Can I Export Battery Power to the Grid in the UK?

SEG suppliers are obliged to pay for eligible renewable export, but may set their own tariff rates and commercial conditions. Suppliers can also offer export arrangements outside the statutory SEG requirements.

How does battery export work?

A home battery stores electricity as direct current. When it discharges, a grid-connected inverter converts the energy into alternating current. The home uses what it needs first; if discharge exceeds household demand and export is enabled, the remainder passes through the export meter to the local distribution network.

Battery capacity and export power are different. A 10kWh battery describes how much energy it can store; a 3.6kW inverter describes approximately how quickly it can charge or discharge. Export is also constrained by inverter settings and any DNO-agreed limit.

The SEG applies in Great Britain but not Northern Ireland. It covers eligible low-carbon generation and requires payments based on measured export, while individual suppliers determine their rates, contract lengths and additional conditions. Payments do not begin automatically—you must apply to an export supplier.

Ofgem reported that around £57 million was paid and approximately 443GWh exported during SEG Year 5, covering April 2024 to March 2025.

Green export versus grid-charged export

Ofgem distinguishes electricity verified as coming from an eligible renewable installation from “brown export”, which may include electricity previously imported from the grid.

Where a battery can only charge from the eligible solar installation, a SEG supplier is obliged to pay for qualifying exported electricity. Where the battery can also charge from the grid and the metering cannot separate the sources, the supplier is not obliged to make SEG payments. It may, however, accept a calculation or offer a separate commercial tariff.

This is why two identical batteries can receive different treatment. The outcome depends on wiring, inverter controls, metering and supplier terms—not only the battery brand.

What do you need before exporting?

An export-capable battery and inverter

Confirm that the inverter supports controlled grid discharge, rather than only solar self-consumption or emergency backup.

Compare systems using:

• Continuous charge and discharge power
• Usable battery capacity
• Export scheduling
• Smart tariff integration
• Round-trip efficiency
• Warranty throughput or cycle limits
• Backup capability
• Manufacturer and installer support

Check whether the manufacturer permits third-party tariff control and whether remote export commands affect the warranty.

The correct DNO process

Grid-connected batteries are treated as generation because they can send electricity onto the distribution network.

G98 generally covers fully type-tested equipment with an aggregate capacity of no more than 16A per phase—equivalent to 3.68kW on a single-phase supply. Larger systems, or combined solar and battery inverter capacity above the relevant limit, normally require the G99 process.

A compliant G100 export-limitation scheme may allow a larger installed system while restricting how much electricity reaches the grid.

Do not assume an existing solar approval automatically covers a later battery. Your installer must check the aggregate inverter capacity and maximum possible export.

Suitable metering and tariff

You will usually need a registered smart meter capable of providing half-hourly export readings. Your tariff provider will also arrange or confirm the required export registration.

Your export supplier does not have to be your import supplier, although some tariffs require you to buy electricity from the same company or use an approved battery.

Before signing, ask:

• Does the tariff accept battery export?
• Can the battery be charged from the grid?
• Is the export rate fixed, time-of-use or dynamic?
• Must the supplier control the battery?
• Is a minimum battery reserve required?
• Is the tariff restricted to certain equipment?
• What happens if the tariff is withdrawn?

Is exporting battery power worth it?

It can be, but exporting is not always the highest-value use of stored electricity.

Compare the export payment with the cost you avoid by using that electricity at home. When importing a unit later would cost more than the available export payment, retaining it for household use may be more valuable.

Grid arbitrage can work when the battery charges at a low off-peak price and exports at a materially higher rate. The difference must cover conversion losses, battery wear and tariff risk:

Gross arbitrage value = export income − charging cost − energy losses − allowance for battery degradation.

For example, charging 1,000kWh at an illustrative 8p per kWh would cost £80. If 900kWh remained after losses and was exported at an illustrative 20p, the revenue would be £180. That leaves £100 before battery wear and other costs.

These figures demonstrate the calculation; they are not current tariff forecasts.

A sensible strategy normally prioritises household demand, maintains an appropriate backup reserve and exports only when the financial value justifies another battery cycle.

How to choose the right battery export setup

1. Define your objective. Decide whether the priority is lower bills, export income, backup power, solar self-consumption or a combination.
2. Analyse half-hourly demand. Annual consumption does not reveal when your home needs electricity.
3. Size usable capacity properly. An oversized battery may remain underused, while an undersized system can miss cheap charging or premium export windows.
4. Check inverter power. A large battery connected to a low-power inverter may export too slowly during a short high-value period.
5. Confirm DNO headroom. Obtain the connection decision before relying on a proposed export level.
6. Compare complete tariffs. Include import prices, export payments, standing charges, contract length and battery-control conditions.
7. Read the warranty. Check throughput limits, cycles, retained-capacity guarantees and whether automated tariff operation is permitted.
8. Model several scenarios. Test lower export payments, changing household demand and gradual battery degradation.

UK battery cost and value guide