Smart Export Guarantee rates: the best SEG tariffs for solar panel owners
The amount you can get paid for exporting energy from your solar panels varies from a paltry 1p to 25p per kWh.
That means that if you've got solar panels, choosing the best export tariff could earn you hundreds of pounds extra in payments every year.
Looking at the latest available offers in April 2026, we found that:
- Energy companies offer the best export rates to their own customers
- The highest export rate pays up to 25p per kWh – provided you meet the qualifying conditions
- The best no-strings export tariff available to non-customers pays 6p per kWh
Our table of export tariffs below summarises what's available.
Many solar panel owners don't use all the electricity their panels generate, especially if they don't have a battery to store the excess for later use. But that excess energy can be used elsewhere, by exporting it back into the National Grid, which then distributes it to wherever it is needed.
The good news for solar panel owners is that large energy companies are obliged to pay for the excess energy that is exported under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme. Some smaller ones choose to.
More on: The Smart Export Guarantee explained
What is the Smart Export Guarantee?
The SEG is a government-backed scheme that requires large energy suppliers (those with more than 150,000 customers) to pay small-scale generators for the excess low-carbon electricity they send to the grid.
These companies – known as SEG licensees – can set their own payment rates, but it has to be above zero.
This applies to other renewable energy generation, such as wind and hydro, as well, but the majority of people will export energy from their solar panels.
Who is eligible for an SEG tariff?
To be eligible, your generation tech must be located in Great Britain and have a total installed capacity (TIC) of no more than 5MW, or no more than 50kW for micro-CHP.
There are five eligible low-carbon technology types for the SEG.
- Solar photovoltaic (solar PV) - aka solar panels
- Wind
- Micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP)
- Hydro
- Anaerobic digestion (AD)
For solar panel installations to receive SEG payments, they must be suitably certified (Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or equivalent). .You'll also need a smart meter capable of giving half-hourly readings (SMETS2 and some SMETS1 meters can do this). Your energy supplier or SEG licensee should be able to tell you whether your current meter is suitable.
Solar export tariffs explained
Since the SEG was introduced in 2020, energy suppliers have begun to offer a range of export rates aside from those required under the SEG scheme.
So while there are 12 mandatory SEG licensees listed by Ofgem for the year 2026-27, there are more than 12 tariffs available (as you can see from our SEG tariff comparison).
Many large energy companies offer more than one tariff. And some smaller suppliers, who are not mandatory SEG licensees, also offer solar export tariffs. These can be called SEG tariffs, SEG rates, solar export rates, or given a unique name by the supplier.
Rates vary widely but solar panel owners usually still receive far less for their exported electricity than companies charge to supply it.
One exception to this is Good Energy's Solar Savings Exclusive. Paying 25p per kWh exported, it's very slightly higher than the current price cap (of 24.67p per kWh).
To access this you need to be a Good Energy customer and have had solar panels and a battery installed by Good Energy Solar.
Octopus Energy's Intelligent Octopus Flux pays slightly lower rates but is open to more customers - any type of battery is acceptable. It is a two rate tariff with matching import and export prices. The peak prices between 4-7pm are the best time to export power and avoid using it from the grid. Octopus automatically schedules when your battery charges and discharges to make the most of this.
Octopus Energy is a Which? Recommended Provider, so we'd recommend switching to it as your energy supplier if you want to take advantage of its best solar export tariffs.
More on: The Smart Export Guarantee explained
SEG tariff comparison: Best and worst SEG rates in April 2026
| Energy company | Tariff name | Who can access it | Solar export/ SEG rate per kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Energy | Solar Savings Exclusive | Good Energy customers who had solar panels and a battery installed by Good Energy Solar | 25p(a) |
| Octopus Energy | Intelligent Octopus Flux | Octopus customers who have solar panels and a battery | 23p(b) |
| OVO Energy | SEG Install Exclusive | Ovo customers who bought solar panels and battery through Ovo | 20p(c) |
| So Energy | So Bright | Those who installed solar and battery through So Energy (you don't need to be a customer) | 20p(a) |
| EDF Energy | Export Exclusive 12m V3 | EDF customers who had solar panels and/or a battery installed through EDF | 18p(a) |
| E.ON Next | Next Export Premium v3 | E.ON customers who have their solar panels or battery storage system installed by E.ON Energy Installation Services after 10 November 2025. | 17.5p(a) |
| British Gas | Export and Earn Plus | British Gas customers | 15.1p |
| EDF Energy | Export 12m | EDF customers | 15p |
| Good Energy | Solar Savings | Good Energy customers | 15p |
| Scottish Power | SmartGen Premium Plus | Scottish Power electricity customers who installed their solar panels and/or battery with Scottish Power | 15p |
| E.ON Next | Next Export Exclusive v3 | E.ON customers who have a total installed capacity of up to 15kW | 13p(a) |
| 100Green | Export Tariff | 100Green customers who have a total installed capacity of up to 15kW | 12p |
| Octopus Energy | Outgoing Octopus | Octopus Energy customers with solar panels | 12p |
| OVO Energy | SEG Beyond Exclusive | OVO customers signed up for OVO Beyond with a total installed capacity up to 30kW | 12p |
| Scottish Power | SmartGen Premium | Scottish Power electricity customers | 12p |
| Octopus Energy | Outgoing Octopus Agile | Octopus Energy customers with solar panels | 9.09p(d) |
| Utility Warehouse | UW Smart Export Guarantee - Bundle | Utility Warehouse customers who bundle two or more additional services | 8p |
| E.ON Next | Next Flex Export v1 | E.ON customers with solar panels with installer capacity up to 5MW | 6p |
| Scottish Power | SmartGen | Anyone | 6p |
| EDF Energy | SEG Export Variable Value | EDF customers | 5.6p |
| So Energy | So Export Flex | Anyone | 4.5p |
| Octopus Energy | Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) | Anyone | 4.1p |
| OVO Energy | SEG | Anyone | 4p |
| British Gas | SEG | Anyone | 3.02p |
| EDF Energy | SEG Export Variable | Anyone | 3p |
| Utilita | Smart Export Guarantee | Anyone | 3p |
| Utility Warehouse | UW Smart Export Guarantee - Standard | Anyone | 2p |
| Outfox Energy | Outfox Export | Anyone | 1.05p |
| E (Gas & Electricity) | SEG Tariff | Anyone | 1p |
Rates correct in April 2026. (a) Rate fixed for 12 months. (b) Import and export tariff with automated management to charge the battery when power is cheapest and export between 4-7pm. (c) 15p if customers only installed solar panels. (d) Rates paid based on real-time energy pricing, which varies every half hour, and can vary substantially over longer periods. Average rate of 9.09p/kWh, based on average rate paid to customers over previous year.
Fuse Energy also offers a SEG rate of 10p/kWh but, at the time of writing, had not confirmed who is eligible for it.
Most of the highest export rates are available to a relatively limited number of customers who fulfil all the criteria. This often means installing specific technology, having solar panels and/or a battery installed by the energy company (or one of their partners).
If you don't or can't fit the criteria, there are still reasonable rates available. British Gas, EDF Energy, Good Energy and Scottish Power pay 15p/kWh for their import energy customers (or those who are willing to switch to them).
Before switching, see how energy companies were rated by their customers in this year's round-up of the best and worst energy providers
Scottish Power offers the highest export tariff available to everyone, so if you're currently on a good fixed import deal or simply don't want to switch supplier, this could be worth considering.
Ready to fit your own solar panels? Head to our solar PV buying guide for details on installation and costs
Why are SEG rates lower than import rates?
Ofgem requires the biggest 12 suppliers to offer SEG tariffs. It doesn't set a tariff rate, length or type, but states that their tariffs must pay an above-zero rate per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity exported at all times.
Energy companies incur significant administration costs and levies setting up and running a SEG rate, which goes some way to explaining why their export rates are so much lower than their import rates.
Some companies pay better rates to the customers that use them as energy suppliers too. Octopus told us: 'We don't make a huge amount of money by offering these cut-price export products, but they benefit a greener grid and world. Because of this, we’re happy to do the work to provide these tariffs for our customers.'
All energy companies with more than 150,000 customers have to offer a SEG tariff. Some of the very low rates offered by energy companies are because they have to comply, rather than any attempt to be competitive or attract customers.
E and Outfox Energy, for example, don't position themselves as SEG providers but are obliged to provide one.
SEG vs FIT
The SEG is a replacement for the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, which closed to new applicants in 2019. People who took out a contract before then will still get their FIT payments until the end of the contract. FIT rates, particularly the earlier ones, were very generous and are index-linked, so they increase in line with inflation. So if you have an active FIT contract, it's probably sensible to stick with it – although you can still switch providers under the FIT contract.
The FIT scheme pays for energy in two ways: a generation payment for all energy generated, regardless of how much of it you use; and an export payment, for energy you don't use that is exported to the grid.
Rather than being metered, the amount of energy exported was generally 'deemed' to be 50% of the energy generated; however, this is now changing. The widespread installation of smart meters means that export can now be accurately measured, and FIT payments can be made accordingly.
It also means it is possible to opt out of your FIT export payments and instead sign up to a SEG or solar export tariff, which pays you only for the metered energy you export. Your FIT generation payments would be unaffected.
If you're receiving FIT payments, to register for an export tariff you must opt out of FIT export payments by contacting your FIT licensee.
More on: How to make the most of your pre-existing FIT tariff
For more on buying your own solar panels, head to our solar panel brand reviews.
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