Exported Electricity

If you have solar panels installed on your home, you might want to know what happens to the electricity that isn’t used in the home. 

The electricity that isn’t used is sent to the grid and redistributed to other households.   

OFGEM introduce the Smart Export Guarantee as a support mechanism that ensures properties that generate their own electricity are paid for electricity they export to the grid. 

This doesn’t happen automatically, so you need to sign up to get the SEG tariff. 

Under the scheme, all licenced energy companies with 150,000 or more customers must provide at least one SEG tariff. Smaller suppliers can offer an export tariff if they want to. 

All suppliers can also choose to offer other means of making payments for exported electricity, separate to the SEG arrangements. 

Can I claim the Smart Export Guarantee tariff? 
No – Cynon Taf housing will apply for the Smart Export Guarantee tariff. 

How does Cynon Taf apply for SEG 
Cynon Taf has partnered with a broker who will apply for a SEG tariff on our behalf.  The broker will provide the information needed to receive the SEG payments.  

Why does Cynon Taf claim the SEG and not the household? 
As the landlord, Cynon Taf is responsible for the solar panels and their long-term maintenance and management.  This comes at a cost and Cynon Taf will use the sustainable funding opportunity of SEG to offset the costs of looking after the solar panels. 

What happens to the SEG income? 
SEG income is used to cover the cost of managing and maintaining the solar panels.  If Cynon Taf did not claim the SEG, these costs would come from rental income only, meaning all tenants will be paying for the solar panels, even those that don’t have them. 

How do I benefit? 
If you have solar panels installed, you have the benefit of the free electricity that is being generated.  Cynon Taf wants tenants to use as much of the free electricity that is being generated by the solar panels as this is by far the best way to make the best savings.  This is because you are not paying for the electricity from your energy supplier.  
See more about how you benefit from solar panels page (link below).

Do I need to do anything? 
Cynon Taf will apply for the SEG tariff with a broker.  This will be done automatically. 
However, SEG tariff can only work with smart meters as they record the amount of exported electricity.  If you don’t have a smart meter the electricity will be exported and sold by the energy firms and no one receives payment.   
To ensure that this doesn’t happen, Cynon Taf will request that you have a smart meter installed. 

How do I get a smart meter? 
You can request a smart meter from your energy supplier.  See our smart meter page for more information (link below).

What if my energy supplier has asked for solar panel certificate? 
Tenants can inform their energy supplier that they have solar panels.  The energy supplier may say that you can be put on a “solar tariff”.  What they likely mean is that they can apply the SEG payments to your account.  Because Cynon Taf will be receiving SEG, you won’t be eligible for SEG payments on your electricity account.