Smart Export Guarantee: how you get paid for spare solar power

What SEG is

The scheme started in January 2020 and replaced the old Feed-in Tariff. Larger energy suppliers (those with more than 150,000 customers) must offer at least one export tariff. Each supplier sets its own rate per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which can be anything above zero. Your payments are based on the electricity your home exports, measured by your meter, and credited monthly, quarterly or yearly depending on the supplier.

What you need to qualify

• A certified installation. Your system must be installed by an installer certified under a recognised scheme such as MCS, and you will need the certificate. Without it, most suppliers will not pay you for exports. Ask for the certificate when you get your quote.
• A meter that records exports. That means a smart meter or an export meter taking half-hourly readings.
• A tariff from a licensed supplier. Your export supplier does not have to be the company you buy your electricity from, although some of the best rates are only offered to that supplier's own customers.

What it pays

Rates change often, so treat these as broad ranges as of September 2026 and check current figures before you decide.

• Standard fixed tariffs: often around 3p to 6p per kWh. Many older tariffs sit at the bottom of this range.
• Better fixed tariffs: around 10p to 16p per kWh from some suppliers, and worth looking for.
• Tied or exclusive tariffs: the highest headline rates, sometimes 20p or more. They usually come with conditions, such as buying your system from that supplier, having a battery, or taking your electricity from them too.
• Variable or time-of-use tariffs: the rate moves through the day. They can pay more at peak times, which suits homes with a battery, but the rate is not guaranteed.

To see live rates, use a comparison site such as MoneySavingExpert, Uswitch or MoneySuperMarket, and check each supplier's own page for the small print.

Exporting is not always the best use of your power

The electricity you buy costs far more per unit than the rate you are paid to export. Under the recent Ofgem price cap, a unit cost around 26p. So every unit you use yourself saves more than a unit you export earns. This is why a system sized around how you use electricity, and a battery that stores spare power for the evening, can matter more than chasing the highest export rate. Even so, the export rate is worth getting right, because it is money for power you would otherwise give away.

How to switch

1. Find your MCS certificate and your export meter reference number (the MPAN for your export supply).
2. Compare tariffs and read the conditions.
3. Apply directly to the supplier you have chosen. You do not need to end your electricity supply contract, but check whether the tariff you want is tied to it.
4. The supplier confirms your start date and begins paying you for exports from then. Switching can take a few weeks, so ask what date payments start.

Check before you switch

• Is the rate fixed or variable, and for how long is it guaranteed?
• Do I need to buy my electricity from this supplier?
• Does it need a battery, or a system bought from them?
• How often am I paid, and is there a minimum term or exit fee?
• Is it a smart-meter or half-hourly tariff, and is my meter compatible?