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 40p 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 2025, we found that:
- Energy companies offer the best export rates to their own customers
- The highest export rate pays 40p per kWh - if you meet the qualifying conditions
- The best no-strings export tariff available to non-customers pays 12p per kWh
See our table of available solar export tariffs below.
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.
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.
To receive SEG payments, your solar panel installation must be suitably certified (Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or equivalent), and you'll 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 10 mandatory SEG licensees listed by Ofgem for the year 2024-25, there are far more tariffs available, as we list below.
Some of the large energy companies offer more than one tariff. Some smaller suppliers, who are not mandatory SEG licensees, also offer solar export tariffs. These may be referred to as SEG tariffs, SEG rates, or export rates or given a unique name by the supplier.
Rates vary widely but, on average, solar panel owners are still receiving far less for their exported electricity than companies charge to supply it.
One exception to this is Octopus's Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff, which is a smart time-of-use tariff with peak and off-peak pricing, where import and export rates always match. It currently pays just under 30p/kWh during the peak hours 4-7pm. To access this tariff you must be also an Octopus customer for your imported energy, and it is limited to customers who have a specific battery (GivEnergy, Enphase, SolarEdge and Tesla).
The Octopus Flux tariff pays lower rates, but is open to more customers – any type of battery is acceptable. It is a three-rate tariff with low rates between 2-5am every day – the best time to import to top up your battery – and a peak rate between 4-7pm – ideal for exporting excess energy to the grid.
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.
The highest export tariff currently on offer is the Solar Savings Exclusive tariff from Good Energy, which pays 40p/kWh; however, it's only available to customers who have bought both solar panels and a battery from Good Energy Solar or JPS Renewables.
More on: The Smart Export Guarantee explained
SEG tariff comparison: Best and worst SEG rates in April 2025
| 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 or JPS Renewables | 40p(a) |
| Octopus Energy | Intelligent Octopus Flux | Octopus customers who have solar panels and a GivEnergy battery | 27p(b) |
| EDF Energy | Export Exclusive 12m | Customers who have bought solar panels and/or battery storage from Contact Solar | 24p |
| E.ON Next | Next Export Premium v2 | E.ON customers who have their solar panels or battery storage system installed by E.ON Energy Installation systems or Eco2Solar Ltd. Installation must have occurred after 1 Oct 2024. | 21p(c) |
| OVO Energy | SEG Install Exclusive | Ovo customers in eligible area who bought solar panels and battery through Ovo | 20p(d) |
| E.ON Next | Next Export Exclusive | E.ON customers who have a total installed capacity of up to 15kW or customers who had solar panels and/or battery storage installed by E.ON Energy Installation Services Ltd or Eco2Solar Ltd. | 16.5p(a) |
| British Gas | Export and Earn Plus | British Gas customers | 15.1p |
Rates correct in May 2024. (a) Rate fixed for 12 months. (b) Time-of-use tariff, approx. 27p average. Peak rates 4-7pm. (c) Rate fixed for 24 months. (d)15p if customers only installed solar panels. (e) Time-of-use tariff, approx. 14.45p average. Peak rates 4-7pm; low rates 2-5am.
The very 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), or living in a particular area of the country.
If you don't or can't fit the criteria, there are still acceptable rates available. If you're a British Gas customer or willing to switch to it, the Export and Earn Plus tariff currently offers the best rates without caveats other than being an energy customer.
For a straightforward export tariff that pays the same rate 24/7, E.ON Next, Octopus, British Gas and Good Energy offer decent rates if you're willing to switch to them for your energy supply.
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's guidance for SEG licensees states there is no prescribed tariff rate, type or length, but the tariff must offer an above-zero rate per kilowatt hour (kWh) of export at all times in order to be compliant.
Energy companies incur significant administration costs and levies setting up and running a SEG rate, which goes some way to explaining why the export rates are so much lower than their import rates.
As detailed above, some companies offer better rates for 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 reflect this necessity to be compliant, rather than any attempt to be competitive or attract customers.
E, for example, doesn't position itself as an SEG provider but is obliged to provide one. It currently has no customers on its 1p per kWh SEG tariff.
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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