Your panels make the most power at midday, often more than you're using. The Smart Export Guarantee, or SEG, makes sure none of that spare power goes to waste. It flows to the grid, and your supplier pays you for it.
How does it work?
Any energy supplier with 150,000 or more domestic customers must offer an SEG export tariff. To qualify, you need a meter that records half-hourly export, usually a smart meter, and an MCS-certified (or equivalent) install. You get paid per kWh of solar you export. It's even possible to use one supplier for import and a different one for export. Ofgem says your SEG licensee "does not need to be the same company as your current energy supplier."
Does plug-in solar get SEG payments?
Almost never. Only Octopus pays export on a plug-in kit, and only for kits bought from Octopus. British Gas says plug-in export is coming soon. Which? says only MCS or Flexi-Orb approved solar with suitable export metering is eligible right now. Our plug-in solar cost guide has the sums.
Why does the rate matter so much?
Export rates vary a lot, from about 2p per kWh on basic tariffs to 13p on the best open ones. Higher rates, up to 25p, usually need you to buy the system from that supplier. Time-of-use peaks can pay more, but only for a few hours a day. The government doesn't fix these rates, so shop around the way you'd shop for any tariff. Our best SEG rates guide lists them, checked 12 October 2026. Using your own solar, directly or through a battery, is usually worth far more than exporting it.
The quick version
- SEG pays you per kWh of solar you export.
- You need a smart meter and an MCS install to qualify.
- Using your own solar usually beats exporting it.