The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is the government-backed scheme that makes electricity suppliers pay you for the solar power you send to the grid. Every large supplier must offer a SEG tariff, the rate must always be above zero, and in autumn 2026 the going rates run from 4.1p to about 20p per kWh. On a typical 4.4kW system that is the difference between about £114 and £556 a year, so choosing the right tariff is worth an hour of your time.
- 1 January 2020 the SEG started, replacing the Feed-in Tariff for new systems
- 4.1p to 20p per kWh: the spread of export rates in autumn 2026
- 150,000+ customers: suppliers above this size must offer a SEG tariff
- MCS certificate and smart meter needed to apply
How the Smart Export Guarantee works
Your panels power the house first. When they make more than you are using, the surplus flows out through your meter to the grid. Your smart meter records that export every half hour, your export supplier reads it, and pays you the agreed rate for each kWh, usually monthly or quarterly as credit or cash.
Ofgem runs the scheme, but it does not set the price. Each supplier decides its own rate, contract length and terms. The only fixed rule on price is that it must be above zero at all times. That is why rates vary so much, and why some are tied to buying electricity or having your system installed by the same company.
Who has to offer it
Suppliers with more than 150,000 domestic customers must offer at least one SEG tariff. Smaller suppliers can choose to. Between them the mandatory suppliers cover the great majority of households, so you will always have a choice.
What is eligible
- Solar PV, wind, hydro, micro-CHP and anaerobic digestion, up to 5MW (50kW for micro-CHP), located in Great Britain
- An installation certified under MCS or an equivalent scheme, which is why the MCS certificate matters so much (see our guide to MCS certification)
- A meter that can record exports half-hourly, which in practice means a smart meter
Business sites qualify too, which makes SEG part of the sums for commercial and farm solar.
Export rates compared, autumn 2026
These are the headline rates published by suppliers. Rates and conditions change often, so check the supplier's own page before you sign.
| Supplier and tariff | Rate per kWh | Type | Main condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVO SEG Install Exclusive | 20p | Fixed | System installed by OVO |
| EDF Export Exclusive | 18p | Fixed | System installed by EDF's installer |
| E.ON Next Export Premium | 17.5p | Fixed | System installed by E.ON |
| E.ON Next Export Exclusive | 16.5p | Fixed | E.ON Next conditions apply |
| Octopus Prime Outgoing | 16p from 4pm to 7pm, 9p other times | 12-month fixed | Octopus import customer |
| British Gas Export and Earn Plus | 15.1p | Fixed | British Gas conditions apply |
| EDF Export 12m | 15p | 12-month fixed | EDF conditions apply |
| Outgoing Octopus | 12p | Variable | Octopus import customer |
| Agile Outgoing Octopus | Tracks wholesale prices | 12-month fixed | Best with a battery |
| Octopus SEG tariff | 4.1p | Flat | Open to anyone with MCS or Flexi-Orb certification |
The top rates are mostly reserved for customers whose system the supplier installed. If you use an independent installer like us, the realistic choice is usually between the open tariffs and the ones for import customers, such as Octopus's 12p. We help you set up whichever you choose once your system is commissioned.
What a better rate is worth: a worked example
A 4.4kW system in Birmingham makes about 4,277 kWh a year (4.4 x 972). A household that is out much of the day uses about 35% itself and exports the rest: 4,277 x 65% = 2,780 kWh.
- At 4.1p: 2,780 x £0.041 = £114 a year
- At 12p: 2,780 x £0.12 = £334 a year
- At 15p: 2,780 x £0.15 = £417 a year
- At 20p: 2,780 x £0.20 = £556 a year
Moving from the basic 4.1p to 12p is worth £220 a year, more than a third of a typical system's total yearly return.
What about peak-time tariffs?
Prime Outgoing pays 16p between 4pm and 7pm and 9p otherwise. Solar on its own exports almost nothing in the late afternoon in winter and most of its surplus around midday, so without a battery nearly all of it would earn 9p: 2,780 x £0.09 = £250, which is less than the flat 12p. Peak tariffs only make sense when a battery holds some solar back for the evening. Even then, check the maths: a unit worth 16p exported at 5pm is worth 26.32p if you use it in the house instead.
Should you export or use it yourself?
Use it yourself whenever you can. Under the October to December 2026 price cap a unit you buy costs 26.32p, and even the best export rate pays less than that. Every kWh you move from export to self-use is worth the difference, 14.32p at a 12p export rate. That is the whole case for timing appliances to midday and for home battery storage, which we cover with prices in how much a solar battery costs.
The flip side: if you are on a 20p export deal, the gap shrinks to 6.32p, and the case for a battery gets much weaker.
How to apply for the Smart Export Guarantee
- Get your MCS certificate. We register your installation with MCS after commissioning and send the certificate. You need it for every SEG application.
- Make sure your smart meter records exports. Almost all SMETS2 and most SMETS1 meters can. Your supplier may need to switch the export reading on, which it can often do remotely.
- Choose a tariff. Compare the rate, whether it is fixed or variable, and whether you must also buy your electricity from that supplier.
- Apply to the supplier. Usually online. You will need your MCS certificate number, your import MPAN (on your bill), the system size, and the commissioning date.
- Wait for the export MPAN. The supplier registers a separate export meter point. This can take a few weeks. Some suppliers only pay from when your application is accepted, so do not leave it.
- Check the first statement. Make sure the export readings look right against your inverter app.
Our installation process includes the network operator registration under G98 or G99 and help with the SEG application, so this runs alongside the install rather than after it.
Things that catch people out
Export limits
If your network operator approved your system under G99 with an export limit, you cannot send more than that limit to the grid at any moment, however much you generate. On a normal home system this rarely costs much, but it is worth knowing.
Feed-in Tariff systems
The Feed-in Tariff closed to new applicants on 31 March 2019. If your panels are on it, they are already paid for exports under that scheme and you cannot be paid twice for the same electricity. Octopus, for example, does not accept Outgoing customers who received FiT payments in the last 12 months. Speak to us before adding panels or a battery to a FiT system.
Variable rates can fall
A variable export rate can be cut with notice. A fixed rate protects you for its term but may lock you out of a better deal. Neither is wrong, but know which you have.
Tax
Home export income is normally tax-free. HMRC's exemption covers electricity generated at or near your home where you did not intend to generate significantly more than you use, and its manual treats up to 20% more than your needs as not significant. Most domestic systems are nowhere near that line.
Quick answer: never settle for a 4p to 5p SEG rate if you can avoid it. Most people fitting with an independent installer can get around 12p, and the difference on a typical system is more than £200 a year.
If you want to see how export income fits the overall return, read are solar panels worth it, and for the import side see the best energy tariffs for solar homes.
Sources
Scheme rules: Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee and Ofgem SEG generator guidance. Octopus rates and eligibility: Outgoing Octopus and Octopus SEG tariff. Other supplier rates as compiled by Heatable, September 2026. Tax: HMRC BIM40520. Electricity price: Ofgem price cap October to December 2026. Feed-in Tariff closure: gov.uk.
