A solar panel owner has had a Non-MCS Export MPAN application approved by Octopus Energy and began exporting electricity to the grid for payment on 11 April 2024, after writing to the supplier's chief executive1. The household, in Perth, had 14 panels, two batteries and a wireless hot water system installed in September 2022, with a system size of 6kWp1.
The owner said the installer had told them they would be paid for exporting excess energy, but the household later learned an MCS certificate was required for export payments and that the installer had not been registered at the time of installation1. The owner described contacting Octopus after hearing about a trial for non-MCS solar owners, paying a £250 assessment fee in October 2023 and completing the application1. The owner said that despite several emails chasing Octopus, there was no response until February 2024, when a Building Control Certificate was requested, and that local Building Control advised the installation was permitted development and no such certificate was required1.
"After many emails back and forth between ourselves and Octopus, we took Which?'s advice to write to the CEO and emailed the head of Octopus's export services division. Within 24 hours we had a reply apologising and our application to the Non-MCS Export MPAN scheme was approved. On 11 April we received our Export MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number) and our exports to the grid for payment went live."
The owner said the panels had worked without problems since installation and that they were "absolutely brilliant at keeping energy costs down"1. The overall amount paid was not stated, and no split between installation, panels, inverter or water heater was given1. The £250 fee was described as covering assessment of the installation and its suitability, with part of it returned if the criteria were not met1.
The account sits alongside other householder experiences reported by Which?, including a 4.4kWp system installed in June 2023 at a total cost of £12,837, of which £2,088 went on 11 panels, £1,262 on installation and £1,622 on testing1. That owner reported electricity use costs, excluding standing charges, of £54.77 in July 2022 before installation, falling to £3.72 in July 2023, and £54.06 in April 2023 against £14.87 in April 20241. A third household reported 40 Trina panels totalling 16.8kWp installed in a garden in November 2023, at around £43,000 in total, with installation just over £13,000 and materials £30,0001.
Why it matters for households
Export payments normally depend on the installation meeting certification requirements, and the Smart Export Guarantee eligibility rules set out how MCS certification, G98 or G99 notification and export metering fit together. For a household whose installer was not registered, the route to payment can depend on a supplier's own assessment rather than a standard scheme, which is what happened here1. The rates available under the Smart Export Guarantee vary by supplier, and the owner in this case reported receiving 15p per kWh for exports on an Octopus tariff1. Households weighing up export arrangements can compare published rates in the highest-paying SEG tariffs and supplier-specific terms in Octopus Energy tariffs.
What happens next
The export MPAN was received and exports went live on 11 April 20241. No further steps, timescales or changes to the non-MCS process have been reported.