SEG export metering and MPANs

SEG payment depends on more than electricity physically flowing to the grid. Ofgem’s guidance sets three core conditions for an eligible installation: suitable certification, an export meter and an export MPAN.

The meter measures exported energy. The export MPAN identifies the export connection point in industry systems. The SEG contract says which supplier will pay, at what rate and on what terms. None of those three is a substitute for the other two.

What the export meter must do

Renewable export must be metered, and the meter must be capable of taking half-hourly measurements. Ofgem says it should be located at the point where the installation connects to the distribution network.

An existing electricity meter may already be suitable. The owner should ask the chosen SEG licensee to confirm:

• whether the meter records an export register
• whether it can take the required half-hourly measurements
• whether the supplier can obtain those readings remotely
• how readings will be submitted if remote collection is unavailable

Ofgem allows for both routes. A remotely readable export meter can support payment without manual readings. Where it cannot be read remotely, the generator should agree a reading process with the SEG licensee.

Do not assume that “smart meter” settles the question. Capability, configuration, meter records and supplier access all have to line up. The in-home display is also not the export meter: it may omit export even while the meter itself records it.

What the export MPAN does

An export MPAN is the 13-digit reference that identifies the export connection point. It is different from the import MPAN shown on an electricity bill.

The MPAN does not measure electricity. It gives the export supplier an industry record against which the meter and contract can be enrolled. An installation can therefore have:

• a working export register but no export MPAN yet
• an allocated export MPAN that the supplier has not enrolled
• an enrolled MPAN but missing or invalid readings

Each case needs a different fix. The dedicated export MPAN page covers creation and enrolment in detail.

Actual readings gate payment

Ofgem states that a SEG licensee is not required to make payments until it has received, or has access to, an actual export meter reading. Ofgem’s current generator page also says generators are entitled to payments based on actual meter readings, even if a supplier offers other payment models.

Keep a dated opening export reading and the meter serial number. They are useful evidence, but they do not create a universal right to backdated payment. The SEG licensee sets the contract and payment frequency, and the tariff start date should be confirmed in writing.

A monitoring app is not a substitute for the approved export meter. Inverter data can help diagnose a discrepancy, but SEG payment is based on the metering arrangement accepted by the supplier.

Certification and network paperwork are separate

For solar PV, wind and micro-CHP installations up to 50kW, Ofgem asks the applicant to demonstrate suitable certification for the installation and installer. An MCS certificate is the common route, but Ofgem recognises that another scheme may be equivalent where the requirements are met.

The DNO connection process is separate. The installer must follow G98 or G99, and the supplier may ask for the DNO’s acknowledgement or acceptance as part of its application checks. That letter does not replace the MCS or equivalent certificate, export meter, export MPAN or SEG contract.

The practical document set usually contains:

• installation certification
• DNO connection correspondence
• import and export MPANs
• meter serial number and opening export reading
• the SEG application and written contract
• any schematic requested for storage or multiple generation sources

Import and export suppliers can differ

An owner applies directly to a SEG licensee. Ofgem confirms that the SEG licensee does not have to be the same company as the import electricity supplier.

Only one SEG licensee can pay the installation at a time. Import and export accounts can therefore sit with different companies, but the owner must still make sure the export MPAN, meter serial number and readings are attached to the correct export contract.

When switching export supplier, read the new contract’s switching process and termination terms. Ofgem requires the SEG contract to describe switching and termination. Do not assume that moving the import account also moves the export account.

FIT export and SEG cannot be paid together

An installation cannot receive SEG while also receiving Feed-in Tariff export payments for the same export. Ofgem distinguishes FIT generation payments from FIT export payments: an owner receiving only FIT generation payments may apply for SEG after opting out of FIT export payment in accordance with the relevant process.

Check the current FIT and SEG records before applying. Knowingly collecting both export payments can amount to fraud.

Batteries and mixed sources

Government guidance says a battery or EV capable of import and export may be able to benefit from SEG and directs the owner to the prospective supplier for advice.

Ofgem’s detailed guidance explains why the answer is supplier-specific. If the export meter also records electricity from a non-eligible source, such as a battery charged from outside the eligible renewable installation, the SEG licensee is not obliged to pay for that combined export. It may choose to pay for all or none of it, require additional metering, deduct ineligible export or use an agreed calculation.

Tell the supplier about all generation and storage connected behind the export meter. Do not assume that the export MPAN itself proves every exported unit is SEG-eligible.

A clean setup check

Before expecting payment, confirm all of the following:

1. The installation has accepted certification evidence.
2. The G98 or G99 connection process is complete as applicable.
3. The export meter records half-hourly export.
4. The meter serial number is correct in the supplier’s records.
5. An export MPAN exists and is enrolled by the SEG licensee.
6. The supplier can obtain actual readings, remotely or through an agreed manual route.
7. The written SEG contract and start date have been issued.
8. Any battery or mixed-source treatment is confirmed.

This sequence is more reliable than treating a smart-meter installation or an MPAN allocation as the final step.

Related entries

• Export MPAN setup
• Smart export meter exchange timing
• SEG eligibility
• Export tariff switching across suppliers
• Smart meter SMETS2 capability