When you have solar panels, you do not always consume all the energy you produce at the same time. This leftover energy is known as self-consumption surplus and can help you reduce your electricity bill even further.
The usual question is: what is the best tariff to compensate that surplus energy? And although many people search directly for which company pays the most for surplus energy, the answer does not depend only on the price per kWh. Your consumption, how much solar energy you have left over, whether you want bill stability or whether you prefer to maximise the value of each kWh exported to the grid also matter.
The best surplus compensation tariff is the one that allows you to make the most of the solar energy you do not consume at the moment your panels produce it.
With self-consumption with surplus energy, your solar panels generate electricity during the day. You consume part of it directly at home, and another part may be left over. That surplus energy can be compensated on your bill, stored in a physical battery or converted into savings through a virtual battery, depending on the type of tariff you have contracted.
That is why the best tariff is not always the one that offers the highest price for surplus energy. The right option depends on how you consume energy:
At Holaluz, for example, there are solutions designed to make use of surplus energy from solar panels in different ways: with direct compensation or with a more stable savings fee.
To compare surplus compensation tariffs, it is best to look beyond the price per kWh. This table summarises the most important criteria:
|
Criterion |
What it means |
Why it matters |
|
Surplus energy price |
Amount you receive for each solar kWh you do not consume |
Helps assess leftover energy |
|
Compensation limit |
How far the bill can be reduced |
May prevent you from using all the surplus energy |
|
Type of compensation |
Monthly, virtual or through a fixed fee |
Affects savings stability |
|
Grid consumption |
Energy you buy when your panels are not producing |
Influences the final cost |
|
Surplus energy generated |
Solar energy you export to the grid |
Determines how much you can compensate |
|
Associated services |
Virtual battery, monitoring, optimisation or management |
Can increase real savings |
|
Commitment or conditions |
Contract requirements |
Important to avoid surprises |
A good electricity tariff with surplus compensation should help you turn leftover energy into real savings, not just offer an attractive price for one part of the bill.
It is normal to wonder which electricity company pays the most for surplus energy. After all, if you produce solar energy and do not consume it, you want to get the most out of it.
But you need to be careful: focusing only on the price of each compensated kWh can lead to an incomplete conclusion.
A company may pay more for each surplus kWh but have other less favourable conditions. For example:
That is why, when you compare which electricity company compensates surplus energy better, you should review the tariff as a whole. What matters is not only how much they pay you for the leftover energy, but how much you end up paying in total each month.
At Holaluz, self-consumption tariffs with surplus energy are designed to help you get more out of the solar energy you do not consume. With Cloud tariffs, you can choose between monthly surplus compensation or a more stable fee, designed to turn your annual production and consumption into more predictable savings.
The price of self-consumption surplus energy is a useful reference, but it should not be the only criterion. At Holaluz, for example, the self-consumption tariff with surplus energy allows you to compensate the solar energy you do not consume at €0.06/kWh, within a proposal that also takes into account consumption, production and the type of savings each household is looking for.
Imagine two tariffs:
In some cases, the second option may be more interesting, especially if you are looking for predictability or if you generate more surplus energy than you can compensate in a monthly bill.
In addition, solar savings do not depend only on what you sell or compensate. They also depend on the energy you self-consume directly. In other words, the electricity you produce and consume at home at the same time is what prevents you from having to buy that energy from the grid.
That is why the goal should not only be to sell surplus energy from solar panels, but to optimise the whole installation: direct self-consumption, surplus energy and final savings.
Before choosing an electricity tariff with surplus compensation, it is worth reviewing several points.
Price of consumed energy
Do not look only at how much you are compensated. Also check how much you pay for the energy you consume from the grid.
Price of surplus energy
It is important, but it should be assessed together with the rest of the tariff.
Compensation limits
In some models, compensation can reduce the bill up to a certain point, but it does not always allow you to use all the surplus energy.
Virtual battery
It can be interesting if you generate more energy than you can compensate in a single bill.
Monthly stability
Some people prefer a more predictable fee instead of a bill that changes a lot depending on each month’s production.
Contract conditions
Check commitment periods, additional services, tariff duration and possible price changes.
A surplus compensation tariff should adapt to your real consumption, not force you to change your habits so that it works.
When we talk about surplus energy from solar panels, there are two common ways to make use of the energy left over: monthly compensation or a virtual battery.
Monthly compensation deducts the value of surplus energy from the bill for the same period. It is a simple and direct option, especially if your surplus energy does not greatly exceed your grid consumption.
A virtual battery, on the other hand, allows you to accumulate the economic value of leftover energy to use it later, according to the tariff conditions. It can be useful when you produce a lot in certain months and want to transfer those savings to other periods.
At Holaluz, the logic of Cloud tariffs goes precisely in that direction: converting surplus energy into savings, either more directly or through a more stable formula.
If you want to maximise every surplus kWh, a tariff focused on direct compensation may interest you. If you prefer stability and do not want to keep track of how much you produce each month, an option with distributed savings may suit you better.
To choose well, the most practical approach is to think about your consumption profile.
If you generate little surplus energy
A simple tariff may suit you, where the priority is to optimise direct self-consumption and have a good price for the energy you still buy from the grid.
If you generate a lot of surplus energy
It is worth checking whether you can use all that value. Here, a virtual battery or a tariff that manages leftover savings better may be more interesting.
If you consume a lot at night
Your panels produce during the day, but part of your consumption is concentrated when there is no sun. In this case, the tariff should help you compensate leftover energy well and reduce the cost of night-time energy.
If you are looking for stability
An option that turns your surplus energy into a more predictable savings fee can give you greater peace of mind.
If you want to maximise the return on your panels
Then you should compare the surplus energy price, the consumption price, compensation limits and the full conditions of the tariff.
The best electricity tariff with surplus compensation is not universal: it depends on how much you produce, when you consume and what type of savings you want to achieve.
When comparing self-consumption tariffs with surplus energy, these are some common mistakes.
Choosing only by the surplus energy price
A high price may seem attractive, but it does not guarantee the lowest bill.
Not reviewing the cost of the energy you consume
If you pay a lot for the electricity you buy from the grid, part of the surplus savings can be diluted.
Not taking your consumption habits into account
Consuming a lot during the day is not the same as concentrating consumption at night.
Thinking all surplus energy is used in the same way
Depending on the tariff, there may be limits or different ways of applying the savings.
Not valuing stability
A tariff that pays for surplus energy may vary more from month to month. A stable savings formula can be more convenient for some households.
Not checking the small print
Commitment periods, additional services or changes in conditions can affect final profitability.
It is the mechanism that allows the value of the solar energy your panels produce and that you do not consume at that time to be deducted from your bill.
It depends on your consumption, how much solar energy you have left over and whether you prefer to maximise each kWh or have more stable savings.
It may vary depending on the conditions of each tariff, but it is not advisable to look only at the surplus energy price. You should also review the price of consumed energy, compensation limits and associated services.
Monthly compensation may be enough if your surplus energy is moderate. A virtual battery may interest you if you generate a lot of surplus energy and want to make use of it beyond a specific bill.
In residential self-consumption, the usual option is to compensate surplus energy on the bill. The exact way to make use of it will depend on the type of tariff contracted.
It can reduce the bill significantly, but it will depend on your consumption, production, compensation conditions and type of tariff.
Review the compensation price, the price of the energy you consume, the limits, the possibility of a virtual battery, monthly stability and the contract conditions.
