27 September 2026 · Open Power
Selling surplus electricity: a checklist for UK businesses
Selling surplus electricity from your business? Check export MPANs, metering, contract terms and payments before putting your export arrangements in place.
Selling surplus electricity from your business involves more than agreeing an export rate. Your connection arrangements, export registration, metering and contract all need to be in place for paid export.
For businesses with on-site generation in Great Britain, this checklist explains what to check when setting up or renewing an electricity export arrangement.
1. Check your export MPAN and metering
Your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) manages the local electricity network. An export MPAN identifies your export metering point; it is separate from the import MPAN used for electricity you buy.
Confirm whether your site already has an export MPAN, whether the relevant connection documentation is complete, and whether your metering meets the requirements of the proposed arrangement.
An export MPAN alone does not confirm that everything is ready. Export registration and access to meter readings also need to be checked.
2. Understand how much electricity you export
Your generation capacity does not tell you how much electricity you can sell. Some of the electricity produced is used on site, leaving a surplus that varies with generation and consumption.
Where available, gather 12 months of export readings. Half-hourly data records electricity in 30-minute intervals, helping show both the volume and timing of exports.
For a new installation, a forecast can support initial discussions. Keep it clearly labelled as an estimate, rather than treating all expected generation as electricity available for export.
3. Review your export contract and charges
An offtaker is the organisation buying your exported electricity. A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) sets out the terms of that sale.
Before agreeing an arrangement, check:
- Whether the export rate is fixed or variable.
- Which fees or deductions apply.
- Whether metering and data services are included or charged separately.
- How often payments are made and when they are due.
- The contract length, renewal process and notice requirements.
Assess the expected revenue after applicable charges, using consistent export assumptions. The highest headline rate does not necessarily produce the highest net return.
4. Confirm your start date and payment terms
Ask what remains outstanding before the arrangement can begin, who is responsible for each action, and when the first payment is expected.
Connection paperwork, registration, metering and data availability can all affect progress. Do not assume electricity exported before the contractual start date will qualify for payment.
If you already have an export contract, check its end date and notice requirements before arranging a replacement.
5. Agree who manages ongoing administration
Once the arrangement is active, someone needs to check export statements, follow up on missing readings and resolve payment queries.
Clarify who handles these tasks and who your point of contact will be. This is particularly useful where the offtaker, metering provider and data service provider are different organisations.
Open Power’s commercial electricity export service brings together the commercial, metering and administrative requirements, coordinating with the relevant parties throughout the arrangement.
See a real customer example
Read our Scott & Sargeant case study: from export renewal to confirmed go-live.
Discuss your site’s export arrangements
Send us your site address, generation type and capacity, and any existing export contract details. If you have export readings or an export MPAN, include those too. You do not need every document ready to make an initial enquiry.
Contact Open Power about your electricity export.