How Much Does the CEG Pay in Ireland? 2026 Export Tariff Rates Compared

The Clean Export Guarantee can pay anywhere from 15c to 32c per kWh in Ireland in 2026 — a 110% spread between the worst and best supplier. Here is the real rate table, how payment actually works, and how to maximise what you earn. Updated June 2026.

Most Irish solar owners pick a CEG supplier the same way they pick a broadband provider: whoever is cheapest on import. That logic was correct in 2022 when CEG rates were all clustered at 20 cents. In 2026, the spread between suppliers is wider than at any point since the scheme launched — and the wrong choice costs an average solar household €200–€350 a year in lost export income.

This guide answers the question solar owners actually want answered: not “what is the CEG?” (we covered that in our main CEG guide), but “how much money will hit my bill, and which supplier pays the most?”

Every Irish supplier’s CEG rate (June 2026)

Rates are quoted including VAT (9% on electricity). The scheme is a credit on your electricity bill, not a cash transfer to your bank account. We confirmed every rate below directly with supplier help pages and updated this table on 2 June 2026.

Supplier	Standard CEG rate	Premium rate	Payment frequency
Pinergy	25.0c	—	Bi-monthly
SSE Airtricity	19.5c	up to 32.0c (partner installers only)	Quarterly
Electric Ireland	19.5c	—	Bi-monthly
Bord Gáis	18.5c	—	Bi-monthly
Energia	18.5c	—	Bi-monthly
Flogas	18.5c	—	Quarterly
Yuno Energy	15.9c	—	Quarterly
PrePayPower	15.9c	—	Quarterly
EcoPower	15.2c	—	Bi-monthly

Note that standard rates are what you get by default once your microgeneration is registered. The SSE Airtricity 32c premium tier is real but restricted to customers whose solar system was installed by an SSE Airtricity partner installer. There is no public list — you have to ask the installer directly whether they’re a partner before you sign.

What does that mean in real money?

Let’s convert those cent-per-kWh numbers into annual euros for three typical Irish system sizes. We’re assuming average Irish irradiance (around 900–1,000 kWh per kWp/year), 65% self-consumption (typical for a home with a working family during the day), and the rest exported.

System size	Annual export	@ 15.2c (EcoPower)	@ 19.5c (SSE/Electric Ireland)	@ 25.0c (Pinergy)	@ 32.0c (SSE Premium)
3 kWp	~1,000 kWh	€152	€195	€250	€320
4 kWp	~1,300 kWh	€197	€253	€325	€416
6 kWp	~2,000 kWh	€304	€390	€500	€640
8 kWp	~2,800 kWh	€426	€546	€700	€896

The headline takeaway: for a typical 4 kWp Irish home, switching from EcoPower (15.2c) to Pinergy (25c) puts an extra €128 a year on your electricity bill as a credit. Over the 25-year lifetime of a solar system, that’s €3,200 in opportunity cost from picking the wrong supplier.

How CEG payment actually works (the bit suppliers don’t advertise)

Six things that surprise people once they’re actually on the scheme:

1. It’s a bill credit, not a payment

The CEG credit appears as a line item on your bi-monthly or quarterly electricity bill, reducing the amount owed. If your credit exceeds your bill, the surplus rolls over to the next bill. If you build up a large credit balance and then switch supplier, most suppliers will refund the balance — but you have to ask. Don’t assume it transfers automatically.

2. The first €400 is tax-free

Under Section 216D of the Taxes Consolidation Act (introduced in Budget 2024 and renewed in Budget 2025 through 2027), the first €400 of CEG income each year is exempt from income tax. For a typical 4 kWp household, that covers the full annual credit on most suppliers. If you have a larger system — say 8–10 kWp generating €500–€700 of credit — the excess is taxable as miscellaneous income and should be declared on your Form 11 or Form 12.

3. You need a smart meter

You cannot get CEG without an ESB Networks smart meter installed and configured for “export reading.” If your meter is an old MCB type, request a smart meter swap through ESB Networks (esbnetworks.ie/connections). Installation is free but takes 4–10 weeks. Until the meter is fitted, your export is unmetered and you receive a flat “deemed export” estimate — usually a fraction of real output.

4. Day-night meter timing affects you

If you’re on a day/night or smart tariff, CEG rates may differ between peak and off-peak periods. Pinergy and SSE Airtricity quote a single rate for all hours; some plans on Electric Ireland and Energia pay less during night hours (because solar export at night is impossible anyway, this rarely matters in practice).

5. Battery storage doesn’t kill CEG — but it changes the maths

A common misconception: “If I add a battery, I won’t export anything, so I’ll lose CEG.” Half-true. A battery pushes self-consumption from 65% to 85%+, which means less export — but the energy you don’t export is offsetting electricity that costs you 34c/kWh to buy. Even at Pinergy’s 25c rate, it’s always better to use your own kWh than to export it. Battery owners typically see CEG income drop by 40–60%, but total system savings increase.

6. Rates can change with 30 days’ notice

All CEG rates are explicitly “subject to change.” SSE Airtricity dropped from 24c to 19.5c in early 2024. Pinergy raised theirs from 21c to 25c in late 2025. Treat the current rate as a 12–18 month commitment, not a 25-year contract.

Should you switch supplier just for the CEG rate?

The honest answer: only if your import rate is competitive too. The CEG credit is meaningful but it’s usually 15–25% of your total energy bill. Picking a supplier with a 5c higher CEG but a 4c higher import rate is a net loss. Run the maths on both sides.

Scenario	Switch?	Why
You import 4,000 kWh/year, export 1,500 kWh/year	Compare both	A 5c/kWh import saving is worth €200 — same as a 13c/kWh CEG bump on 1,500 kWh export.
You have a battery and export only 600 kWh/year	Optimise on import	CEG income is small; the cheaper import wins.
You have a large system (8–10 kWp), no battery, export 3,000+ kWh/year	Yes, chase the CEG	CEG income is €500+ a year. A 10c/kWh higher CEG is worth €300+ alone.
You qualify for SSE Airtricity’s 32c premium tier	Usually yes	It’s €130–€250 a year above the next best option.

Maximising your CEG income: 5 tactics that actually work

1. Run high-load appliances during the day. Sounds obvious but it inverts the right way: if you can’t self-consume the export, switch supplier to the highest CEG payer instead. Either way, time-shift your dishwasher, washing machine, and EV charging to daylight hours.
2. Get a power diverter for excess heat. A myenergi Eddi or Solar iBoost+ dumps surplus into your immersion. This pushes 100–300 kWh/year that would have been exported into hot water at retail electricity cost (34c) instead of CEG cost (15–25c). See our power diverter guide for which one to pick.
3. Time your tax return. Track your CEG credit by calendar year. If your total exceeds €400, the excess is taxable. If you’re near the threshold, run lower-load appliances during peak solar hours in December to push the excess into next year.
4. Check premium installer partnerships before signing. Ask any quoting installer whether they’re an SSE Airtricity partner. If they are, the 32c rate could be worth €100–€300/year more than any other supplier — that may overcome a slightly higher upfront installation cost.
5. Re-check rates every 6 months. CEG rates move. Set a calendar reminder. Pinergy’s 25c rate was 21c in late 2024 and could move again.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell electricity back to the grid in Ireland?
Yes — through the Clean Export Guarantee scheme. You get a per-kWh credit on your electricity bill for everything you export from your microgeneration system (solar, micro-wind, or micro-hydro). Payment ranges from 15c to 32c per kWh depending on supplier.

How is the export measured?
By your smart meter. ESB Networks reads your import and export registers separately and sends both values to your supplier each month. Your supplier multiplies the export by their CEG rate and credits your bill.

What’s the difference between standard and premium CEG rates?
Standard rates (15–25c) are available to any registered microgeneration customer. Premium rates (currently up to 32c at SSE Airtricity) are restricted — usually to customers whose installer is a commercial partner with that supplier. Premium rates exist because the supplier values the additional commercial relationship with the installer.

Do I pay tax on CEG payments?
First €400 per year is tax-free under Section 216D of the Taxes Consolidation Act. Excess is taxable as miscellaneous income.

How often does CEG get paid?
As a credit on your electricity bill — either bi-monthly (Pinergy, Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis, Energia, EcoPower) or quarterly (SSE Airtricity, Flogas, Yuno, PrePayPower).

Can I switch suppliers and keep my microgeneration registration?
Yes. Your microgeneration registration is with ESB Networks, not with a specific supplier. Switching follows the standard 17-day domestic switching process; your CEG starts under the new supplier’s rate immediately.

What if I have an old meter?
Until a smart meter is fitted, you receive a “deemed export” estimate from your supplier — typically based on 12.5% of generation. Request a smart meter swap through ESB Networks. It’s free.

The bottom line

The CEG scheme in Ireland in 2026 pays between 15.2c and 32c per kWh depending on supplier and installer relationship. For a typical 4 kWp solar home, that’s the difference between earning €197 and €325 a year — before tax and before the 32c premium tier where eligible.

Pinergy is the highest standard-rate option at 25c/kWh. SSE Airtricity offers up to 32c but only via partner installers. The lowest payers (EcoPower, Yuno, PrePayPower) leave money on the table if you have a generating system with meaningful export.

Before you switch, model both sides — import savings and export earnings — against your actual annual usage and export. CEG is meaningful, but for most households it’s smaller than your import bill, so a 5c import advantage can still beat a 7c CEG advantage. Use a comparison tool that lets you input both numbers, not just headline import rates.

If you’re still in the planning stage for a solar system, see our main CEG explainer for registration steps, our SEAI grant guide for the upfront subsidy, and our solar calculator to model the total savings for your roof.