Home energy guide
The Smart Export Guarantee: getting paid for your spare solar
The Smart Export Guarantee means you get paid for the solar power you don't use. Every supplier sets its own rate, so shopping around for an export deal matters almost as much as shopping around for the panels.
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Work out your own numbers with the solar calculator →
What the SEG is
Think of it as a "we'll buy your spare power" rule. Since 1 January 2020, larger electricity suppliers (called SEG Licensees) have had to pay small home generators for low-carbon electricity they send to the grid (Ofgem).
It covers solar, wind, hydro and anaerobic digestion up to 5 MW, and micro-CHP up to 50 kW. You must be in Great Britain, so Northern Ireland, Guernsey and Jersey are out.
The twist: there's no set price. Each supplier picks its own rate, contract length and terms. The only rule is that the rate must be above zero (Ofgem).
What export pays today
About 12p per unit is typical. Outgoing Octopus pays a flat 12p, and the Energy Saving Trust says about 12p is normal (both checked 27 October 2026). Some suppliers pay less, and some save their best rates for their own customers or for people who bought panels from them.
Some export tariffs pay more at certain times of day. Our battery tariffs guide covers those.
Households don't pay VAT on export payments, so there's no "with VAT" figure to worry about.
Who qualifies
- An eligible technology in Great Britain, within the size limits above.
- A meter that records exports every half hour. In practice, that's usually a smart meter.
- Usually an MCS certificate for the installation, or equivalent. Check each supplier's rules.
- You can't already be paid for the same exports under the old Feed-in Tariff.
How to sign up
- Make sure your smart meter is set up to record exports. Your supplier may need to change a setting.
- Compare SEG tariffs. Ofgem publishes the list of SEG Licensees each year.
- Apply to the one you pick. You'll usually need your MCS certificate, your export MPAN (the number for your export supply) and proof you own the system.
- Your export supplier can usually be different from your import one, although some of the best rates need you to buy from them too.
What it's worth in a year
For a typical London system, export might earn around £330 a year at 12p, but only about £138 at 5p. Picking a good rate is worth nearly £200 a year. Pop your own rate into the solar calculator.
See the numbers
- 4.5 kWp system in London makes about 4,586 kWh a year (PVGIS). Using 40% at home leaves about 2,750 kWh to export.
- 2,750 kWh × 12p ≈ £330. At 5p ≈ £138.
- Import price you save: 26.32p at the October–December 2026 cap. It has no VAT right now because the government removed VAT from electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. When 5% VAT returns, it's about 27.64p.
Use it or export it?
Usually, use it. A unit you use saves you about 26p; a unit you export earns about 12p. Easy wins: run the dishwasher and washing machine at midday, heat water with a solar diverter, and charge an EV in the day.
One exception: if you're on an overnight EV tariff at about 6.5p, it can pay more to export at 12p and charge the car at night. Our solar payback guide walks through it.
Guernsey
No SEG here. Guernsey Electricity buys spare power at its Buy Back Tariff of 9.90p per unit, unchanged in the 1 July 2026 tariff changes. Guernsey has no VAT or GST.
Compare that with the 26.01p Standard tariff you save on each unit you use yourself. Using your own solar is worth even more here than in Great Britain.
Jersey
No SEG either. Jersey Electricity has its own deal for customers who generate, but we couldn't verify its current export rate today, so ask Jersey Electricity before you count on export income. The General Domestic rate you save is 22.20p per unit including 5% GST (about 21.14p before GST), from 1 March 2026.
Northern Ireland
The SEG doesn't apply. The Energy Saving Trust suggests asking your supplier whether it offers an export tariff.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Smart Export Guarantee pay?
Suppliers set their own rates. Outgoing Octopus pays 12p per kWh, and the Energy Saving Trust says about 12p is typical (checked 27 October 2026). Rates must always be above zero.
Do I need a smart meter for SEG payments?
In practice yes. Payments are based on export meter readings, which usually means a smart meter that records exports half-hourly.
Can I get SEG payments in Guernsey or Jersey?
No. The SEG only covers Great Britain. Guernsey Electricity pays a Buy Back Tariff of 9.90p per kWh. Ask Jersey Electricity for its current export terms.
Can I export to a different supplier from my import supplier?
Usually yes, although some suppliers only offer their best export rates to their own import customers.
Related guides
- Solar panels in the UK: cost, savings and payback
- How much do solar panels cost in the UK in 2026?
- Do you need planning permission for solar panels?
- What size solar panel system do I need?
- East, west, flat or shaded: is your roof good enough for solar?
- All home-energy calculators
Sources (checked 27 October 2026 unless stated)
- Ofgem: Smart Export Guarantee
- Octopus Energy: Outgoing Octopus: 12p/kWh flat export
- Energy Saving Trust: Solar panels: about 12p export, SEG not available in Northern Ireland
- Ofgem: price cap 1 Oct–31 Dec 2026 (published 26 Aug 2026)
- EU JRC PVGIS 5.3 (queried 27 Oct 2026 for our solar guide)
- Guernsey Electricity: tariffs from 1 July 2026 and Guernsey Gazette tariff notice: Buy Back Tariff 9.90p, Standard 26.01p (from 1 July 2026)
- Jersey Electricity: General Domestic, Economy 7 and Domestic Tariffs Explained (1 March 2026): General Domestic 22.20p incl GST
- Jersey Electricity export rate: not verified
- Feed-in Tariff interaction and export MPAN requirements: general knowledge, check with your supplier