What is the Smart Export Guarantee?
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a UK government scheme launched in January 2020 that requires licensed electricity suppliers with 150,000+ customers to offer a tariff that pays you for surplus renewable electricity you export to the national grid.
If you have solar panels, whenever your panels generate more electricity than your home is using, the surplus flows out to the grid. The SEG ensures you get paid for that exported energy — typically 3p to 25p per kilowatt-hour (kWh) depending on your supplier and tariff.
The SEG replaced the old Feed-in Tariff (FIT), which closed to new applicants in March 2019. Unlike the FIT, the government does not set a fixed SEG rate — each supplier chooses their own, which is why rates vary so widely. The only rule is that the rate must be greater than zero.
Key insight: The gap between the best and worst SEG rates is roughly 5× to 8×. On a typical 4 kW system exporting 2,000 kWh/year, that's the difference between earning £60/year (at 3p) and £375/year (at 18p). Picking the right tariff is one of the highest-ROI decisions in your solar journey.
SEG rates by supplier (2026)
Below are SEG rates from UK suppliers as of August 2026. Rates move — suppliers can change them with ~30 days' notice — so always confirm the live rate before committing.
Top rates (with conditions)
| Supplier & tariff | Rate (p/kWh) | Type | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Flux | up to 32.2p peak | Time-of-use | ⚠️ Paused for new sign-ups (Aug 2026) |
| Octopus Flux | up to 29.3p peak / 10.1p day / 5.0p night | Time-of-use | Octopus customer + battery recommended |
| Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive | 25p | Fixed 12 months | Solar installed by Good Energy |
| EDF Export Exclusive (12m v3) | 18p | Fixed 12 months | Solar installed by EDF/Contact Solar |
| E.ON Next Export Premium v3 | 17.5p | Fixed 12 months | Solar/battery installed by E.ON |
| Ecotricity Smart Export | 16p | Variable | Ecotricity customer |
| So Energy So Bright Export | 20p | Variable | So Energy customer |
| OVO SEG Install Exclusive | 20p | Variable | OVO-installed solar + battery |
| Ecotricity Smart Export | 16p | Variable | Ecotricity customer |
| British Gas Export & Earn Plus | 15.1p | Variable | British Gas dual-fuel customer |
| Good Energy Solar Savings | 12p | Variable | Good Energy customer |
| Octopus Outgoing Fixed | 12p | Fixed | Octopus customer (cut from 15p, March 2026) |
| EDF Export (12m standard) | 15p | Fixed 12 months | EDF customer |
Open-to-all rates (no import switch needed)
| Supplier & tariff | Rate (p/kWh) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fuse Energy Single Rate | 13p | Best truly open rate. No tie-in. |
| Octopus SEG (standard) | 4.1p | Open to all |
| ScottishPower SmartGen Premium | 12p | Banded by export volume |
| E.ON Next Next Flex Export v1 | 6p | Open to all |
| ScottishPower SmartGen (standard) | 6p | Open to all |
| EDF SEG Export Variable Value | 5.6p | Open to all |
| Outfox the Market | 1.05p | Open to all (lowest) |
| So Energy So Export Flex | 4.5p | Open to all |
| Octopus SEG (standard, non-supply) | 4.1p | Unbundled — any solar owner |
| OVO SEG (standard) | 4p | Open to all |
| British Gas Export & Earn Flex | 3.02p | Open to all |
Source: Supplier SEG tariff pages, energyplus.co.uk comparison (April 2026), sola-uk.com (June 2026), spectrumenergysystems.co.uk (May 2026). Rates verified August 2026. Suppliers can change rates with ~30 days' notice.
Best rate without switching supplier
If you're happy with your current electricity supplier and don't want to switch, the standout truly-open option in August 2026 is Fuse Energy at 13p/kWh — no supplier tie-in required. If you're willing to switch electricity supplier, So Energy So Bright Export at 20p/kWh and Good Energy Solar Savings at 12p/kWh are strong options.
For a household exporting 2,000 kWh/year, that's £260/year at Fuse Energy's 13p — compared to just £20/year at the lowest 1p rate. That's a £240/year difference from a 15-minute online application.
The trade-off: these are variable rates, so suppliers can reduce them on notice. They're not locked. Fuse Energy's 13p is the strongest truly-open option; So Energy's 20p is the best value if you'll switch supplier.
Many solar owners are auto-registered onto their existing supplier's standard SEG tariff (often 3–4p) and never switch. That's leaving £150–£275/year on the table. Switching SEG is free, takes 2–4 weeks, and doesn't change your electricity supply.
Best SEG for battery owners
If you have a battery, the maths changes completely. Instead of a flat rate, you want a time-of-use (ToU) export tariff that pays more during peak demand hours.
Octopus Agile Outgoing tracks wholesale electricity prices half-hourly. During sunny midday hours when every solar home is exporting, rates can drop to 3–5p. But during winter peak hours (4–7pm), rates regularly spike to 20–35p/kWh. With a battery, you store your solar generation during the day and export it during those expensive peak windows.
Even better, Octopus Flux offers structured peak/off-peak export rates — up to 29.3p/kWh at peak. (Octopus Intelligent Flux, which previously peaked at 32.2p, is paused for new sign-ups as of August 2026 due to price volatility.) Households running Predbat (a popular open-source battery optimisation tool) report 12-month average export rates of 18–22p/kWh on Agile Outgoing — well above any flat rate.
| Tariff | Peak export | Off-peak | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Flux | up to 32.2p | ~24.1p | Paused for new sign-ups (Aug 2026) |
| Octopus Flux | up to 29.3p | 5.0p night | Battery owners |
| Octopus Agile Outgoing | up to 25–30p+ | can drop below 5p | Active battery managers |
| Good Energy Solar Savings | 15p flat | 15p flat | No battery, want simplicity |
The catch: ToU tariffs require a SMETS2 smart meter recording half-hourly export data, and you must be an Octopus electricity customer. The upside is significant — battery owners on Agile can earn 2–3× more than any flat rate.
How much can you earn from SEG?
Your annual SEG income depends on three things: how much you export, which tariff you're on, and when you export (for ToU tariffs).
Annual export volume depends on system size, self-consumption and sun hours. A typical 4 kW system generates ~3,400 kWh/year; a household without a battery self-consumes ~45% and exports ~55% = ~1,870 kWh exported. With a battery, self-consumption rises to ~75% and export falls to ~850 kWh — but each exported kWh can be sold at higher peak rates.
Annual SEG earnings examples (4 kW system, 1,870 kWh exported)
| SEG tariff | Rate | Annual income | 25-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Gas Export & Earn Flex (worst) | 3.02p | £56 | £1,410 |
| Octopus SEG standard | 4.1p | £77 | £1,918 |
| EDF Variable Value | 5.6p | £105 | £2,615 |
| ScottishPower SmartGen Premium | 12p | £224 | £5,609 |
| Fuse Energy (best truly open) | 13p | £260 | £6,500 |
| E.ON Next Premium (installer exclusive) | 17.5p | £327 | £8,181 |
| Octopus Agile (battery, peak-optimised) | ~20p avg | £374* | £9,350* |
*Octopus Agile figure assumes battery owners shift exports to peak windows — actual earnings depend on battery capacity and management strategy. Export volume drops to ~850 kWh with a battery, but each kWh earns more.
Our solar savings calculator includes SEG income in your total annual savings, using a typical 13p rate. For battery owners, the battery ROI calculator shows how time-of-use export changes the maths.
Eligibility & requirements
To qualify for SEG payments, you need three things:
- MCS-certified installation — your solar panels must be installed by an MCS-certified installer using MCS-certified products. Your installer provides an MCS certificate after installation. Non-MCS installations cannot claim SEG (and forfeit £200–£500/year of export income for the system lifetime).
- A smart meter (or export meter) — most SEG tariffs require a SMETS2 smart meter that can record export data in half-hourly intervals. Time-of-use tariffs (Octopus Agile/Flux) specifically require half-hourly readings. If you have an older SMETS1 meter, your supplier can usually upgrade it for free.
- Apply to a SEG-licensed supplier — you must actively apply for a SEG tariff; it's not automatic. Any supplier with 150,000+ domestic customers must offer at least one SEG tariff. You can choose a different SEG supplier from your import supplier (with some exceptions for premium tariffs).
There is no minimum or maximum system size for SEG eligibility. Whether you have a 1 kW balcony system or a 10 kW rooftop array, you can claim. There's also no minimum export volume for most tariffs (a few require 500 kWh/year minimum).
How to switch SEG tariff
Switching SEG is free, online, and takes 2–4 weeks. You don't need to contact your old SEG provider — the new supplier handles it.
- Compare current rates — use the table above. Decide whether you want a flat rate (simpler) or a time-of-use rate (better with a battery).
- Check eligibility — some tariffs require you to be an electricity customer of that supplier (So Energy 20p, Good Energy 12p); others (like Fuse Energy 13p) are truly open to all.
- Apply online with the new SEG supplier. You'll need:
- Your MCS certificate number (from your installer)
- Your smart meter MPAN (21-digit number, on your electricity bill)
- A recent electricity bill (to confirm your current supplier)
- The new supplier handles the switch — they contact your old SEG provider. You don't need to do anything else.
- Payments start — most suppliers pay monthly or quarterly. Some have a minimum export threshold (e.g. £1 or 500 kWh/year) before they issue payment.
You can switch SEG supplier as often as you like — there's no lock-in on most tariffs (fixed-rate 12-month tariffs may have exit fees, check the terms).
SEG vs the old Feed-in Tariff
The SEG replaced the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) in January 2020. If you installed solar before March 2019 and are on the FIT, you're already getting a better deal — keep it. FIT closed to new applicants on 31 March 2019.
| Feature | Feed-in Tariff (closed) | Smart Export Guarantee (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Rate setting | Government-fixed | Supplier-set (varies 3–25p) |
| Generation payment | Yes — paid per kWh generated | No — only paid for exported kWh |
| Export payment | Deemed (50% of generation assumed exported) | Metered (actual export measured) |
| Typical annual value (4 kW) | £500–£800 (generation + export) | £80–£375 (export only) |
| Index-linked | Yes (RPI) | No |
| Tax | Tax-free for domestic | Tax-free for domestic |
The FIT was more generous because it paid for all generation (not just export) and rates were government-guaranteed for 20–25 years. The SEG pays only for exported electricity at supplier-set rates — but it's the only option for installations after March 2019.
Is SEG taxable?
For most domestic households, SEG income is not taxable. HMRC treats domestic SEG payments as a reduction in energy costs, not as taxable income — the same treatment as the old Feed-in Tariff.
This means:
- You don't need to declare SEG income on a Self Assessment tax return (for domestic installations)
- SEG income doesn't count towards your personal allowance or push you into a higher tax band
- You keep 100% of what your supplier pays you
The exception: if you operate solar as a business — for example, a large commercial rooftop array, a solar farm, or you're claiming capital allowances on the installation — then SEG income is taxable as business income. Consult an accountant if you're unsure which category you fall into.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)?
The SEG is a UK government scheme launched in January 2020 that requires electricity suppliers with 150,000+ customers to offer a tariff paying you for surplus renewable electricity you export to the grid. Suppliers set their own rates, which range from 3p to 25p per kWh. It replaced the Feed-in Tariff (FIT).
What is the best SEG rate in 2026?
The best truly open rate (no supplier switch) is Fuse Energy at 13p/kWh. The best rate with a supplier tie-in is So Energy So Bright Export at 20p/kWh. The highest headline rates — Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive at 25p, EDF Export Exclusive at 24p — require you to have your system installed by that company. For battery owners, Octopus Flux can earn up to 29p/kWh at peak times.
Do I need to switch electricity supplier to get SEG?
No. You can keep your current electricity supplier and still get SEG payments from a different supplier. Fuse Energy's 13p/kWh SEG tariff is open to all solar owners regardless of import supplier. Good Energy Solar Savings at 12p/kWh requires Good Energy as your electricity supplier. The very highest rates (Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive 25p, EDF Export Exclusive 24p) require you to have your system installed by that company.
How much can I earn from SEG per year?
A typical 4 kW solar system exports 1,500–2,500 kWh per year. At 13p/kWh (best open rate) that's £195–£325 per year. At the lowest open rate of 1p/kWh, the same export earns just £15–£25. Picking the right SEG tariff is worth £180–£300 extra per year.
What do I need to qualify for SEG?
You need three things: an MCS-certified solar installation, a smart meter that can record export data (SMETS2 for half-hourly tariffs), and to apply to a SEG-licensed supplier. There is no minimum system size. Your installer provides the MCS certificate.
Is SEG taxable?
For most domestic households, SEG income is not taxable — it is treated as a reduction in energy costs, not as taxable income. This is the same treatment as the old Feed-in Tariff. If you operate solar as a business, different rules apply.
Can I switch SEG supplier without switching my electricity?
Yes. Switching SEG is free and takes 2–4 weeks. You apply directly with the new SEG supplier using your MCS certificate number, smart meter MPAN, and a recent electricity bill. The new supplier handles the switch.