UK households earn £100m exporting surplus solar power

British households have earned nearly £100 million over the past year by selling surplus solar electricity back to the grid through Octopus Energy. More than 400,000 households are currently utilizing the supplier’s export tariffs, receiving an average payment of £244 over a 12-month period. Collectively, these customers exported over 825 GWh of electricity, a volume comparable to the annual output of a medium-sized gas-fired power station.

Interest in domestic solar installations in the UK has increased, with 74,000 enquiries made to Octopus during May, June, and July—a 34% rise compared to the same period last year. Demand for standalone battery installations saw a significant year-on-year increase of 630% during that same three-month window. Solar and ground-mounted installations have accounted for a record 14.4% of the country’s electricity demand so far this year.

In Europe, research from the think tank Ember indicates that solar output rose by 17% during the June and July 2026 heatwaves. This increase helped meet rising grid demand for cooling, with notable solar output jumps in Italy, Hungary, France, and Spain.