Servicing · Guide
Feed-in tariff meter readings: how to read and send them
If your solar panels are on the feed-in tariff (FIT), your payments depend on your generation meter. The company that pays you can’t pay on guesswork: Ofgem’s guidance says estimates cannot be used. Ofgem calls that company your FIT licensee. A missed, wrong or stuck reading can delay or reduce your payments.
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Your meter
Finding the generation meter.
Your FIT supplier isn’t always the company that supplies your electricity. Check your latest FIT statement to see who pays you. You can also move it to another FIT supplier: see can you switch your feed-in tariff supplier?
- It is a separate meter from your main electricity meter, usually next to the inverter or the fuse board.
- It records the total units (kWh) your panels have produced since the system was fitted, so the number only ever goes up.
- Many have a small light that flashes as electricity is generated.
Your main electricity meter isn’t the one for FIT. It records what you buy from the grid.
Reading it
How to read it.
- Find the total kWh reading. On digital meters the display may cycle through several screens. You want the total generated in kWh, not the live power (kW), voltage or time.
- Write down the whole number. Ignore any figures after a decimal point.
- Take a photo that shows the reading and the meter’s serial number. Some suppliers ask for one, for example if a reading looks unusually high or low.
- Note the date you took it.
Sending readings
How and when to send readings.
- Usually every quarter. Ofgem recommends that FIT suppliers remind generators to send a reading once a quarter. E.ON Next, for example, asks for readings from the 1st to the 25th of March, June, September and December.
- Online is quickest. Most suppliers take readings through your online account or a feed-in tariff reading form on their website. Search your supplier’s name with “feed-in tariff meter reading” to find it.
- Keep your own record. Keeping a note of every reading, with the photo, makes it easy to spot a problem and to answer any query.
Missed readings
Missed a reading?
Don’t worry: the meter keeps counting, so the generation isn’t lost. Your next reading covers the whole period. E.ON Next, for example, says a missed payment is included in your next one as long as it has a reading for that date.
Payments can be held back if your supplier can’t get valid readings for long. FIT suppliers must also verify generation meter readings at least once every two years, often with a visit or a photo check. If that can’t be done, payments may be withheld until it is.
Odd readings
Readings that don’t look right.
- The number hasn’t moved in days of daylight: the system has probably stopped generating. See solar panels not working?
- Much lower than the same quarter last year: there may be a fault, new shading or a failing inverter. Our FIT check compares what you were paid with what a working system your size should earn.
- The display is blank or the meter looks damaged: get it checked. A faulty meter can mean payments stop until it’s fixed.
To check what your system should be paid this year, see feed-in tariff rates 2026/27.
Faulty meters
If the meter is faulty or needs replacing.
- Tell your FIT supplier. Ofgem says you must notify your FIT licensee when a generation meter has been replaced or removed.
- Check who pays. E.ON Next, for example, says repairing a faulty generation meter is the owner’s responsibility and cost. Check your own supplier’s terms.
- Record both meters on the day. Note the final reading and serial number of the old meter and the first reading and serial number of the new one, with photos.
We can test the system and replace a faulty generation meter, and give you the readings and details your supplier needs. You get a clear written quote before any work starts. See solar panel servicing.
Changes
Repairs, batteries and moving house.
- Repairing or replacing equipment. Ofgem says you can repair or replace some or all of the equipment, such as an inverter, without affecting your accreditation, as long as the installation still meets the scheme rules. Tell your FIT supplier about changes to the installation, and always about any change to its total installed capacity. See inverter repair.
- Adding a battery. Ofgem says that as long as your generation (and export, if you have an export meter) can still be measured accurately, your payments won’t be affected. See will a battery affect my FIT payments? and battery storage.
- Selling or moving house. The feed-in tariff stays with the installation, not the owner. The new owner contacts the FIT supplier to take over, and it is their job to get the records from the previous owner. Panels moved to a different property are no longer eligible. See buying or selling a house with solar panels.
Sources: Ofgem, Feed-in Tariffs: generators and FIT guidance for generators and for suppliers; E.ON Next feed-in tariff help; Which?, What was the feed-in tariff?
Keep your MCS certificate somewhere safe. Customers on our Solar Maintenance Plans can download theirs any time from their My Solar account.
Questions
The things people ask before they ring.
Not answered here? Call 0800 156 0191, Monday to Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm.
Where is my feed-in tariff meter?
Your FIT readings come from the generation meter, a separate meter usually next to the inverter or the fuse board. It shows the total kWh your panels have produced since they were fitted. Your main electricity meter is a different meter.
How often do I need to send feed-in tariff readings?
Most suppliers ask for a reading every quarter, and Ofgem recommends they remind you quarterly. Your FIT statement or your supplier’s website gives the dates.
What happens if I miss a feed-in tariff meter reading?
The meter keeps counting, so the generation isn’t lost. Your next reading covers the whole period, although payment may be delayed until you send one. Suppliers can hold back payments if they can’t get valid readings, including the check they must do at least every two years.
How long do feed-in tariff payments last?
Up to 20 years, or 25 years for systems that joined before August 2012. The scheme closed to new applicants at the end of March 2019. Most homes without an export meter are paid for export on a “deemed” basis, usually 50% of what the panels generate.
Ready when you are
Payments look low, or the meter’s stuck?
We’ll call you back to talk it through, and you get a clear written quote before any work starts. Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm.