Smart Export Guarantee
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) which is legislated by the Government, came into force on 1 January 2020, following the closure of the Feed-in Tariff (FiTs) in 2019. The scheme is designed to provide small-scale generators (e.g. consumers) with a mechanism to receive payment for electricity they feed back into the grid.
SEG Tariffs
There are several fixed and variable tariffs currently available for generators wishing to earn money for the excess energy they generate and export to the Grid. No one tariff will be right for everyone so it is important to do your homework and make sure you understand the differences between each offering.
We have detailed below basic information on the various tariffs that are available from participating energy providers, but would advise that you read the terms and conditions of any considered tariffs carefully, before signing up.
Note: For those providers that do not pay for energy exported from battery storage, you will need to provide evidence (from your installer) that the generation circuit being measured by the export meter is unrelated to the battery storage, to ensure no payment is issued for that type of energy.
Non Exclusive Tariffs
SmartGen
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
So Export Flex
- 30 days rolling
- Monthly payments
- Exit fees unknown
- Battery storage policy unknown
Export and Earn Flex
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Smart Export Guarantee
- 12 months fixed term
- Monthly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
OVO SEG Tariff
- 12 months fixed term
- Quarterly payments
- Exit fees £15
- Battery storage included
EDF Export Variable Tariff
- 12 months fixed term
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
E.ON Next Export
- 12 months fixed term
- Annual payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Utilita Smart Export Guarantee
- Tariff length unknown
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage policy unknown
UW SEG - Standard
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
E SEG January 2020 v.1
- Tariff length unknown
- Payment frequency unknown
- Exit fees unknown
- Battery storage policy unknown
Exclusive Tariffs
Export Exclusive 12m V2
- 12 months fixed term
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from EDF Energy
- You must have had solar panels installed by Contact Solar after 1 April 2025
Export Exclusive 12m
- 12 months fixed term
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from EDF Energy
- You must have had your system installed by Contact Solar after 5 July 2024
Next Export Premium v2
- 24 months fixed term
- Annual payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from E.ON Next
You must have had solar panels and/or a battery storage system installed by E.ON Energy Installation Services Ltd or Eco2Solar Ltd, up to a total installed capacity of 15kW
Your system must have been installed after 1 October 2024
So Bright
- 12 months fixed term
- Monthly payments
- Exit fees unknown
- Battery storage policy unknown
Conditions
Your solar and battery system must have been installed by So Energy on or after 1 September 2023
SEG Install Exclusive
- 12 months fixed term
- Quarterly payments
- Exit fees £15
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from OVO Energy
Your installation must have been arranged through OVO Energy
Your installed capacity does not exceed 30kW
Note: 15p per kWh for solar only installations and 20p per kWh for solar and battery installations.
Next Export Exclusive
- 12 months fixed term
- Annual payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must either receive your electricity from E.ON Next OR have had solar panels and/or a battery storage system installed by E.ON Energy Installation Services Ltd or Eco2Solar Ltd, up to a total installed capacity of 15kW
Export and Earn Plus
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from British Gas
Export 12m
- 12 months fixed term
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from EDF Energy
Outgoing Octopus
- 12 months fixed term
- Monthly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from Octopus
SmartGen Premium Plus
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from Scottish Power
Your installation must have been arranged through Scottish Power
SEG Beyond Exclusive
- 12 months fixed term
- Quarterly payments
- Exit fees £15
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from OVO Energy
Your installed capacity doesn’t exceed 30kW
You must sign up to OVO Beyond
SmartGen Premium
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
Conditions
- You must receive your electricity supply from Scottish Power.
UW SEG – Bundle
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply and take out 2 additional services from Utility Warehouse
EDF Export Variable Value Tariff
- No fixed end date
- Quarterly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage not included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from EDF Energy
Agile Outgoing Octopus
- No fixed end date
- Monthly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from Octopus
outgoingOctopus (Flux)
- No fixed end date
- Monthly payments
- No exit fees
- Battery storage included
Conditions
You must receive your electricity supply from Octopus
FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about the smart export guarantee.
If your question isn’t listed, or you haven’t been able to find the information you were looking for, please click the button below to submit a new question.
What is the Smart Export Guarantee?
SEG is a scheme legislated by the Government for energy suppliers to pay consumers for the electricity they export to the grid. SEG came into force on 1 January 2020.
What types installations are eligible for SEG?
SEG is available to the small-scale low-carbon generators which were eligible for the Feed-In-Tariff (FITs) scheme including:
- anaerobic digestion
- hydro
- micro-combined heat and power (with an electrical capacity of up to 50KW)
- onshore wind
- solar photovoltaics
What is the maximum system capacity?
The maximum system capacity eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee is up to 5MW, this is eligible to low-carbon systems installed on your property.
Who sets the export tariff rates?
Tariffs are set by SEG providers (see below for SEG provider explanation). Required to provide at least one export tariff, SEG providers are free to provide more tariff options for generators to choose from. They are also able to make appropriate discounts in the setting of the tariffs for any administration costs. The remuneration must be greater than zero and at times of negative pricing, generators must not be required to remunerate suppliers for electricity exported to the grid. Smaller suppliers also have the possibility to provide a SEG tariff but must adhere to the rules and guidance associated with SEG.
The tariff structure
The SEG suppliers determine the tariff per kWh for remuneration and the length of contract. Exported power must be metered, with a meter capable of reporting exports on a half-hourly basis, and meters must also be registered for settlement – though the SEG design is flexible and does not necessarily require half-hourly readings.
SEG providers are able to choose from the different tariff designs below:
Fixed rate tariff: Suppliers offering a fixed rate tariff will pay a set amount per kWh no matter whether you export during the day or at night.
Exported metered and registered for settlement only: Suppliers offer an above-zero export tariff to all small-scale generators who agree to metered and settled export. This could be a non-variable flat rate tariff.
Simple variable tariff: Suppliers offer a simple ‘variable’ export tariff. Interpretation as to variability (e.g. day/night or weekday/weekend) and tariff rates would be up to the supplier. Must also be metered and settled.
Advanced variable tariff: Suppliers offer a ‘variable’ export tariff, to reflect energy system conditions on up to a half-hourly basis. The interpretation of tariff rates would be up to the supplier. Must also be metered and settled.
Variable tariff linked to market: As option D, plus suppliers’ ‘link’ their variable tariff to the market. The interpretation could be up to the supplier but there would be an expectation that there should be a rise and fall linked with half-hourly market (e.g. day-ahead wholesale) prices.
Variable tariff benchmarked to market: As option D, plus suppliers benchmark their variable tariff to half-hourly market prices. The level of the tariff would be determined by the supplier but rising and falling in proportion to the market price. Must also be metered and settled.
Will I get paid for electricity exported from my battery?
The SEG legislation which mandates providers to offer an export tariff specifically relates to energy exported directly from the generated source (e.g., from a Solar PV system).
While some providers will allow the inclusion of brown energy (i.e., energy exported from a battery, rather than directly from the generating source), other providers will not. The tariff details listed above state which providers do, and which do not, accept brown energy.
Although we do conduct regular checks on the available tariffs displayed above, including current rates and exclusions, as these tariffs are subject to change we would advise that you confirm specific tariff details with the provider(s) directly before completing an application.
Will my existing renewable energy system qualify?
If you are currently receiving payments as part of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme, you will not be eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee scheme.
You do have the option to opt out of receiving FiT payments and choose to receive export payments under SEG instead, however, the amount you receive under the FiT Export Tariff is guaranteed and index linked to go up annually with inflation. Whilst some SEG tariffs may currently be higher, they are not guaranteed and may be reduced at any time. The SEG Regulation only states that Suppliers must pay ‘greater than zero’ per kWh exported.
