Solar Panel Installer Widnes, an independent guide / Guides
Getting paid for exports
Whatever the house does not use goes to the grid. To be paid for it you need three things: a certificate, a meter that counts exports, and a tariff. None is automatic.
Sources checked on 3 November 2026. Written by SEO Dons, which sells and fits nothing.
The three things you need
- An MCS certificate. The installer registers the system and the certificate follows. Suppliers ask for it.
- An export meter. A smart meter can record exports as well as imports; the supplier needs half-hourly or regular readings.
- A tariff. Larger suppliers must offer one under the SEG scheme, and many smaller ones do too. You can choose a different company from the one you buy electricity from.
Using it or selling it
| Case | Used at home | Exported | Saved at 26.32p | Export earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% used, 5p export | 1,359 kWh | 3,171 kWh | £358 | £159 |
| 50% used, 13p export | 2,265 kWh | 2,265 kWh | £596 | £294 |
Output from PVGIS 5.3 for Widnes, after clipping. 26.32p is the price-cap average for October to December 2026.
A unit used at home is worth the price you would otherwise pay for it, several times what most export tariffs pay. That is why using power at midday, or storing it, usually matters more than finding the best export rate.
South against east
An east or west roof spreads its output across the morning or afternoon, so more of it can be used as it is made and less goes to the grid at midday. For the same eleven panels, an east-facing roof in Widnes makes about 3,603 kWh a year against 4,529 facing south. If half of each were exported at 13p, the east roof would earn about £234 and the south roof about £294; what each saves on bills depends on how much of the morning output your household actually uses.
Checking the payments
Export payments rest on meter readings, so check the first statement against the meter's export register, or the inverter app's export figure if it shows one. If a smart meter is not sending readings, the supplier cannot pay for what it cannot see; ask it to confirm it is receiving export data once the tariff starts.
Choosing a tariff
- Flat rate or time of day. Some pay one rate; others pay more at certain hours, which suits a battery that can export in the evening.
- Tied or open. The best rates are sometimes only for customers who also buy from that supplier. Weigh the whole deal, not just the export price.
- Battery exports. Check whether the tariff pays for power exported from a battery charged on cheap overnight electricity; not all do.
With an export limit
If the network approved the system with a cap, exports above it are held back at the moments the house is not using the power. For a 5 kW inverter capped at 3.68 kW on 6.16 kWp, the most that can be lost in Widnes is about 4.8% of the year's output, and a battery or a hot-water diverter takes most of that instead. The limit changes the export total a little; it does not change how you claim.
Related pages
Sources for this page
- Ofgem: SEG export tariffs explained
- Ofgem: the price cap, October to December 2026
- MCS MIS 3002 v6.0: the installation standard for solar PV
- PVGIS 5.3, European Commission Joint Research Centre: long-term yearly output for Widnes by tilt and direction
- SP Energy Networks, connections: small generation and how to notify or apply
Questions about export payments
How do I get paid for the solar electricity I export in Widnes?
Apply to an electricity supplier that offers an export tariff under the SEG scheme. You need an MCS certificate for the installation and a meter that records exports, usually a smart meter. The supplier need not be the one you buy from.
How much is exported electricity worth?
It depends on the tariff. At 5p a kWh, exporting 70% of eleven panels' output, about 3,171 kWh, earns about £159 a year; at 13p, half the output earns about £294.
Does an export limit reduce my export earnings?
Only at the moments the panels make more than the house uses plus the limit. For typical home sizes in Widnes that is a few per cent of the year's output at most, and less with a battery.
A quote, an inverter or a connection question about your Widnes home?
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