Your Feed-in Tariff generation payment is worked out from readings taken off a single meter, the generation meter. It sits near your inverter and counts the electricity your panels produce, in kilowatt hours.
This article explains what that meter has to do under Ofgem's rules. It covers how readings are checked, and what happens when the meter fails or is replaced. If your payments have stopped or look odd, start here.
Key Points
- Ofgem's rule is simple. For a meter reading to be valid, you must be able to measure the electricity generated or exported separately from any other electricity source.
- Estimates cannot be used. Ofgem tells FIT licensees that generation payments must be based on actual meter readings. Estimated generation is not permitted under the scheme.
- Ofgem recommends that licensees remind FIT generators to provide a meter reading once a quarter. Your own timetable is set in your statement of FIT terms.
- Your generation meter cannot be used to claim FIT export payments. Ofgem says an export meter is defined as one measuring electricity flowing onto the network. A generation reading can support a deemed export claim, if you are eligible for it.
- At least once every two years your FIT licensee must verify your readings. This is usually done from your photographs, or by someone reading the meter. You should not be charged for it.
- If you unreasonably prevent that verification, Ofgem says your FIT payments may be suspended until it is done.
- Licensees must have processes to spot abnormal readings. They can ask for a photograph of the meter with proof of date, and a photograph of the installation, before paying.
- Tell your FIT licensee if a generation or export meter is replaced or removed. Tell them too if it starts measuring electricity your installation did not generate.
- Meters must be approved and comply with the metering legislation. Some categories have to be replaced or recertified when their certification expires.
Common Misconceptions
- My licensee can estimate if the meter is broken. No. Ofgem says estimated generation is not permitted under the scheme.
- The smart meter my supplier fitted covers my FIT. It does not replace the generation meter. It changes your export position, which is a separate matter covered in our guide to SEG alongside FIT.
- I only need to read it when they chase me. Ofgem recommends licensees remind generators to read the meter quarterly. Missed readings usually mean delayed payments.
- They cannot ask to come and read it. They can. Ofgem requires licensees to verify readings at least every two years, and payments can be suspended if you unreasonably prevent that.
- The inverter display is my reading. The inverter's own figure is useful for checking, but the payment comes from the approved generation meter.
Real-World Advice
We are often called to systems where nobody has read the generation meter for years, or where the display is blank. Our published projects at our work page are all new 2026 installations, so none of them shows a FIT meter fault.
UK-Specific Considerations
Read the right meter. The generation meter is not your electricity supply meter. It is usually a small unit near the inverter, often with a rotating or digital kWh display and a green or yellow label. Take the whole number, not the digits after the decimal point, unless your licensee asks otherwise.
Photograph every reading. Ofgem's supplier guidance builds photographs into the checking process. A dated photograph of the meter is the single most useful thing you can keep.
Zero and jumping readings get queried. Licensees compare your reading against expected generation, against last year's reading and against seasonal patterns. A reading well outside the expected range triggers questions before payment.
What licensees do about odd readings. Ofgem describes a staged approach. First, ask for extra information, such as weather. Then ask for photographs of the meter and of the installation. Then withhold payment if an error is found. Then audit the installation if it keeps happening.
Meter certification. Ofgem's rules require an approved meter. Two categories must be replaced or recertified when their certification expires. Meters approved before the Measuring Instruments Regulations came into force. And meters taking half hourly measurements with a maximum demand above 100 kW. Most domestic generation meters do not fall into those categories.
A replaced meter needs a handover of numbers. When any meter changes, the closing reading on the old one and the opening reading on the new one both matter. Ofgem uses the same principle when you switch FIT licensee. The closing read with the old licensee should match the opening read with the new one.
MCS certificate stays as it is. Ofgem tells licensees not to ask for the MCS certificate to be updated for changes made after you joined the scheme. It gives a new generation meter serial number as its own example. They should ask for objective evidence such as invoices and photographs instead.
What to do when the numbers look wrong
| Symptom | Likely meaning | First step |
|---|---|---|
| Blank or dead generation meter display | Meter or its supply has failed | Tell your FIT licensee straight away, then get the installation checked |
| Reading has not moved at all | The system is not generating, or the meter has failed | Check the inverter for errors, then report both to your licensee |
| Reading much lower than last year | Shading, soiling, a failed string, an inverter fault, or a genuine weather difference | Compare inverter monitoring with the meter, then investigate |
| Reading much higher than last year | Possible misread, or the meter is seeing something it should not | Photograph the meter and check nothing new was wired in before it |
| Payments withheld or queried | Licensee tolerance check triggered | Send a dated photograph of the meter and of the array, and ask what else they need |
When This Isn't Right For You
- The problem is your electricity supply meter rather than your generation meter. Ofgem notes that some import meters were affected by solar being installed, and says the electricity supplier must sort out an unsuitable import meter.
- Your system has been switched off for a long period. Then the meter is doing its job, and the system needs attention first.
Before You Spend Money
- Check the free things first. Isolators, trip switches, the inverter display and the monitoring app cost nothing to look at.
- Ask your licensee before you replace a meter. They set what is acceptable, and they need the readings either side of the change.
- Get a written closing reading before anything is disconnected.
- Ask for the make and model of any replacement meter, and keep the paperwork.
- Keep a simple record. A note of every quarterly reading, with a photograph, resolves most disputes without anyone visiting.
- If your complaint stalls, escalate properly. Ofgem says you should use your licensee's complaints process first, and can go to the Energy Ombudsman if it is unresolved after eight weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How often do I have to send a generation meter reading?
A: Ofgem recommends that FIT licensees remind generators to give a reading once a quarter. Your exact timetable is set out in your statement of FIT terms.
Q: My generation meter has stopped working. Will I be paid an estimate?
A: No. Ofgem tells licensees that generation payments must be based on actual meter readings, and that estimated generation is not permitted under the scheme. Report the fault to your licensee promptly.
Q: Someone from my energy company wants to read the meter. Do I have to let them?
A: Ofgem requires licensees to verify readings at least once every two years. You should not be charged for it, and payments may be suspended if you unreasonably prevent it.
Q: My generation meter was replaced. Does that affect my tariff?
A: Ofgem tells licensees the generator should notify them when a generation meter has been replaced or removed. The tariff itself is set by your eligibility date and capacity, not by the meter.
Q: Can I use my generation meter reading for export payments?
A: Not for metered export. Ofgem says a generation meter cannot be used to claim FIT export payments. The generation reading is used to work out deemed export, where you are eligible.
Summary
One meter decides your Feed-in Tariff generation income, so treat it as the important part of the system. Read it every quarter, photograph the reading, and keep the photographs. Ofgem does not allow estimates, so a broken meter means paused payments until it is fixed. Tell your licensee quickly if the meter fails, is replaced, or starts reading something it should not. If a reading is queried, a dated photograph of the meter and of the array usually settles it.