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Your solar panels are paid a fixed rate. Find out what yours is.
If your system was installed before April 2019 it is on the Feed-in Tariff, and you are paid for every unit it generates at a rate set in the month you joined. Those rates range from 0.21p to 76.90p a unit. Most owners have never checked theirs.
Three answers and you have it. The same table Ofgem publishes, checked against their own worked example on every build.
How the feed-in tariff works
There are two payments, and confusing them is the most common mistake people make about this scheme. The generation tariff pays you for every unit your system produces, whether you use it yourself or not. The export tariff pays you separately for units that go back to the grid. The generation tariff is much the larger of the two, and it is the one the rate finder above returns.
Both are paid by a FIT licensee, which is an energy supplier, not by Ofgem. Both are index-linked once a year on 1 April. And both stop at the end of your term, which is 10 to 25 years from accreditation depending on what you installed and when.
What decides your rate
Four things, and only four. It is worth knowing which is which, because they are the difference between 0.21p and 76.90p per unit on identical hardware.
Your eligibility date
By far the biggest factor. The tariff was cut step by step from 2012 onward, so an 4kW system accredited in 2010 is paid 13 times one accredited in 2018 for exactly the same panels. Your eligibility date picks which of the ten rate tables applies, and nothing else moves the number as much.
4kW domestic solar: 76.90p in 2010–11 → 5.85p in 2018–19Technology and system size
Rates are banded by capacity, and the bands are not generous: the domestic band stops at 4kW, with lower rates above it. Solar, wind, hydro, anaerobic digestion and micro CHP each have their own table.
860,477 of 869,807 installations are solarYour energy efficiency band
From April 2012, small solar also had to meet an energy efficiency requirement, and the band your property qualified for changes the rate substantially. This is the factor most people have forgotten about, and it is the one that most often explains a payment that looks wrong.
May 2012, 4kW: 15.07p lower · 28.45p middle · 35.56p higherWhere you fell in the year
Within each year the rate stepped down again, usually quarterly, as the scheme degressed. Two systems commissioned three months apart in the same year are often on different rates.
943 separate rates across ten eligibility bandsWhat the feed-in tariff pays for, and what it does not
Paid
- Every unit generated
- The generation tariff, whether you use the electricity or export it.
- Units exported
- The export tariff, at 7.64p for most installations.
- An inflation rise each April
- CPI from 2026, RPI before that.
- For the whole term
- 10 to 25 years from accreditation, regardless of the scheme closing.
Not paid
- Anything installed after March 2020
- The scheme is closed. New systems fall under the Smart Export Guarantee.
- Electricity you buy from the grid
- The tariff is a payment for generating, not a discount on your bill.
- Extra for using less
- Under deemed export you are paid on an assumed half of generation either way.
- Repairs, maintenance or replacement
- Nothing in the scheme covers the hardware.
Is the scheme still open?
No, and it has not been since 1 April 2019. That did not stop the payments: every installation accredited before then keeps its tariff for the rest of its term. What it did stop was new entrants, and the register shows how abruptly.
196,354 installations were commissioned in 2011 alone, more than the following four years together.
How much solar is near you
Every installation on the register carries a constituency, a council and a postcode district, which makes 633 local pictures. All of it is free to download.
| Constituency | Installations | Capacity kW |
|---|---|---|
| Peterborough | 6,225 | 21,354 |
| South Cambridgeshire | 4,527 | 19,693 |
| North West Cambridgeshire | 4,354 | 27,786 |
| Stirling | 4,329 | 38,602 |
| Tiverton and Honiton | 4,146 | 45,853 |
| North Cornwall | 4,103 | 94,618 |
| Torridge and West Devon | 3,969 | 53,787 |
| Washington and Sunderland West | 3,897 | 14,863 |
More on the feed-in tariff
Questions people actually ask
Can I still get the feed-in tariff?
No. The scheme closed to new applicants on 1 April 2019, with the last eligibility dates falling on 31 March 2020 under the grace periods. New solar installations are covered by the Smart Export Guarantee instead, which pays for exported electricity only and has no generation payment.
How long do feed-in tariff payments last?
Between 10 and 25 years depending on the technology and when you were accredited. Most domestic solar was accredited for 20 or 25 years, so the bulk of these contracts run into the 2030s and the earliest of them to the 2040s.
What happens when my feed-in tariff ends?
The generation and export payments stop. The system keeps generating, and you keep the electricity you use yourself, but to be paid for exports after that you would need a Smart Export Guarantee tariff, which requires an export meter.
Do feed-in tariff rates go up?
Yes, once a year on 1 April, in line with inflation. Until the 2025 to 2026 year that meant RPI. From 1 April 2026 it is CPI instead, which was 3.4 per cent for the year to December 2025.
What is my eligibility date?
It is the date your installation became eligible for the tariff, and it is the single thing that determines which rate table applies to you. It is on your FIT statement, and for most installations it is the commissioning date or the date your application was received, whichever is later.
What is the difference between the generation tariff and the export tariff?
The generation tariff pays for every unit your system produces, whether you use it or export it. The export tariff pays separately for units sent back to the grid. The generation tariff is much the larger of the two.
What is deemed export?
Most feed-in tariff households are not metered on export. Instead the supplier assumes 50 per cent of what you generate was exported and pays the export rate on that half. It means using more of your own electricity does not reduce your export payment.
Will a battery affect my feed-in tariff?
Adding storage does not change your generation tariff, which is paid on what the panels produce. If you are on deemed export it does not change that payment either, because deemed export is a fixed assumption rather than a measurement. Tell your licensee before you install one.
Do I lose the feed-in tariff if I move house?
The tariff is attached to the installation, not to you. It normally transfers with the property, and the new owner takes over the payments. Both parties need to notify the FIT licensee.
Can I change the company that pays my feed-in tariff?
Yes. Your FIT licensee does not have to be the same company that supplies your electricity, and you can ask another licensed supplier to take over the payments. Switching your electricity supply does not automatically move your FIT.
Why are there different rates for the same size system?
From April 2012 the rate for small solar also depended on the energy efficiency of the property. A system that qualified for the higher rate can be worth more than twice one on the lower rate, on identical panels. The band is on your FIT statement.
What if I extend my system?
An extension is treated as a separate installation with its own eligibility date and therefore its own rate, usually much lower than the original. It does not change the rate on the original system.
How often do I submit meter readings?
Usually quarterly, and the dates are set by your licensee. Missing them does not lose you the money, but it delays payment and your licensee may estimate in the meantime.
Is the feed-in tariff taxable?
For a domestic installation on your own home the payments are generally outside income tax. For commercial installations, or where the property is let, different rules apply. Take advice on your own circumstances rather than relying on a general answer.
Who runs the feed-in tariff?
Ofgem administers the scheme and publishes the rates. The payments themselves are made by FIT licensees, which are energy suppliers. This site is not affiliated with Ofgem or with any supplier.
This site sells nothing. There is no quote form, no installer referral and no affiliate link on it, which is why it can tell you the rate instead of asking for your postcode and an email address. What you are actually paid is governed by your agreement with your FIT licensee.