Payout for Solar Export Credits

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fastbike

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#322724 16-Sep-2025 14:06

Has anybody had experience with getting a payout for solar export credits ? Is there an "admin" charge ?

We're with Meridian and will have had the solar installed for a year at the end of November. I'm estimating we'll be around $500 in credit then, so a payout just before Xmas would be a nice thing.

Or do they force you to sit on the credits until you move supplier ?

Otautahi Christchurch

MadEngineer

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#3415380 16-Sep-2025 14:12

With Genesis the app will prompt you that your account is in credit and to enter your bank account number for it to be deposited to. Haven’t tried it yet however but don’t think there’s any fee involved.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

fastbike

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#3415415 16-Sep-2025 16:04

MadEngineer:

With Genesis the app will prompt you that your account is in credit and to enter your bank account number for it to be deposited to. Haven’t tried it yet however but don’t think there’s any fee involved.

No such luck with Meridian - they obviously prefer a one way flow.

Otautahi Christchurch

wellygary

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#3415419 16-Sep-2025 16:16

Speaking of getting paid for Solar,

IRD are going to exempt solar export payments from income tax

(bet no one thought that they should figure in having to pay tax on your solar production) -

They've worked out its too hard to tax so they will exempt it... BUT the fact they think it should be classed as income makes me think that in 10 years time when more people are exporting solar, they might come back and "re-evaluate" the exemption

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/571137/tax-changes-for-new-migrants-remote-workers-and-solar-power-exporters-proposed

https://www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/-/media/project/ir/tp/publications/2025/ria-pack-compliance-simplification-tax-bill/ris---income-derived-from-residential-sale-of-excess-electricity.pdf?modified=20250826042548&modified=20250826042548

MFS

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Wannabe Geek

#3422183 6-Oct-2025 14:40

fastbike:

MadEngineer:

With Genesis the app will prompt you that your account is in credit and to enter your bank account number for it to be deposited to. Haven’t tried it yet however but don’t think there’s any fee involved.

No such luck with Meridian - they obviously prefer a one way flow.

Will Meridian pay?

fastbike

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#3422210 6-Oct-2025 15:38

MFS:

fastbike:

No such luck with Meridian - they obviously prefer a one way flow.

Will Meridian pay?

My monthly bill is due on Saturday, I'm expecting around $160+ credit for the month. Add this to the $466 carried forward after paying winter power bills, so I'll be asking for around $600.

Otautahi Christchurch

fastbike

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#3424497 12-Oct-2025 18:42

fastbike:

My monthly bill is due on Saturday, I'm expecting around $160+ credit for the month. Add this to the $466 carried forward after paying winter power bills, so I'll be asking for around $600.

The bill came in slightly better than I thought - $189 net credit.

This takes my account credit to $655, so I sent them an email today asking for a payout. I got an automated response saying they are suffering from an overload of emails, probably a bot scanning the email and deprioritising emails like mine.

I await the sound of cash flowing into my bank account.

Otautahi Christchurch

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Goosey

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#3424526 13-Oct-2025 06:33

Meridian website help pages say “we prefer to have you in credit but can talk about refunds, just call or chat with us” (sic). I also see they were quite clear about providing credit to a power account when looking at the plans pages.

also. I see you can provide them with a GST number if you are registered so they can provide you with a BCTI (buyer created tax invoice).

im not sure if you can just let them know your general IRD number or not given the amount might be over threshold.

if IRD are in fact proposing no tax on solar credits, then maybe wait that out for it to happen then you will see the power companies adjust accordingly and refunds would be easier for them.

fastbike

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#3425216 15-Oct-2025 21:29

Oh sweet ! An email received today

"sent the whole credit $655.11 CR for refund.
Please allow up to 3 to 5 Business days to receive the funds."

I'm guessing (I need to add up the units used in the previous year) that we previously had an annual power bill of $3k, so this is $3.6k saving.

Had I invested into MEL I'd be behind.

The lesson is to back yourself and get solar on the roof.

Otautahi Christchurch

fastbike

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#3443341 12-Dec-2025 22:03

Here's a nice Xmas pressie

Otautahi Christchurch

fastbike

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#3463498 21-Feb-2026 16:42

Jan and Feb have had a lot of cloud, and we did a couple of road trips so needed to charge the car on the overnight rate. We should enter the winter period with around $1500 of credits.

Otautahi Christchurch

fastbike

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#3469215 12-Mar-2026 01:50

We appear to be on target with the bill just received. I had to do some car charging for a holiday we took in the EV, unfortunately I have not yet set the charger to ramp back when the sun is temporarily blocked by cloud so that accounts for some of the imports.

Otautahi Christchurch

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lachlanw

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#3469216 12-Mar-2026 02:58

They've worked out its too hard to tax so they will exempt it.

If they treat it as taxable income then they would have to allow deductions against it. The value of the credits received would be dwarfed by the amortised cost of the the panels.

MikeAqua

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#3469309 12-Mar-2026 10:41

lachlanw:

They've worked out its too hard to tax so they will exempt it.

If they treat it as taxable income then they would have to allow deductions against it. The value of the credits received would be dwarfed by the amortised cost of the the panels.

I'd go back to IRD's oft-used intentions test. What was the intention of buying the solar? It was primarily to generate for domestic consumption. Therefore, no tax payable and no cost (like depreciation/amortisation) deductible.

If I put massive array in my font paddock with the purposes of selling to the grid, the fair cop. Tax is payable on nett profit.

Mike

wellygary

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#3469366 12-Mar-2026 11:58

lachlanw:

They've worked out its too hard to tax so they will exempt it.

If they treat it as taxable income then they would have to allow deductions against it. The value of the credits received would be dwarfed by the amortised cost of the the panels.

Yes , but you only get to claim the depreciation and interest expense for the units you sell to the grid, not on the whole install ( it excludes costs for the units you consume yourself,)

TLDR: Basically its a huge amount of paperwork for a) little government income and b) a likely big headache to solar users and politicians who will get it in the ear...

From IRD

Inland Revenue’s technical interpretation is that although dependent on the particular facts and legal arrangements (i.e. payment, credit, or discount), in many instances the amounts received by or credited to an individual for excess electricity supplied to the network are likely to be assessable income.

7. Inland Revenue’s interpretation means that such individuals are required to file a tax return and will be allowed deductions for expenditure incurred (e.g. interest on a loan to install solar panels) and depreciation loss to the extent it relates to the sale of excess electricity.