Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) in Ireland: How Solar Export Payments Work
If you have solar panels, the electricity you don't use at home goes out to the grid, and the Clean Export Guarantee is how you get paid for it. This guide explains what the CEG is, who qualifies, how payments reach you and what a typical home earns. To compare suppliers, see the best solar export rates.
Quick Answer
The Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) is the payment Irish electricity suppliers must offer for the solar electricity you export to the grid. Your supplier pays you for every kWh your smart meter records going out, usually as a credit on your bill. Each supplier sets its own rate: standard rates are 15.2 to 19.5c per kWh, which works out at roughly €300 to €390 a year for a typical home. The first €400 a year is tax-free.
What the Clean Export Guarantee is
The CEG is part of Ireland's Micro-generation Support Scheme and has been in force since 15 February 2022. It requires every electricity supplier to offer a payment to customers who generate renewable electricity at home and export the surplus. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) sets the rules; your supplier sets the rate.
In practice, it means the solar you can't use at the time it is generated is not wasted: your supplier pays you for every metered unit (kWh) you send to the grid. It is paid separately from, and at a lower rate than, the electricity you buy, so using your own solar at home is still worth more than exporting it.
Who qualifies
- Anyone who generates renewable electricity, such as solar panels, to meet part of their own demand and exports the surplus.
- The system must be registered with ESB Networks. Homes notify it on an NC6 form (under 6 kW single phase or 11 kW three phase); larger systems up to 50 kW use the NC7.
- You need a smart meter that records export, because payment is per metered kWh.
- You are a customer of an electricity supplier: they all have to offer it.
How you get paid
- Your installer fits the system and submits the NC6 to ESB Networks.
- ESB Networks makes sure you have a smart meter that records export.
- Your supplier is told about your system. Register for CEG with them if they ask; it is not always automatic.
- Payments appear as a credit on your bill. How often depends on the supplier: monthly, every two months, quarterly or twice a year.
Payments not showing up? See CEG payments not received for the usual causes and fixes, and smart meter not recording export.
CEG rates by supplier
Standard rates, checked 4 November 2026. SSE Airtricity and Electric Ireland pay the most. Suppliers change these several times a year.
| Supplier | Standard CEG rate | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| SSE Airtricity | 19.50 c/kWh | Quarterly bill credit |
| Electric Ireland | 19.50 c/kWh | Per billing cycle |
| Pinergy | 18.50 c/kWh | Monthly bill credit |
| Bord Gáis Energy | 18.50 c/kWh | Quarterly bill credit (after 3-month wait) |
| Energia | 18.50 c/kWh | Bi-monthly bill credit |
| Flogas | 18.50 c/kWh | Every 2 months |
| Yuno Energy | 17.16 c/kWh | Twice yearly |
| PrePayPower | 15.89 c/kWh | Twice yearly |
| EcoPower | 15.20 c/kWh | Quarterly |
Premium export rates, what each supplier charges for the electricity you buy, and whether switching pays are on our best solar export rates comparison.
What the CEG earns a year
| Exported a year | At 15.2c | At 19.5c |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 kWh | €152 | €195 |
| 2,000 kWh | €304 | €390 |
| 3,000 kWh | €456 | €585 |
A typical home exports about 2,000 kWh a year. A battery or a solar diverter lowers that, because more of your solar is used at home, which saves more than exporting earns.
Tax: the first €400 a year of export income is tax-free for each person named on the electricity account, rising to €600 from 2027 under Budget 2027 (subject to the Finance Bill). See tax on solar export income.
CEG, feed-in tariffs and net metering
- Feed-in tariff: the CEG is Ireland's version, but the rate is set by each supplier and can change, rather than fixed for years by the government.
- Net metering: Ireland does not have it. Exports are paid at the CEG rate, below the price you pay for electricity, instead of running your meter backwards. See net metering.
- Premium export rates: some suppliers pay more than their standard rate for a year or two, usually tied to a particular installer or plan.
Clean Export Guarantee: FAQ
What is the Clean Export Guarantee?
The Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) is the payment electricity suppliers in Ireland must offer customers for the renewable electricity they generate and export to the grid, such as surplus solar. Your supplier pays you for every metered kWh you export, usually as a credit on your bill. It has been in force since 15 February 2022.
How much is the CEG rate in Ireland?
Each supplier sets its own rate. Standard rates are 15.2 to 19.5c per kWh (checked 4 November 2026). See our export rates comparison for each supplier's rate and premium offers.
How much will I earn from the CEG?
A typical home exporting about 2,000 kWh a year earns roughly €300 to €390, depending on the supplier's rate.
Is CEG income taxed?
The first €400 a year of export income is tax-free for each person named on the electricity account, rising to €600 from 2027 under Budget 2027 (subject to the Finance Bill). Most homes earn less than that.
Do I need a smart meter for the CEG?
Payments are based on metered exports, so you need a smart meter that records what you send to the grid. If your meter is not recording export, your supplier has nothing to pay you for.
Is the CEG automatic?
Not always. Once your installer has submitted the NC6 to ESB Networks, your supplier should know about your system, but many homes still need to register with their supplier for CEG. If nothing appears on your bill, check with them.
Is the CEG the same as a feed-in tariff?
It is Ireland's version of one. Unlike the old fixed, government-set feed-in tariffs in other countries, the CEG rate is set by each supplier and can change. Ireland does not have net metering: exports are paid at a separate rate, lower than what you pay for electricity.
Can I get the CEG if I switch supplier?
Yes. Every supplier must offer a CEG payment, so you keep getting paid after switching, at the new supplier's rate. Some premium export rates are tied to a particular installer or plan.
Related Guides
Export Payments
Sell surplus electricity at 15–32c/kWh.
CEG Payments Not Received
Why export payments may be missing and how to fix enrolment.
The NC6 Form
Registering solar with ESB Networks: who submits it, how long it takes, NC6 vs NC7.
Smart Meter Not Recording Export
Export not metered? ESB Networks vs supplier, and NC6.
Sources
- CRU: Microgeneration (suppliers pay for every metered kWh exported; NC6 and NC7 thresholds; complaints), cru.ie
- ESB Networks: Micro-generation (NC6 notification, export metering), esbnetworks.ie
- Supplier export rates: each supplier's own tariff page, checked 4 November 2026.
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
John Rooney is the editor 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.
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