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EDF Export 12m is a Smart Export Guarantee tariff that pays households for eligible renewable electricity sent to the public grid. The current rate is 15 pence per kilowatt hour, fixed for one year. There is no exit fee, but the household must buy its imported electricity from EDF to qualify for the tariff. This guide was checked on 11 July 2026.
A renewable generation system supplies electricity being used inside the property first. When generation exceeds household demand and any energy being stored, the remaining electricity can pass through an export meter into the local electricity network. EDF records the eligible export and pays 15 pence for each qualifying kilowatt hour. The payment is based on electricity that actually leaves the property, not the total amount generated by the solar panels or other equipment. A household exporting 1,500 kilowatt hours in a year would receive ยฃ225. Exporting 2,500 kilowatt hours would produce ยฃ375. Exporting 4,000 kilowatt hours would produce ยฃ600. These examples assume that every measured unit qualifies and that the tariff remains active for the complete period.
The 15 pence export rate is fixed for twelve months. This gives customers a known payment for each qualifying unit without requiring them to monitor daily wholesale prices or move exports into particular hours. The rate is the same throughout the day. Electricity exported at midday receives the same payment as electricity exported during the evening. At the end of the fixed price period, EDF does not guarantee another twelve months at 15 pence. The terms state that the export arrangement becomes variable and will normally move to EDF Export Variable Value while the household remains an EDF import customer, unless another tariff is agreed. Customers should therefore check the renewal offer before assuming that the first year rate will continue.
Export 12m is available to residential customers whose imported electricity is supplied by EDF. It is not an export only product for someone who wants to keep their electricity import account with another supplier. EDF provides its ordinary SEG Export Variable tariff for customers whose imported electricity is supplied elsewhere. The published Export 12m terms include the following eligible generation technologies: Solar photovoltaic panels Onshore wind generation Hydroelectric generation Anaerobic digestion Qualifying micro combined heat and power The electricity offered to EDF must come from the eligible installation registered under the export agreement.
The total installed capacity must be no more than 50 kilowatts. EDF does not make Export 12m payments for generation capacity above this limit. Customers with a larger installation are directed towards the company's variable export products. Most ordinary domestic solar installations are far below 50 kilowatts. The limit may matter for a large rural home, estate, residential development or property with several generation systems.
The property needs an export meter capable of recording electricity in half hourly intervals. EDF prefers a meter that automatically sends readings. Where automatic communication is not available, the customer must provide an actual export reading every quarter, or sooner when EDF asks for one. The export meter is separate from the ordinary import register, even when both functions are contained within the same physical smart meter. Customers should make sure they are reading the correct export register. An import reading shows electricity purchased from the grid. An export reading shows electricity sent in the opposite direction.
The export supply needs its own Meter Point Administration Number, known as an export MPAN. EDF can register an export MPAN where the property does not already have one. The export agreement does not begin merely because an application has been submitted or because the generation system is operating. It begins when the export MPAN has been registered with EDF and the supplier confirms the commencement date in the customer's term sheet. Electricity exported before that commencement date may not qualify for payment under Export 12m. Applicants should retain their confirmation and opening export reading.
EDF requires an MCS certificate for the eligible installation and a letter from the local distribution network operator. The MCS certificate confirms that the installation has followed the relevant certification process. The network documentation confirms that the local operator has been notified of, or has approved, the generation system and its connection. The network approval may relate to the G98 or G99 process, depending on the size and technical arrangement of the installation. Missing certificates, incorrect capacity details or differences between the installation and the application can delay the export account.
EDF calculates export earnings from valid readings taken from the registered export meter. An opening reading must be recorded before payments can be calculated. Further readings must be supplied during the relevant billing periods where they are not collected automatically. EDF's terms state that SEG payments are made within 90 calendar days following the final day of the relevant meter reading month, once a valid reading has been received and validated. The customer must retain submitted readings for at least twelve months. Keeping dated photographs of the export register can provide useful evidence if a reading is disputed. EDF can withhold payment where two consecutive valid readings have not been supplied. Payments may continue to accrue, but they may not be released until an acceptable reading is provided.
A household cannot receive two export payments for the same electricity. The key terms state that customers must not already benefit from a Feed in Tariff export payment or receive Smart Export Guarantee payments from another supplier. The detailed conditions also contain broader language concerning Feed in Tariff payments connected with the eligible installation. An existing Feed in Tariff customer should therefore ask EDF to confirm in writing whether the generation element can continue before cancelling or changing anything. This is particularly important for older solar systems receiving deemed export payments. A deemed arrangement pays for an assumed proportion of generation, while Export 12m pays for electricity actually recorded as leaving the property. A household that consumes most of its solar generation inside the home may receive less measured export than the deemed calculation assumes.
A battery can store renewable electricity and release it later, but not every unit discharged from a battery automatically qualifies for an export payment. EDF reserves the right to identify electricity that may have come from an ineligible source. The terms specifically allow EDF to determine what proportion of a meter reading qualifies where the export may contain electricity from batteries, generators or other non eligible sources. This matters when a battery is charged from the grid. Buying cheap electricity, storing it and exporting it later should not be assumed to earn the 15 pence SEG rate. A battery storing genuine solar generation may still support eligible export, but the system configuration and evidence of the energy source may be relevant. Customers planning regular battery export should obtain confirmation from EDF.
A high export rate does not always mean that exporting is the best use of renewable electricity. Suppose the household would otherwise buy electricity for 27 pence per kilowatt hour. Using one solar unit inside the home avoids spending 27 pence. Exporting the same unit earns 15 pence. In this example, direct use is worth 12 pence more than exporting and later buying replacement electricity. The calculation changes when the household has a cheap overnight tariff, a battery or low daytime demand. Even then, battery losses and the source eligibility rules must be included. The best strategy normally prioritises useful household consumption, then battery charging where worthwhile, followed by export of genuine surplus electricity.
EDF Export Exclusive 12m V3 currently pays 18 pence per kilowatt hour, which is 3 pence more than Export 12m. However, the exclusive tariff is restricted to customers completing a qualifying solar panel or battery purchase through EDF or Contact Solar. Export 12m is available to existing EDF electricity customers with eligible installations, even where the equipment was purchased from another installer. At 2,500 kilowatt hours of annual export, the difference between the two rates is ยฃ75. Export 12m would pay ยฃ375. Export Exclusive would pay ยฃ450. The exclusive tariff is financially stronger where the household qualifies, but Export 12m is accessible to a wider range of existing renewable energy owners.
Export 12m is conditional on EDF supplying the household's imported electricity. If the customer moves their electricity import supply to another company, EDF states that the export account will be moved to Export Variable or the equivalent tariff available at that time. The customer will be told the new price and conditions. The household should therefore compare the whole energy arrangement before changing its import supplier. A cheaper electric vehicle or heat pump tariff elsewhere could reduce import costs, but moving could also reduce the EDF export payment. The correct comparison combines both figures.
There is no exit fee. After the agreement has started, the customer can end it by giving EDF 28 days written notice. Residential customers also have a cooling off period under the terms. A closing export meter reading should be provided when leaving so EDF can calculate the final eligible payment. The absence of an exit fee gives customers flexibility, but moving away from EDF import supply or cancelling the export agreement ends access to the fixed 15 pence rate.
EDF Export 12m is most suitable for an existing EDF electricity customer with a compliant renewable generation system and a meaningful annual export surplus. It offers a strong, predictable rate without requiring a new solar or battery purchase through EDF. It can suit solar only homes, battery equipped properties and customers with qualifying wind, hydro, anaerobic digestion or micro combined heat and power systems. It may be less suitable where the household has a valuable Feed in Tariff arrangement, exports very little electricity or could save substantially more by moving its import supply to another provider. The tariff should be assessed using expected measured export rather than total renewable generation. At 15 pence per kilowatt hour, EDF Export 12m offers a competitive fixed payment, but its overall value depends on import tariff costs, self consumption, battery behaviour and the amount of genuine renewable electricity that reaches the grid.
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