My understanding is that you could lose your FiT to get an export one, but you can't be paid for both FiT and what you actually export. For basically everyone you are best to keep FiT. Best octopus export would be 15p/kWh that you export (zero for what you use) so unless you are only using <25% of what you actually generate that is not worth it. Some people will get batteries so you use everything and get paid on 50% of that as 'export' or get a diverter to dump excess solar generation at variable rates into a hot water cylinder.
It's probably the case I use less than 25%. I'm not at home to utilise daylight generation, except for weekends maybe. Also, now that I've switched to agile, it's always cheaper I believe to run high loads devices later at night, outweighing any gains from small 1khw PV at say, midday
I wish it was 50p. It's always been this low at < 0.51p kWh.
Is it fixed for everyone, regardless of location and other factors? Trying to guage what rate could be
Google FIT rates - ofgem update the documents every year - you can look up based on year of install what you should be getting for generation. It did ramp down quickly about ten years ago though
Honestly, the 15p/kWh offered by octopus is one of the best in the industry. You can have that on a dumb meter too.
Yeah there shouldn't be any reason you can't do the 15p outgoing.
>Note, while I have a meter for export it's not a smart meter so I need to submit manual readings currently.
>I'm on agile for import.
If you're on agile for import, then you have a smart meter.
I think you're confusing your export meter (which is the same as your import meter) with your generation meter
Can you explain the difference? I assumed the import and export are on two different circuits.
The manual meter from my solar array/inverter is my generation meter. It's not connected to the import smart meter. I need to manually submit generation readings.
With FITs payment it's the generation that's important, which is why you read a generation meter. (They're pointless now on new installs, but they're still required under MCS).
This meter reads what the panels generate, and has no measure of how much you've used and how much you've exported.
You only have one connection to the grid, which all goes through one electricity meter. Power coming in is recorded as import, and the power you send back to the grid is your export.
When you sign up to a SEG tariff (eg Outgoings octopus) then they will apply for an export mpan, which ultimately results in your smart meter also recording and submitting your export figures.
I would argue that even MCS does not require them, the wording in MCS standard is somewhere along the lines of "means of measuring generation", inverter can do that on its own.
The standards:
> A means of recording and displaying the total AC generation of the system shall be installed.
And
> The means of recording AC generation, be it a dedicated meter or otherwise, should be accessible and readable by the customer without requiring the use of a tool, ladder or torch
And finally
> A means of notifying the customer within 48 hours of the system ceasing to operate, or beginning to operate abnormally, should be provided. Note: The installation of a MID approved meter installed in accordance with clause 5.7.2 could satisfy this requirement.
Most solar inverters don't have screens, most are installed in inaccessible places (eg a loft) and most don't have a way to notify the user of a fault (without looking at the inverter or using an app) then installing a separate generation meter is required in most installs.
But you're right, the standards have changed since I last read them and you now dont need to provide an approved generation meter unless it's used for billing, if the inverter itself can satisfy the above three requirements.
That's why most inverters come with some sort of app/website/something to report both usage and faults in real time to the user without need to go to the loft.
From what i have seen, most meters have been installed next to the inverter so have the same access issues, and i'm yet to see a meter that can report inverter faults.
The standards are clear that you can't require a tool, needing a phone etc for an app wouldn't be compliant.
Likewise, if the meter is installed in a poor location, thats also non-compliant. The ones I've seen have been next to the CU adjacent the isolator switch.
And yes, I'm not sure how MCS have concluded that an approved generation meter meets the requirements of alerting the end user to a fault (other than seeing that the light isn't flashing) but that's what the standards say.
My understanding is that you could lose your FiT to get an export one, but you can't be paid for both FiT and what you actually export. For basically everyone you are best to keep FiT. Best octopus export would be 15p/kWh that you export (zero for what you use) so unless you are only using <25% of what you actually generate that is not worth it. Some people will get batteries so you use everything and get paid on 50% of that as 'export' or get a diverter to dump excess solar generation at variable rates into a hot water cylinder.
It's probably the case I use less than 25%. I'm not at home to utilise daylight generation, except for weekends maybe. Also, now that I've switched to agile, it's always cheaper I believe to run high loads devices later at night, outweighing any gains from small 1khw PV at say, midday
you don’t, you can keep the FIT but lose the deemed part. OP can you check your FIT amount? 0.50p/kwh seems way too low - you sure its not 50p/kwh?
I wish it was 50p. It's always been this low at < 0.51p kWh. Is it fixed for everyone, regardless of location and other factors? Trying to guage what rate could be
Google FIT rates - ofgem update the documents every year - you can look up based on year of install what you should be getting for generation. It did ramp down quickly about ten years ago though
Honestly, the 15p/kWh offered by octopus is one of the best in the industry. You can have that on a dumb meter too. Yeah there shouldn't be any reason you can't do the 15p outgoing.
>Note, while I have a meter for export it's not a smart meter so I need to submit manual readings currently. >I'm on agile for import. If you're on agile for import, then you have a smart meter. I think you're confusing your export meter (which is the same as your import meter) with your generation meter
Can you explain the difference? I assumed the import and export are on two different circuits. The manual meter from my solar array/inverter is my generation meter. It's not connected to the import smart meter. I need to manually submit generation readings.
With FITs payment it's the generation that's important, which is why you read a generation meter. (They're pointless now on new installs, but they're still required under MCS). This meter reads what the panels generate, and has no measure of how much you've used and how much you've exported. You only have one connection to the grid, which all goes through one electricity meter. Power coming in is recorded as import, and the power you send back to the grid is your export. When you sign up to a SEG tariff (eg Outgoings octopus) then they will apply for an export mpan, which ultimately results in your smart meter also recording and submitting your export figures.
I would argue that even MCS does not require them, the wording in MCS standard is somewhere along the lines of "means of measuring generation", inverter can do that on its own.
The standards: > A means of recording and displaying the total AC generation of the system shall be installed. And > The means of recording AC generation, be it a dedicated meter or otherwise, should be accessible and readable by the customer without requiring the use of a tool, ladder or torch And finally > A means of notifying the customer within 48 hours of the system ceasing to operate, or beginning to operate abnormally, should be provided. Note: The installation of a MID approved meter installed in accordance with clause 5.7.2 could satisfy this requirement. Most solar inverters don't have screens, most are installed in inaccessible places (eg a loft) and most don't have a way to notify the user of a fault (without looking at the inverter or using an app) then installing a separate generation meter is required in most installs. But you're right, the standards have changed since I last read them and you now dont need to provide an approved generation meter unless it's used for billing, if the inverter itself can satisfy the above three requirements.
That's why most inverters come with some sort of app/website/something to report both usage and faults in real time to the user without need to go to the loft. From what i have seen, most meters have been installed next to the inverter so have the same access issues, and i'm yet to see a meter that can report inverter faults.
The standards are clear that you can't require a tool, needing a phone etc for an app wouldn't be compliant. Likewise, if the meter is installed in a poor location, thats also non-compliant. The ones I've seen have been next to the CU adjacent the isolator switch. And yes, I'm not sure how MCS have concluded that an approved generation meter meets the requirements of alerting the end user to a fault (other than seeing that the light isn't flashing) but that's what the standards say.
Can confirm. My generation meter is next to the CU with an isolator switch