Manage a business solar export contract using the actual agreement's expiry, renewal and notice provisions. Keep it separate from the contract for electricity imported to the premises, even where one company handles both. This guide helps generators in Great Britain organise the paperwork, obtain written answers and prepare a switch without assuming one supplier's terms apply everywhere.
Identify the export arrangement before discussing renewal
Find the signed agreement, price schedule, amendments and recent payment statements. Establish the legal contracting party, generation site, export meter point administration number (MPAN), counterparty and relevant account reference. Do not use an import bill alone to identify the export arrangement.
Ask what type of agreement you have. It may involve the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), a commercial export or power purchase agreement, or a legacy arrangement requiring its own checks. The product name and governing terms matter more than a general description such as “our solar contract”.
Ofgem's SEG guidance explains that SEG payment and contract details are determined by the chosen SEG licensee. That guidance is relevant to SEG arrangements; it is not the full set of terms for every business export agreement.
Keep import and export records separate
Electricity bought for the premises and electricity sold or credited for export serve different purposes. Record the identifiers, counterparties, dates and contacts separately so that a renewal instruction clearly identifies the intended agreement.
For SEG, Ofgem explains that the company making export payments need not be the business's electricity or gas supplier. Do not assume, however, that a particular combined offer has no conditions linking its pricing or eligibility to another product. Ask the provider to explain any such condition in writing.
Our supply-identifier guide explains why supply points, physical meters and account references need distinguishing. Check whether the paperwork concerns the import MPAN, export MPAN or a generation-meter record before requesting a change.
Read the expiry, renewal and notice clauses together
Use a short agreement checklist rather than relying on a reminder email:
| Check | What to record |
|---|---|
| Term and expiry | The current agreed period and any amendments. |
| Continuation | What the agreement says happens if no action is taken. |
| Notice | Required period, permitted method, recipient and any timing conditions. |
| Ending or switching | Relevant rights, charges, restrictions and information required. |
| Pricing and payment | How exported energy is measured, valued and paid. |
| Written confirmation | What the counterparty has accepted and any action still outstanding. |
There is no single notice period to copy into every export enquiry. Read the wording that governs your agreement and ask for clarification if the start of the notice period or required method is unclear.
Where a clause's legal effect is disputed, have the actual wording reviewed rather than treating a general article or another customer's terms as an answer.
Ask for a clear written position before choosing the next offer
State the agreement and export identifier, the clause you want explained and the outcome you are considering. For example, ask the provider to confirm whether automatic continuation applies, how notice must be served and which date an accepted notice would take effect.
Retain the reply with the agreement. If you send notice, seek confirmation of receipt and the recorded outcome; a request for information is different from a termination instruction. If a broker assists, check that the letter of authority covers the task.
BBA Energy's supplier and procurement support can help organise these questions. Agree the scope of that assistance, including who obtains offers, sends instructions and checks the response. Do not assume a discussion about the import contract has also changed the export arrangement.
Plan the transition and check the payment record
Compare replacement offers on a consistent basis, including the term, pricing method, relevant charges, payment process and operational requirements. Keep forecasts and actual exported volumes distinct. An attractive headline payment rate does not settle the suitability of every other term.
Obtain written confirmation of the intended start and end arrangements before treating a switch as complete. Ask which readings, registration steps or other documents the parties need, then check final and opening payment statements against the accepted dates and data.
Keep a separate review entry for the export agreement alongside your import renewal checklist. Review it when ownership, contracting entity, generation equipment or other material circumstances change, asking the provider which requirements apply rather than assuming the existing terms automatically accommodate the change.