Smart Export Guarantee (SEG): what UK solar owners actually earn in 2026

The Smart Export Guarantee replaced the Feed-in Tariff in 2020. Every UK supplier with 150,000+ customers must offer some sort of export rate — but the rates vary by 15× between the worst and best deals. Picking the right tariff is the difference between £40/yr and £400/yr in export income.

How SEG works

• You install solar panels (under 5 MW capacity).
• You apply for SEG with a supplier — they require an MCS certificate, a smart meter, and proof of inverter spec.
• The smart meter measures every kWh exported to the grid.
• The supplier credits or pays you for those kWh at the agreed rate.

You can be on a different supplier for import (electricity you buy) and export (electricity you sell). Pick the cheapest import tariff and the highest export tariff independently.

What the rates look like in 2026

A non-exhaustive snapshot — confirm before switching:

• Octopus Outgoing Fixed: 15p/kWh flat. Strong all-round option for non-Octopus import customers.
• Octopus Outgoing Agile: half-hourly, often peaks above 25p/kWh on sunny afternoons. Best for those who can time exports.
• Octopus Outgoing for Octopus customers: bonus 4-6p/kWh on top of the Fixed rate.
• EDF Export Variable: 5-7p/kWh.
• British Gas Export and Earn Plus: 6.4p/kWh.
• OVO Energy: 4-15p depending on plan.
• E.ON Next: 16.5p/kWh on Next Export Premium.
• Worst-in-class: 1-3p/kWh from suppliers that pay the legal minimum to discourage take-up.

Octopus Energy and E.ON consistently lead. Pricing changes — always check the supplier's current rate before switching.

How much will I actually earn?

Typical UK home with a 4 kWp solar array generates ~3,500 kWh/yr. Roughly 50-70% gets self-consumed (used in the home directly) and 30-50% gets exported.

• 1,200 kWh exported × 5p/kWh = £60/yr (low-end SEG)
• 1,200 kWh exported × 15p/kWh = £180/yr (mid-range)
• 1,500 kWh exported × 25p/kWh on Agile (peak times) = £375/yr (best case, requires battery + smart export timing)

The bigger your battery and the smarter your control, the more you can shift export into peak rates.

Eligibility — what you need

• An MCS certificate for your solar install (your installer provides this — keep it safe).
• A smart meter capable of half-hourly export readings (SMETS2, or SMETS1 in smart-mode).
• Less than 5 MW of total generation capacity (effectively, every domestic install).
• An eligible inverter (effectively, every modern grid-tied inverter).

Common mistakes to avoid

• Sticking with your default supplier's SEG. The default is rarely competitive. Switch.
• Ignoring the import side. A 15p export rate paired with a 35p import rate beats a 5p export rate paired with a 25p import rate, but only just. Look at both halves.
• Not registering for SEG at all. About 20% of solar owners never apply. That is free money left on the table.

SEG with a battery

A battery lets you time-shift when you export. Charge from cheap-rate electricity overnight (5-7p/kWh on a smart tariff), then export the stored energy during peak rate windows in the early evening (sometimes 25p+ on Agile). Done well, this can add £100-£200/yr to a household's total energy income — though it is more setup than most people want.

The bottom line

Treat SEG as a switch-and-forget — pick the highest-paying tariff that matches your import setup, register with the certificate your installer gives you, then forget it for a year. Revisit annually because supplier rates change. For a typical 4 kWp install, expect £100-£250/yr from SEG alongside whatever you save on imports. Run our free pre-survey check for a personalised export estimate based on your roof.