these figures as an alternative to the deemed calculation which has been performed historically by EDF? Even if it were possible, not sure how much difference it would make.

The generation rate I currently receive is 71.85p per kWh.

Hi - I was in exactly your position a couple of years ago, with FIT coming from EDF and Octopus as my supplier. There are two parts to the FIT contract - the FIT bit itself and the export. You can leave the FIT with EDF if you want and just move the export to Octopus, which is what I did as EDF have always been prompt in paying and there's no difference to the rate. Instead of 5p/kWh for the export you'll get 15p/kWh credited to your Octopus electricity account once a month. Everything was done online and it only took a couple of weeks for me, and that was starting from a position of not having copies of the paperwork (the panels were on the house when I bought it and the owner had deceased). Well worth doing and form me a very straightforward process that just worked.

Petriix

Keep_pedalling said:

jennifernil said:

You do not need to report export as you are on the deemed export scheme, but you can opt to switch to  metered export, usually at a better rate of payment.  Once you have changed to metered export, you cannot change back.  

 You can switch to a different provider for your export if you wish, but usually the best rate you can get will be with whoever you buy your electricity from.

We were also with EDF for our FIT payments, same rate as you are on, but once we got a smart meter we checked how much of our generation we were actually exporting and found it was a good bit more than 50%.

We had moved our import to Octopus, so switched our FIT to them and then went onto their metered export rate.  We still get the same rate of FIT for our generation, but at present receive 15p per kWh for our export as we are import customers.

If we left Octopus for import, we would get a much lower rate from Octopus for our export , but we could choose to move our export to a different company.

It all turned into a bit of a saga originally as EDF were not keen to split the total FIT payments, so that is why we decided it was easier to move the whole thing to Octopus.  In the end it was advantageous as we now get a better rate for our export, meantime anyway.

Do you export more than 50% of your generation?

The OP will not get a better rate. Switching from FIT export to SEG payments only works with more recent installations where the fit FIT payments will be far lower than the OP is getting.

This is totally wrong.

Switching from deemed to metered export payments has no impact on the generation payments received under the FIT scheme, with the latter being guaranteed for either 20 or 25 years depending on the date of the installation. To be absolutely clear, the generation and export payments are separate and many of us receive only the generation payments under the FIT scheme and (having opted out of deemed exports) receive separate metered export payments.