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EDF Export Exclusive 12m V3 is a Smart Export Guarantee tariff that pays eligible households for electricity sent from their solar installation to the public grid. The current export rate is 18 pence per kilowatt hour. It is fixed for twelve months and there is no exit fee. The tariff is available only after a qualifying solar panel or battery purchase through EDF or Contact Solar. This guide was checked on 11 July 2026.
Solar panels normally supply electricity being used inside the home first. When generation exceeds the household demand and any available battery charging, the remaining electricity can pass through the export meter and enter the local electricity network. EDF measures the eligible exported electricity and pays 18 pence for every kilowatt hour accepted under the tariff. A household exporting 1,500 kilowatt hours during the year would receive ยฃ270. At 2,500 kilowatt hours of export, the annual payment would be ยฃ450. At 4,000 kilowatt hours, the payment would be ยฃ720. These examples assume that all recorded units qualify for payment and that the 18 pence rate applies for the complete calculation period. The amount exported depends on solar generation, household consumption, battery behaviour and seasonal weather.
The 18 pence payment is fixed during the stated twelve month price period. This provides more certainty than a variable export product. The customer knows the payment available for each qualifying exported unit without needing to monitor wholesale prices or particular times of day. The payment does not change according to when electricity reaches the grid. A unit exported around midday receives the same rate as one exported during the evening. Once the fixed price period ends, EDF's terms allow the account to move onto its appropriate variable export tariff unless another arrangement is agreed. Customers should review the renewal communication rather than assuming the 18 pence rate will continue beyond the first year.
Export Exclusive 12m V3 is not open to every existing solar owner. The customer must have submitted a qualifying Contact Solar lead after 2 March 2026 that results in a new installation of solar panels, battery storage, or both by Contact Solar. The property must have solar photovoltaic panels. A battery may be included, but battery storage by itself does not generate renewable electricity. Where a customer purchases only a battery, the existing solar installation and the new battery must meet EDF's certification conditions. The customer must also be a residential EDF electricity customer. The export tariff is therefore part of a wider EDF relationship rather than an export only arrangement available to someone buying their imported electricity from another supplier.
EDF states that the tariff can normally be used once for each qualifying Contact Solar purchase. A customer who has already held Export Exclusive 12m V3 during the previous twelve months cannot simply join again unless another eligible purchase has been completed through Contact Solar. This prevents the tariff from becoming a permanently renewable premium export rate without a further qualifying installation.
The tariff terms specify solar photovoltaic panels as the eligible generation technology for this particular product. Other generation technologies are not included within the published Export Exclusive eligibility conditions. A household with wind, hydroelectric generation or another eligible Smart Export Guarantee technology may still qualify for a different EDF export tariff, but it should not assume that Export Exclusive 12m V3 is available. The installed solar and battery equipment must be covered by the required certification and network documents.
The total installed capacity must be 50 kilowatts or less. EDF states that Export Exclusive does not pay for capacity above this limit. A property exceeding 50 kilowatts should contact EDF about its variable export products instead. Most domestic rooftop solar systems are considerably smaller than this, but the limit could matter for a large rural property, estate, apartment development or unusually extensive residential installation.
The property needs an export capable smart meter that can record electricity in half hourly intervals. It also requires an export Meter Point Administration Number, commonly called an export MPAN. This is separate from the MPAN used to identify electricity imported into the property. The export agreement begins only after the export MPAN has been registered with EDF and the application has been checked and validated. This means export payments do not necessarily begin on the day the solar panels or battery are installed. The customer should wait for EDF to confirm the commencement date and retain the opening export reading used for the account.
Applicants need an MCS or Flexi Orb certificate covering the solar panels and any battery installation included in the application. They also need the relevant letter or approval from the distribution network operator. This confirms that the local electricity network operator has been notified of, or has approved, the connected generation and storage equipment. Depending on the installation size and export arrangement, this network documentation may relate to the G98 or G99 connection process. Missing or inaccurate documentation can delay the application because EDF must confirm that the installation meets the Smart Export Guarantee and tariff requirements before making payments.
EDF calculates payments using valid export meter readings. The customer must provide an opening reading and subsequent readings when requested. EDF's terms also require customers to retain submitted readings for at least twelve months. Once a valid reading has been supplied and validated, EDF states that payment will be made within 90 calendar days following the end of the relevant meter reading month. A missing or invalid reading can delay payment. EDF may withhold payments when two consecutive valid readings have not been supplied, although eligible amounts can continue accruing until a valid reading is received.
The tariff is intended to reward electricity generated by the eligible renewable installation. EDF reserves the right to determine whether an export reading includes electricity from another source. This can include electricity imported from the grid, stored in a battery and later exported. A battery does not automatically convert grid electricity into eligible renewable export. Where EDF believes a reading includes electricity from an ineligible source, it can determine what proportion qualifies for payment. This distinction matters for battery owners. Charging a battery from the grid during a cheap period and exporting that electricity later should not automatically be treated as a way to earn 18 pence per kilowatt hour. The system should be configured so that export payments relate to genuine solar generation and comply with the tariff rules.
The customer cannot receive another Smart Export Guarantee payment for the same electricity. EDF's key terms also state that applicants must not receive or benefit from a Feed in Tariff export payment for the eligible installation. The detailed conditions contain further restrictions relating to FIT and SEG payments, so anyone with an older Feed in Tariff installation should obtain confirmation from EDF before changing their existing arrangement. Leaving a deemed export arrangement can have long term consequences. An older installation may currently receive payment based on an assumed proportion of generation rather than measured export. A customer who uses most solar electricity inside the home may find that deemed export is valuable. The 18 pence rate is attractive, but the correct comparison must use the household's actual likely export rather than total solar generation.
EDF promotes Export Exclusive 12m V3 alongside Empower Fixed Exclusive 12m. Empower Fixed Exclusive is the import tariff. It determines what the household pays when taking electricity from the grid. Export Exclusive determines what EDF pays when eligible solar electricity is sent out to the network. EDF's published illustration uses a household of two or three people with 2,500 kilowatt hours of annual electricity consumption, 2,500 kilowatt hours of solar generation and a 3 kilowatt hour battery. Under EDF's assumptions, the combination could result in a net electricity cost of zero over one year. That example assumes that solar generation supplies the home first, excess electricity charges the battery, stored energy supports the home during expensive periods and remaining surplus is exported. It also assumes that the battery can be topped up during the discounted overnight import period. It is not a guarantee. A larger household, shaded roof, lower generation, electric vehicle or heat pump could produce a very different result.
An 18 pence export rate is valuable, but exporting is not always the best financial use of a solar unit. Suppose the household would otherwise buy electricity at 25 pence per kilowatt hour. Using one unit of solar electricity inside the property avoids spending 25 pence. Exporting that unit produces 18 pence, leaving the household to buy replacement electricity later. In that example, direct self consumption is worth 7 pence more than export. The comparison becomes more complex when the household can buy cheap overnight electricity. It may sometimes be financially sensible to export more solar electricity and recharge a battery during the lower priced import period, but battery losses and tariff eligibility rules must be considered.
A battery can increase household control over solar generation. It can store daytime surplus for use during the evening, reduce expensive grid imports and help the home decide whether electricity is more valuable as self consumption or export. Battery round trip efficiency matters. A system with 90 per cent efficiency returns about 9 kilowatt hours for every 10 kilowatt hours charged. Repeated cycling also contributes to battery degradation. The additional export income should therefore be considered alongside energy losses, warranty conditions and the value of electricity retained for household use.
Customers can leave the export tariff without paying an exit fee. EDF requires 28 days written notice after the agreement has started. Residential customers also receive the relevant cooling off protection. Export payments end when the agreement ends or when the electricity supply is transferred away from EDF. A closing meter reading should be provided so that the final eligible export can be calculated.
Export Exclusive 12m V3 is most suitable for a household purchasing qualifying equipment through EDF or Contact Solar and expecting to export a meaningful amount of genuine solar electricity. The strongest candidates are likely to have good solar exposure, reliable export metering, suitable network approval and enough generation to exceed household demand during part of the year. A battery may help manage household imports, but the tariff can also benefit a solar only home that produces a substantial daytime surplus. The tariff may be less valuable where almost all solar generation is consumed inside the property, the roof is heavily shaded or the household remains on a valuable historic export arrangement. EDF Export Exclusive 12m V3 offers one of the stronger fixed export rates in EDF's current domestic range. Its 18 pence payment is straightforward, but access is narrow. The customer must complete a qualifying purchase, remain an EDF electricity customer, maintain compliant metering and ensure that exported electricity comes from the eligible solar installation.
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