Electricity Act 1996

It is a condition of the licence of the electricity entity that has the relevant contract to sell electricity as a retailer to a qualifying customer who feeds electricity generated by a qualifying generator into a distribution network, other than an excluded network, that the retailer will, after taking into account any requirements prescribed by the regulations—

credit against the charges payable by the qualifying customer for the sale of electricity to the qualifying customer the prescribed amount, or an amount determined by the retailer, being an amount greater than the prescribed amount, for electricity fed into the network in excess of the electricity used by the qualifying customer (after taking into account the operation of the following subsections); and

reflect the credits under paragraph (a) and section 36AE in the charges payable by the qualifying customer for the sale and supply of electricity; and

provide to the qualifying customer information relating to—

the amount of electricity fed into the distribution network by the qualifying customer; and

the amounts to be credited for the benefit of the qualifying customer for electricity fed into the distribution network.

If the whole of the amounts to be credited to a qualifying customer under paragraph (a) and section 36AE(1) in respect of electricity fed into a distribution network in a particular billing period has not been set‑off against the charges payable by the qualifying customer for the supply of electricity at the end of that billing period, the qualifying customer is, subject to subsection (3), entitled to the payment of the outstanding balance.

A retailer may, in respect of any outstanding balance to which a qualifying customer is entitled under subsection (2), pay the balance—

at the end of the billing period referred to in subsection (2);

not later than 1 year after the end of the billing period referred to in subsection (2) (but in such an event the retailer must pay all outstanding balances at that time).