What the Smart Export Guarantee does
The Smart Export Guarantee pays eligible homes and small generators for electricity exported to the grid. It replaced the old Feed-in Tariff export payment for new installations, but unlike the old scheme, suppliers set their own rates and eligibility rules.
Rates can vary widely. Some tariffs are open to anyone with qualifying export metering, while the higher headline rates often require the supplier to provide your import electricity or to have installed your solar and battery system.
| Supplier | Tariff | Rate | Payment frequency | Eligibility notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Energy | Solar Savings Exclusive | 25p/kWh | Supplier payment under fixed 12-month export terms | Good Energy supply customers whose solar panels and battery were installed by Good Energy Solar. | Official page |
| OVO | SEG Install ExclusiveOVO lists 15p/kWh where it installs solar panels without a home battery. | 20p/kWh | Paid into bank account; smart readings usually sent automatically | OVO electricity customers with OVO-installed solar panels and home battery storage. | Official page |
| EDF | Export Exclusive 12m V3 | 18p/kWh | Quarterly after first read, under EDF export tariff terms | Customers who purchase qualifying solar, battery, or both from EDF after 2 March 2026. | Official page |
| E.ON Next | Next Export Premium v3 | 17.5p/kWh | Supplier payment under 12-month fixed SEG tariff terms | Residential customers with qualifying E.ON Installation Services solar or battery installation from 10 November 2025. | Official page |
| British Gas | Export and Earn PlusBritish Gas also publishes an upcoming rate set with lower export tiers. | 15.1p/kWh | Every three months; paid within 28 days of latest export reading | British Gas electricity customers on the current Export and Earn Plus SEG tariff. | Official page |
| ScottishPower | SmartGen Premium Plus | 15p/kWh | Every 90 days | ScottishPower import customers who installed solar panels or battery storage with ScottishPower. | Official page |
| EDF | Export 12m | 15p/kWh | Quarterly after first read, under EDF export tariff terms | Existing residential EDF electricity customers. | Official page |
| Good Energy | Solar Savings | 15p/kWh | Supplier payment under variable Solar Savings terms | Good Energy supply customers with solar panels and a smart meter. | Official page |
| E.ON Next | Next Export Exclusive v3 | 13p/kWh | Supplier payment under 12-month fixed SEG tariff terms | Residential E.ON Next import customers, excluding listed time-of-use import tariffs. | Official page |
| Octopus Energy | Outgoing Octopus | 12p/kWh | Credited through the Octopus export account after smart readings | Octopus import customers with eligible solar export setup. | Official page |
| OVO | SEG Beyond Exclusive | 12p/kWh | Paid into bank account; smart readings usually sent automatically | OVO electricity customers with renewable generation under 30kW. | Official page |
| ScottishPower | SmartGen Premium | 12p/kWh | Every 90 days | ScottishPower import electricity customers. | Official page |
| E.ON Next | Next Flex Export v1 | 6p/kWh | Supplier payment under variable SEG tariff terms | Customers with renewable generation up to 5MW. | Official page |
| ScottishPower | SmartGen | 6p/kWh | Every 90 days | Eligible SEG customers with qualifying export metering. | Official page |
| EDF | SEG Export Variable Value | 5.6p/kWh | Quarterly after first read, under EDF variable export terms | Existing EDF electricity customers. | Official page |
| Octopus Energy | Smart Export Guarantee | 4.1p/kWh | Credited through the Octopus export account after smart readings | Export-only customers who keep their import tariff with another supplier. | Official page |
| OVO | SEG | 4p/kWh | Paid into bank account; smart readings usually sent automatically | Eligible generators with electricity supply from any provider. | Official page |
| British Gas | Export SEG | 3.02p/kWh | Every three months; paid within 28 days of latest export reading | Developers or applicants who are not British Gas electricity customers. | Official page |
| EDF | SEG Export Variable | 3p/kWh | Quarterly after first read, under EDF variable export terms | Available whether or not EDF supplies the import electricity. | Official page |
How export income affects payback
Export income is valuable, but in most homes it is still less valuable than using solar electricity on site. If your import tariff is 28p/kWh and your export tariff is 15p/kWh, every kWh used at home is worth 13p more than a kWh exported.
| Self-consumption | Exported kWh | Export income at 15p/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | 2,600 kWh | GBP 390 per year |
| 50% | 2,000 kWh | GBP 300 per year |
| 65% | 1,400 kWh | GBP 210 per year |
This is why the best tariff is not always the whole answer. A household with high daytime use may save more from self-consumption, while a low daytime-use household may be more exposed to export tariff differences.
Eligibility checklist
- A qualifying renewable technology, usually solar PV for homeowners.
- An MCS certificate or accepted equivalent certification.
- A smart meter or export meter capable of measuring exported electricity.
- An export MPAN, which may need to be created if you are exporting for the first time.
- No duplicate export payments from the Feed-in Tariff export element and SEG at the same time.