How Open Power’s Managed Export Works

How Open Power's Onboarding Works: From Application to First Payment

Most businesses with solar panels on their roofs are giving away electricity for free. Not because they chose to, but because setting up a proper export arrangement is genuinely complicated. Export agreements, grid connection paperwork, metering requirements, payment reconciliation - it adds up fast, and most energy managers have bigger priorities.

That is exactly the problem Open Power is built to solve. Here is what the onboarding process actually looks like, from the moment you make contact to the point where your first export payment lands.

Why Onboarding Matters More Than Most Suppliers Admit

With a standard Smart Export Guarantee tariff, onboarding is mostly your problem. You apply, you wait, you chase, you figure out the metering requirements yourself, and then you hope the payments arrive correctly.

Open Power operates as a managed energy export service, which means the process is handled on your behalf. That distinction matters because the complexity does not disappear when you sign up for a flat-rate tariff - it just stays with you.

For a multi-site corporate or a commercial landlord managing several properties, that complexity multiplies across every site. Open Power's model is designed to absorb it.

Step 1: Getting a Quote

Everything starts with a quote request at open-power.co.uk. There is no self-serve pricing, and that is intentional. Your export revenue depends on your generation profile, your grid connection, your meter setup, and how much surplus you are actually producing. A flat rate quoted before any of that is known is not a real number.

When you get in touch, Open Power's team gathers what they need to give you an accurate picture of what your sites could earn - and assesses whether you are ready to export, or whether anything needs to be resolved first.

If you are a solar installer or energy consultant referring a client, the partner pathway works the same way. You bring the site details; Open Power handles the rest.

Step 2: Site Assessment and Export Agreement

Once your details are in, Open Power works through the technical and commercial requirements for your site. That means confirming your metering configuration, checking your grid connection status, and identifying the right export agreement for your situation.

This is the stage that trips up most businesses who try to manage export themselves. Export agreements require coordination between your DNO, your meter operator, and your energy supplier. Getting all three aligned takes time and specialist knowledge most teams simply do not have.

Open Power manages that coordination for you. You are not chasing anyone. You are not decoding technical correspondence. The team handles the back-and-forth and keeps you informed as things progress.

Multi-Site Generators

If you operate across multiple sites, each one goes through the same process — but Open Power can run them in parallel rather than one at a time. For a commercial landlord with ten properties or a corporate spread across several regions, that compression in timeline is where the managed-service model pays for itself before a single unit of electricity has been exported.

Step 3: Going Live

When your export agreement is in place and your metering is confirmed, your site goes live on the Open Power platform. You get access to your generator dashboard — an authenticated account showing your export data, performance, and payment activity.

Step 4: Payments

Payments are processed transparently. You can see what you exported, when, and what it earned. No hidden terms, no opaque reconciliation to unpick.

That matters for housing associations, councils, and public-sector bodies with strict financial reporting requirements. It also matters for Finance Directors at commercial organisations who need clean, auditable revenue records. Open Power's payment model is built around clarity — you know what you are earning and why.

What You Do Not Have to Do

It is worth being specific about what Open Power removes from your plate:

• No negotiating export agreements with suppliers
• No coordinating with your DNO or meter operator
• No monitoring half-hourly rates or adjusting export timing manually
• No chasing payment discrepancies

For an energy manager already handling procurement, compliance, and consumption reporting, that is a meaningful reduction in workload. For a Finance Director who just wants the revenue to appear cleanly and on time, it is the whole point.

How Long Does It Take?

Open Power does not publish a fixed onboarding timeline because it depends on factors outside their control — DNO response times and your current metering setup among them. What the managed-service model removes is the delay caused by not knowing what to do next or who to contact.

The team drives the process forward. You respond when needed and receive updates as milestones are reached.

Ready to Start?

If your site is generating surplus power and you are not currently earning from it, the first step is straightforward. Get a quote at open-power.co.uk and Open Power will assess what your sites could be earning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information do I need to provide to get a quote from Open Power? You will typically need to share details about your site or sites — generation capacity, meter setup, and current export status. Open Power's team will guide you through exactly what is needed during the initial conversation.

Do I need to switch my import tariff to use Open Power? No. Open Power is a managed export service, not an import tariff product. You do not need to change your existing electricity supply arrangement.

What happens if my site is not yet set up to export? Open Power will identify what needs to be resolved during the initial assessment. If your metering or grid connection needs updating before export can begin, the team will advise on next steps and manage the process where possible.

Is Open Power suitable for a single-site SME, or is it only for larger businesses? Open Power serves single-site SMEs as well as multi-site corporates, commercial landlords, housing associations, and other generator types. The managed-service model works at any scale where export admin would otherwise fall on your team.

How is Open Power different from signing up for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff directly? A SEG tariff gives you a rate and leaves you to manage everything else. Open Power handles the export agreement, the metering coordination, the optimisation of when and how you export, and the payment processing. It is a service, not a tariff.