Every big supplier must pay you for spare solar power. But the rates run from 2p to over 25p, and the high ones come with strings. This guide sorts the rates into tiers, so you can see which ones you can actually get. All rates below were checked on 12 October 2026, in pence per kWh.
Which supplier pays the most for solar export?
On paper, Octopus. Its Flux export tariff pays about 27p to 29p per kWh at peak, depending on your region. But peak is only 4pm to 7pm. The rest of the day it pays about 10p, and overnight about 4p to 5p. It also needs a solar system and a home battery, and you must take Flux import and export from Octopus. So 29p is not an all-day rate. Check any time-of-use headline the same way: what does it pay outside the peak?
Which exclusive tariffs pay over 15p?
Four, and each one comes with the supplier's own hardware. Good Energy's Solar Savings Exclusive pays 25p, fixed for 12 months, if Good Energy Solar installed your panels and battery. OVO's SEG Install Exclusive pays up to 20p, or 15p with solar only, if OVO installed your system. EDF's Export Exclusive 12m V3 pays 18p, if you bought your solar or battery from EDF after 2 March 2026. E.ON Next's Export Premium v3 pays 17.5p, if E.ON Installation Services fitted it. EDF and E.ON limit it to 12 months. These are listed rates, checked 12 October 2026. Buying a whole system just for the export rate rarely makes sense. Our payback guide shows why.
What's the best SEG rate if I don't want to switch supplier?
Fuse Energy, at 13p per kWh. It's a variable rate that Fuse reviews every quarter. Fuse says you can take it even if you don't buy electricity from them. You need an MCS or equivalent install and network operator approval. Other export-only options are far lower. E.ON Next's Flex Export pays 6p. So Energy's Export Flex pays 4.5p. Octopus Outgoing SEG (Export Only) pays 4.1p. OVO's basic SEG pays 4p. British Gas's Export SEG pays 3p, and EDF's SEG Export Variable pays 3p. Rates checked 12 October 2026.
What's the best SEG rate if I'm already a customer of a big supplier?
EDF and E.ON Next both pay 13p. EDF's Export 12m V2 is fixed for one year and is for EDF electricity customers. E.ON Next's Export Exclusive v3 is fixed for 12 months, for E.ON Next import customers, but not on a time-of-use import tariff. Octopus Outgoing pays 12p and British Gas Export Premium pays 12p (for systems up to 15 kW). OVO's SEG Beyond Exclusive, Good Energy's Solar Savings and Ecotricity's Smart Export Tariff also pay 12p. ScottishPower's SmartGen Premium is listed at 12p. Utility Warehouse pays 8p, and only if you take two other UW services too. Rates checked 12 October 2026.
Is Octopus Outgoing or Prime Outgoing better?
It depends on when you export. Octopus Outgoing is a flat 12p. Prime Outgoing 12M Fixed pays 16p from 4pm to 7pm and 9p the rest of the day, and Octopus says it only pairs with certain import tariffs. Solar panels make most of their power around midday, not at 4pm. So for panels alone, the flat 12p usually wins. Prime suits a home with a battery that sends power out in the evening. Octopus Agile Outgoing changes every half hour. On 12 October 2026, in one region, it ran from about 13p to 26p. That is a single-day sample, not a promise.
Do I need to be a customer to get their export rate?
Mostly, yes. Among the better rates, only Fuse's 13p is open without buying import electricity from that supplier. The lower ones, like E.ON Next's 6p Flex Export, are open too. Octopus, British Gas, EDF, OVO, Good Energy and Ecotricity all tie their better rates to being an import customer. British Gas says it must supply your electricity. Ofgem says the rules do not force this: "your SEG licensee does not need to be the same company as your current energy supplier." So you can mix suppliers, but the best-paying rates are often for customers only.
What do I need to qualify for SEG payments?
Three things. First, an installation that is MCS certified. Ofgem says other schemes may count as equivalent, and that an installation and installer accredited under EN 45011 or EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 also works. Second, a meter that can take half-hourly export readings, with its own export meter point number. Third, a system of no more than 5 MW, which is a limit no home will get near. Ofgem also says you can only get an SEG tariff from one licensee at a time. If you have a battery, see our battery guide before you pick a tariff, because using your own power usually beats exporting it.
Can I get SEG payments for plug-in solar?
Almost never. Only Octopus pays for export from a plug-in kit, and only if you bought the kit from Octopus. Then you can join Outgoing Prime. Octopus says that if you buy panels elsewhere, you can't sign up for an Octopus export tariff for that system. British Gas lists plug-in export as "coming soon". Which? said on 16 September 2026 that only MCS or Flexi-Orb approved solar with suitable export metering can get SEG payments right now. Our plug-in solar payback guide works out the sums without any export income.
How often do SEG rates change?
Often enough that you should check twice a year. Octopus cut its Outgoing rate from 15p to 12p on 1 March 2026. Variable rates can change at any time. Fixed rates, like EDF's and E.ON Next's, usually last 12 months and then roll onto something else. Our SEG explainer covers how the scheme works. If your rate drops, you can switch export supplier without changing your import supplier.
How much does the rate matter?
A lot, if you export a lot. Here is a simple example. For every 1,000 kWh you export, a 13p rate pays £130. A 4p rate pays £40. That is our own arithmetic, not a forecast. How many kWh you export depends on your roof, your battery and when you are home. For a small system with a battery, most of your power goes to your own use, and the rate matters less.
The quick version
- The best open rate with no switch is Fuse at 13p. EDF and E.ON Next pay 13p to their own customers.
- Rates of 17.5p to 25p come with the supplier's own system. Peak-only rates are not all-day rates.
- Plug-in solar only gets export pay from Octopus, and only for kits bought from Octopus.