Plug-in solar export: can you get paid for what you send to the grid?

Does plug-in solar send power to the grid?

Yes. A plug-in kit is designed to “operate in parallel with a distributor’s network” (SI 2026/848). Whatever your home isn’t using at that moment flows out through your meter to the local network.

You must tell your network operator (the DNO) about the kit. G98, as amended, “requires … customers to notify DNOs of the installation” (Ofgem). See register.

Can you get the Smart Export Guarantee?

Usually not. The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) has two conditions (gov.uk):

You need to show that your installation and installer are certified through the microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) or a scheme accredited as equivalent … You must have a meter capable of providing half-hourly export readings.

A plug-in kit is designed to be fitted by the householder, so there’s no MCS installer and no MCS certificate.

DESNZ’s impact assessment says so directly: “without an MCS-accredited installation of domestic solar consumers are not entitled to the Smart Export Guarantee in Great Britain” (para 61). It adds that SEG “is likely not to apply in the first instance for many plug-in solar installers”.

Which suppliers pay for plug-in export?

It’s down to your supplier. DESNZ expects that some households “may already have an export tariff, in which case they may receive payment for unused power, but others may seek to obtain one (which would be contingent on registering their devices with their Distribution Network Operator) depending on developments in the retail energy market” (impact assessment, p.5).

Octopus Energy

What we’ve confirmed from Octopus’s own plug-in solar FAQ and SEG page (29 September 2026):

Your situation	What Octopus says
Its Smart Export Guarantee tariff	Flat 4.1p/kWh, but needs a smart meter, MCS or FlexiOrb certification, and DNO approval of an export MPAN. That rules out most plug-in kits
Octopus plug-in kit, Octopus supplies your electricity	Eligible for its “Outgoing Prime” export tariff
Octopus kit, another supplier	Arrange export with your own supplier
Plug-in kit bought elsewhere	“You won’t be able to sign up for an Octopus export tariff for that system”

In every case, Octopus says export needs ENA registration and DNO approval first.

Do you need a smart meter?

To be paid for export, yes in practice. SEG needs a meter that gives half-hourly export readings, and Octopus’s SEG tariff asks for a smart meter.

Whether you need one just to use a kit is a different question, and the export rules don’t answer it. Check your kit’s instructions and our register guide.

How much does a kit export?

More than you might think. With no battery, anything not used at the moment it’s made is exported. For our 0.88 kWp reference kit (two panels of about 440 W, south at 35°, PVGIS averages):

Daytime use	Share used at home	London (897 kWh/yr) exported	Manchester (780 kWh/yr) exported
Low	33%	601 kWh	523 kWh
Medium	50%	449 kWh	390 kWh
High	63%	332 kWh	289 kWh

saved per kWh you use (Oct–Dec 2026 cap)

26.32 p/kWh

Octopus SEG rate, if you qualify

4.1 p/kWh

a year per 1p/kWh on 449 kWh exported

£4.50

That’s why the rate you pay for imported electricity matters far more than any export rate. Each kWh you use yourself saves the full unit rate (26.32p on the October–December 2026 GB average price cap).

How to export less and use more

• Run the washing machine, dishwasher and other flexible loads in daylight.
• If your daytime use is low, consider a single-panel kit (see 400 W vs 800 W).
• Match your tariff to your usage with the tariff matcher, and read best tariffs.

What to do next

Assume you won’t be paid for export, and buy a kit sized to your daytime use. Put your own figures into the calculator: it values export at £0 by default, and you can enter a rate if you have a confirmed one.