How sell-back works, what the bi-directional meter does, and when credits actually start landing on your bill.
Every kWh you use yourself saves you the full buy rate. Every kWh you export earns you the lower feed-in rate. So the more solar you use while it is being generated, the more the system is worth to you.
Solar system generatesDC from the panels, converted to AC by the inverter.
450 kWhBi-directional meterSP's meter measures both ways — what you draw in, and what you push out.
Both waysUsed at home firstSelf-consumed power is never billed. This is the most valuable kWh you produce.
180 kWhThe rest goes to the gridExported at the lower feed-in rate and credited on your SP bill.
270 kWhReference figure for what SP charges for grid electricity. Q1 2026, before GST. Check your bill for the actual rate.
Reference figure for what SP pays for excess solar exported. Always lower than the buy rate. Check SP's quarterly release.
SP's meter team swaps the existing meter for a bi-directional (PV) meter. Expect a shutdown of around 5 minutes.
Held the next working day. FOMO attends. Confirms the system is safe to export to the grid.
One working day after the inspection passes. Export credits start appearing on your monthly SP bill.
For SP customers, the feed-in tariff is the consumption tariff minus the grid charge, so it is always lower than the import rate. Both move every quarter. On a retailer plan, the retailer sets their own sell-back rate.
No. Retailers such as Keppel or Sembcorp set their own sell-back rate. Some customers switch back to SP to take the SP rate. FOMO can advise.
For self-consumption, yes — but FOMO recommends waiting. Any export before the new meter goes in is not measured, so you are not paid for it.
Around 15 minutes. Three-phase 150 A and above usually has no shutdown. SP staff notify you before switching off. To turn off: sub breakers first, then the main. To turn back on: main breaker first, then the subs.
The SP bill. The monitoring app uses a manually entered tariff, which is good for spotting trends but not for billing. Refer to the bill for the real figures.
Yes. Battery storage (ESS) lets you self-consume at night instead of exporting at the lower feed-in rate. FOMO offers ESS solutions on request.
Everything on this page, condensed into a single sheet you can save or forward. Prepared by the FOMO Energy Solar O&M team.
If sell-back has not appeared a month after your SP inspection, send us your latest bill and we will check it against the installation record.
