CEG Payments Not Received: How to Fix It
The Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) is Ireland's mandatory payment for the solar electricity you export to the grid, in force since 15 February 2022. If you have panels but no payment is showing, the cause is almost always administrative rather than a fault with your system. The most common reason is simply that you have not enrolled for CEG with your electricity supplier. Start there, then work through your smart meter and microgeneration registration.
Quick Answer
The most likely cause is that you have not enrolled for CEG with your electricity supplier. CEG is not always automatic. You usually have to register your microgeneration and confirm you have an inverter installed. First, log into your supplier account or call them with your MPRN and ask if you are enrolled on a Clean Export Guarantee tariff. Then check whether CEG is already showing as an export credit on a recent bill, since it is often a periodic credit rather than a cash payment.
Why CEG payments are not coming through
Here are the usual reasons a Clean Export Guarantee payment does not appear, ordered roughly from most likely to least likely. Work down the list and you will usually find the answer near the top.
You have not enrolled for CEG with your supplier
This is by far the most common reason. CEG is not always automatic. You usually have to register your microgeneration with your electricity supplier and confirm that you have an inverter installed before any export tariff is applied. Until you do, exported energy is recorded but not paid.
No smart meter yet, or it is not recording export
CEG is normally settled from smart meter export readings under the ESB Networks NSMP rollout. If you do not yet have a smart meter, suppliers may apply a deemed export estimate instead. If a smart meter is fitted but is not recording export, no real export volume reaches your supplier.
Your NC6 connection notification was never completed
Before you connect microgeneration to the grid, an NC6 (or NC7 for larger systems) connection notification must be submitted to ESB Networks. This is usually done by your installer. If it was missed, your export may not be formally recognised on the network.
MPRN or account mismatch
If the MPRN registered for your microgeneration does not match the MPRN on your active electricity account, or the account has changed since install, the export and the payment can end up disconnected. A house move, account switch, or supplier switch can trigger this.
CEG is already there as a bill credit, not a cash payment
Many people expect money in their bank account. In practice CEG is often applied as an export credit line on your electricity bill, frequently quarterly or on a periodic cycle, so it is easy to miss. Check the credits section of a recent bill before assuming nothing has been paid.
Supplier processing lag
There is often a delay between install, enrolment, and the first export credit appearing, especially around the first billing cycle or a recent supplier switch. A short lag is normal. A lag of several billing cycles with no credit is worth chasing.
What to check yourself (safe steps)
These are all account, app, and paperwork checks. None of them involve touching any electrical equipment. Work through them in order before you contact anyone.
- 1
Confirm your NC6 was submitted to ESB Networks
Ask your installer to confirm the NC6 connection notification was completed and accepted by ESB Networks. This is the formal record that your microgeneration is connected. Without it, the export side is not properly recognised.
- 2
Confirm you registered for CEG with your supplier
Log into your supplier account or call them. Ask directly: am I enrolled on a Clean Export Guarantee tariff, and have you got my microgeneration registration and inverter confirmation on file? If not, ask them to start the enrolment.
- 3
Check a recent bill for an export credit line
Look through the credits or adjustments section of your most recent electricity bill. CEG often shows there as an export credit rather than as a separate cash payment, and it is commonly applied periodically rather than every month.
- 4
Confirm a smart meter is installed and recording export
Check whether you have a smart meter and whether it is recording export. If your meter is not capturing what you send to the grid, your supplier has nothing to pay you for. See our guide on a smart meter not recording export for the specific checks. smart meter not recording export.
- 5
Contact your supplier with your MPRN
If everything above looks right and you still see no credit, contact your supplier quoting your MPRN (the number that identifies your connection). Ask them to confirm your CEG enrolment status, the export readings they hold, and when the next export credit is due.
While you are reviewing your supplier and tariff, it is worth comparing what you are paying for import too. A better import tariff can matter as much as the export credit. See the best electricity rates in Ireland to make sure your overall deal still stacks up.
When to call an installer or electrician
A missing CEG payment is almost always an administrative issue, so most of the time you will not need anyone on site. But if you suspect the inverter is not exporting at all, or that something is wrong with how the system is wired or metered, that is a job for a professional.
Call a professional if:
- – Your inverter display or app shows zero export, or no generation at all, despite daylight.
- – Your installer cannot confirm the NC6 was submitted, or says the connection notification was never completed.
- – You suspect the smart meter or wiring is not measuring export correctly and the supplier confirms they hold no export readings.
- – The system is still under warranty and not performing as commissioned. Contact the original SEAI-registered installer first.
For anything beyond reading a screen or flipping a consumer-unit breaker, use a RECI / Safe Electric registered electrician. Do not open the inverter yourself.
CEG, ESB Networks, smart meters and your supplier
The Clean Export Guarantee is a regulated scheme, and the parts of it are split across different bodies. Knowing who does what helps you direct your chasing to the right place.
| Who | Their role in your CEG payment |
|---|---|
| Your installer | Submits the NC6 connection notification to ESB Networks and commissions the system so it exports correctly. |
| ESB Networks | Operates the network, processes the NC6, and runs the National Smart Metering Programme (NSMP) that fits the smart meter recording your export. |
| Your supplier | Enrols you on a CEG tariff, receives export readings, and applies the export credit. Every licensed supplier must offer a CEG tariff. |
| You | Register your microgeneration with your supplier, confirm the inverter, and check the credit appears. |
Indicative CEG rates in 2026 sit around 18 to 24c/kWh, but they vary by supplier, so the exact figure depends on who you are with. Because every licensed supplier must offer a CEG tariff, if yours is slow or unclear, you are entitled to push them for a straight answer on your enrolment and readings.
Until a smart meter is fitted and recording export, some suppliers apply a deemed export estimate rather than a metered figure. If you are still on a deemed arrangement, getting the smart meter recording properly is usually what unlocks accurate, metered CEG payments.
Frequently Asked Questions About CEG Payments
Why am I not receiving my CEG payment in Ireland?
The most common reason is that you have not enrolled for CEG with your electricity supplier. CEG is not always automatic. You usually have to register your microgeneration and confirm you have an inverter installed. Other causes include no smart meter recording export, a missing NC6 connection notification, an MPRN or account mismatch, or the payment already showing as a periodic bill credit you have not noticed.
Is the Clean Export Guarantee automatic once I have solar panels?
Not always. While CEG has been mandatory for licensed suppliers since 15 February 2022, you usually still have to register your microgeneration with your supplier and confirm your inverter before an export tariff is applied. Until you enrol, your export may be recorded but not paid.
How does CEG actually get paid to me?
CEG is often applied as an export credit on your electricity bill, commonly on a quarterly or periodic cycle, rather than as a separate cash payment into your bank. Many people miss it because they are looking for a payment when it is sitting in the credits section of their bill. Check a recent bill before assuming nothing has been paid.
Do I need a smart meter to get CEG payments?
A smart meter lets your supplier settle CEG from your actual metered export under the ESB Networks NSMP rollout. Until a smart meter is fitted, suppliers may use a deemed export estimate instead. If you have a smart meter but it is not recording export, your supplier has no real export volume to pay for.
What is an NC6 and why does it affect my export payment?
The NC6 is the connection notification submitted to ESB Networks before microgeneration is connected to the grid, usually by your installer. It is the formal record that your system is connected and allowed to export. If the NC6 was never completed, your export may not be properly recognised, which can hold up CEG payments.
Related Guides
Solar Troubleshooting
Diagnose common solar faults: generation, inverter, battery, export.
Smart Meter Not Recording Export
Export not metered? ESB Networks vs supplier, and NC6.
Export Payments
Sell surplus electricity at 15–32c/kWh.
Battery Storage
Solar battery costs, sizing, popular models, and payback analysis.
Sources
- CRU: Microgeneration and the Clean Export Guarantee, cru.ie
- ESB Networks: Connecting microgeneration (NC6) and smart metering, esbnetworks.ie
- SEAI: Solar Electricity Grant and selling electricity back to the grid, seai.ie
Last updated: June 2026
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
John Rooney is the founder of Solar Info and has been covering the Irish solar energy market since 2023. He fact-checks all content against official SEAI data and maintains relationships with SEAI-registered installers across Ireland.
Need help getting your solar export paid?
Get free quotes and advice from SEAI-registered installers. They can confirm your NC6, check your export setup, and point you to the right CEG enrolment with your supplier.