Electric Ireland currently pays 19.5c per kWh for surplus solar electricity exported to the grid. That rate is live on their website now and is the joint best rate among the large suppliers, level with SSE Airtricity and a cent above Bord Gáis Energy, Energia, Flogas and Pinergy on 18.5c. Community Power pays the highest standard rate at 20c. Electric Ireland did not move its rate to get there: Pinergy held the top standard rate at 25c until it cut to 18.5c on 1 August 2026, and the 19.5c that was mid-table in June is now the large suppliers’ top rate. It applies to residential Electric Ireland customers who have a registered microgeneration device and a smart meter installed. Payment arrives as a credit on your electricity bill each billing cycle.
- Rate: 19.5c per kWh (variable — can change with notice)
- Who qualifies: Electric Ireland electricity customers with a registered microgeneration device (solar PV, micro-wind, micro-hydro, or micro-CHP)
- Smart meter: Required. ESB Networks arranges one after your NC6 form is processed — usually within four months
- How paid: Credit on your electricity bill each billing cycle
- Estimated income: €50–€300 per year; roughly €150/year for a typical 10-panel system
- Tax: First €400/year is exempt from income tax until end of 2028 (Budget 2027 announced a rise to €600)
How Electric Ireland’s Rate Compares
Electric Ireland’s 19.5c/kWh is joint top among the large suppliers, in a market that currently spans 15.89c to 20c for standard tariffs (plus a premium 32c/kWh route via SSE Airtricity for those who install through an approved Activ8 partner installer in Year 1). The whole open standard market now sits inside a 4.1c band, and being at the large suppliers’ top rate is worth about €14 a year over the 18.5c group on a typical export volume — real, but not a reason on its own to switch supplier. The export rate was untouched by the company’s July 2026 price increase, which raised the import unit rate by 9.5% — widening the gap between what you pay for a unit and what you’re paid for one.
| Supplier | CEG Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Ireland | 19.5c/kWh | Joint best among the large suppliers; current as of September 2026; variable |
| SSE Airtricity (standard) | 19.5c/kWh | Joint best among the large suppliers; same as Electric Ireland |
| Pinergy | 18.5c/kWh | Cut from 25c ex VAT on 1 August 2026; monthly payment; no installer restriction |
| Flogas | 18.5c/kWh | Bi-monthly credit; 18.5c excl. VAT |
| Energia | 18.5c/kWh | Level with Bord Gáis; bi-monthly payment |
| Bord Gáis Energy | 18.5c/kWh | Quarterly payment (smart meter); 6-monthly (deemed) |
| Yuno Energy | 17.16c/kWh | Raised from 15.89c in July 2026 |
| PrepayPower | 15.89c/kWh | Lowest standard rate on the market; quoted including VAT |
| SSE Airtricity (Activ8 premium) | 32c/kWh Year 1, 27c Year 2 | Must install via an approved Activ8 partner installer; two-year term, then reverts to the standard rate |
Rates as of 12 September 2026 from direct supplier pages. Rates are variable and subject to change; check supplier websites before switching. Full comparison: best microgeneration rates in Ireland.
On a typical 4 kWp system that exports around 1,400 kWh per year, Electric Ireland’s 19.5c rate earns you roughly €273 per year. On the 18.5c paid by Bord Gáis Energy, Energia, Flogas and Pinergy, the same system earns €259 per year — a difference of €14 annually, or about €140 over ten years. Until 1 August 2026 that comparison ran the other way and was far larger: Pinergy paid 25c, worth €350 a year, and switching to it was worth around €770 over a decade. Your export rate comes from whoever supplies your electricity, and the CRU ties import and export to the same supplier, so moving for a better export rate means a full electricity switch. With the standard market this tightly packed, the import unit rate and standing charge decide the question.
Who Qualifies for Electric Ireland’s Microgeneration Payment
Electric Ireland can only pay customers who buy their electricity from Electric Ireland. If you supply to the grid but your import supplier is SSE Airtricity, Pinergy, or anyone else, you register for CEG with that supplier — not Electric Ireland. This is a common point of confusion because ESB Networks (which runs the grid) has a separate name from Electric Ireland (a supplier), despite the apparent connection.
Beyond supplier eligibility, you need:
- A registered microgeneration device — solar PV, micro-wind, micro-hydro, or micro-CHP. Most homeowners have solar PV
- An NC6 form submitted to ESB Networks, typically done by your installer at the time of installation
- A smart meter installed where technically possible (see below). If a smart meter cannot be installed for technical reasons, Electric Ireland will pay using a deemed export estimate instead
How and When Electric Ireland Pays You
Once your NC6 form is processed and your smart meter is installed, Electric Ireland receives your export readings from ESB Networks. You don’t contact Electric Ireland to trigger this — they are notified automatically once the NC6 is in the ESB Networks system. From there, a CEG credit appears on each electricity bill, reflecting the kWh you exported in that billing period at the 19.5c rate.
A few practical details:
- Backdating: If there is a gap between when your system went live and when the smart meter was installed, your first credit includes a backdated payment to cover the period from your registration date
- Viewing your export: Electric Ireland shows your exported units on your bill. You can also see export data through your ESB Networks online account by pressing the left blue button on your smart meter seven times until “A-” appears on screen
- Deemed export: If a smart meter cannot technically be installed at your property, Electric Ireland will contact you directly to discuss payment using a deemed export estimate instead
- Variable rate: The 19.5c rate can change. Electric Ireland is required to notify you before any change takes effect. If their rate drops significantly, switching to a better-paying supplier means switching your electricity account, because import and export must sit with the same supplier
Tax on Electric Ireland CEG Payments
Microgeneration export income is taxable in Ireland, but the first €400 per year is exempt under a Revenue disregard that applies until the end of 2028. Budget 2027 announced a rise to €600, with the start date to be set in Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026. For most homeowners with a standard 3–5 kWp system, the annual CEG income from Electric Ireland at 19.5c will fall below or close to that threshold anyway — Electric Ireland estimates €50–€300 per year depending on system size. Income above €400 is declared on your annual tax return.
The €400 exemption applies per individual, not per household or per device. If you have both solar PV and micro-wind, the combined export income is measured against the one €400 threshold. For a detailed breakdown, see our guide to tax on solar export income in Ireland.
How to Start Receiving CEG Payments from Electric Ireland
If you are already an Electric Ireland electricity customer and have solar panels installed with a registered NC6 form, you may already be set up — Electric Ireland will have been notified through ESB Networks when the form was processed. Check your recent bills for a “Microgen credit” line. If you have panels but no credit has appeared after several billing cycles, contact Electric Ireland to confirm they received the NC6 notification.
If you are planning a new solar installation:
- Choose an SEAI-registered installer. They submit the NC6 form to ESB Networks as part of the job
- ESB Networks processes the form and arranges a smart meter if needed (four-month target)
- Electric Ireland is notified automatically and begins crediting your bill once export data is available
- Apply for the SEAI solar PV grant (currently up to €1,800) through the installer at the same time — see what the 2026 grant covers
Electric Ireland also sells and installs solar panels itself, and is running a two-free-panels offer until 13 August 2026 — we review the price, the small print and the grant catch in our guide to Electric Ireland solar panels.
We connect you with SEAI-registered solar installers in your area. They handle the NC6 form, the grant paperwork, and the smart meter registration — so export payments begin as quickly as possible. Free, no obligation.
Get a Solar Quote →Frequently Asked Questions
Electric Ireland’s current Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) rate is 19.5c per kWh (as of 11 October 2026, and the joint best rate among the large suppliers; Community Power pays 20c). This is the rate they pay residential customers for surplus solar electricity exported to the national grid. The rate is variable and can change with notice.
Electric Ireland estimates €50–€300 per year depending on system size, with a typical 10-panel installation earning around €150/year. For a 4 kWp system exporting roughly 1,400 kWh annually, the payment at 19.5c works out at approximately €273 per year. A larger 6 kWp system exporting around 2,000 kWh would earn approximately €390/year at the same rate.
In most cases, no. Once your installer submits the NC6 form to ESB Networks and a smart meter is installed, Electric Ireland is notified automatically and starts crediting your bill. If you have had panels for several billing cycles with no microgen credit appearing, contact Electric Ireland to confirm they received the NC6 notification — occasionally there is a processing delay.
No. Electric Ireland can only pay their rate to existing Electric Ireland electricity customers. If your import supplier is someone else (SSE Airtricity, Pinergy, etc.), you register for CEG with that supplier instead. Under the CRU’s Clean Export Guarantee rules your home has one MPRN and one smart meter, so import and export must be with the same supplier — to be paid Electric Ireland’s rate you have to buy your electricity from Electric Ireland.
Not quite. Community Power pays the highest standard rate at 20c/kWh. Among the large suppliers, Electric Ireland’s 19.5c/kWh is joint best, level with SSE Airtricity’s standard rate. It has been since 1 August 2026, when Pinergy cut from 25c to 18.5c. One restricted rate is higher again: SSE Airtricity pays 32c/kWh in Year 1 and 27c in Year 2 via its Activ8 scheme, but only to homeowners who install through an approved Activ8 partner installer, and it reverts to the standard rate after two years. See the full microgeneration rates compared.
Electric Ireland is required to give you advance notice before changing the rate. If they reduce the rate significantly, you can move to a better-paying supplier — but that means switching your electricity account, not just your export registration, because the CRU requires import and export to be with the same supplier. Weigh the new supplier’s unit rate and standing charge against the extra export cents before you move.
Sources: Electric Ireland — Microgeneration for Homes (19.5c/kWh rate, €50–€300 annual estimate, smart meter requirement, NC6 process, billing credit); SolarQuotes Ireland — CEG Rate Comparison (competitor rates as of 12 September 2026); Revenue.ie — Exemption of certain profits from microgeneration of electricity (€400 tax disregard to end of 2028). Rate verified directly from electricireland.ie on 13 June 2026 and re-verified there on 12 September 2026 (19.5c per kWh, variable). Competitor rates re-checked the same day after Pinergy cut its Clean Export Guarantee rate from 25c to 18.5c per kWh ex VAT on 1 August 2026 (pinergy.ie) and Yuno Energy raised its rate from 15.89c to 17.16c.
Published: 13 June 2026. Updated: 12 September 2026. Author: Neil Russell.