Generation Meter explained
A generation meter is an electricity meter installed as part of your solar system that measures the total amount of electricity your panels generate — regardless of whether that power is used in your home or exported to the grid.
Under the old Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme, generation meter readings were submitted quarterly to your FIT licensee, who paid you a generation tariff for every kWh produced (typically 3.5–15p/kWh depending on when you registered). If you have a pre-2019 FIT contract, you still submit generation meter readings regularly.
Under the current Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), most tariffs only pay for exported electricity — a separate export meter (or your smart meter's export register) records this. A generation meter is not always required for SEG, but some FIT contracts that transitioned to SEG still require readings.
How to read your generation meter:
- It's usually a white box with a digital display, mounted near your inverter
- Records cumulative kWh from system installation
- Some modern inverters have an integrated generation meter in their display or app
If you're buying a house with existing solar panels, ask for the generation meter reading history — it tells you how well the system has actually performed over its lifetime.