Every unit your panels export can earn money. SEG obliges larger suppliers to pay for exported electricity — but rates range from pennies to 25p+/kWh depending on supplier and tariff. Choosing well is worth £100–£400+ a year on a typical system.
| Supplier | Tariff | Export rate | Import required? | Notes | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Energy | Solar Savings Exclusive | 25p/kWh | Yes + their install | 12-month exclusive, then standard rate | Good Energy install only |
| So Energy | So Bright Export | 20p/kWh | Yes + their install | Installer-tied exclusive | So Energy install |
| OVO | SEG Install Exclusive | 20p/kWh | Yes + their install | Installer-tied | OVO install |
| EDF | Export 12m | 15p/kWh | Yes (import) | Best flat rate on independent installs | Any MCS install |
| E.ON Next | Next Export | 13p/kWh | Yes (import) | Fixed 12m | Any MCS install |
| Octopus | Outgoing Fixed | 12p/kWh | Yes (import) | Cut from 15p in Mar 2026 | Any MCS install |
| British Gas / ScottishPower / Good Energy std | Standard SEG | 12p/kWh | Yes (import) | Flat | Any MCS install |
| Octopus | Agile Outgoing | Variable — peak >25p | Yes (import) | Best lifetime earnings WITH battery (peak-shifted export) | Battery + compatible setup |
| Octopus | Intelligent Flux | Paused | — | Closed to new sign-ups since Apr 2026 (peak was ~30p) | — |
| No-switch standalone tariffs | Various | 3–6p/kWh | No | The only rates needing no import switch | Any MCS install |
Last checked: 28 August 2026 · compiled from supplier pages and published comparisons (Uswitch 10 Aug; installer-verified rankings 9–19 Aug 2026). All SEG tariffs need MCS certification + a half-hourly smart meter. Rates change often — always confirm at signup. Northern Ireland has no SEG.
The honest read: the 17.5–25p headlines are installer-tied 12-month exclusives. On an independent install the ceiling is 15p (EDF, import required). With a battery, Octopus Agile Outgoing beats every flat rate by shifting export into peak half-hours — which is also the strongest financial case for adding storage to existing solar.
Suppliers with 150,000+ customers must offer at least one export tariff paying above zero for metered export. You don’t need to buy import energy from the same supplier — import and export contracts can be split, and the best combined deal often is split. Payments are for metered half-hourly export via your smart meter.
An MCS certificate (or equivalent) for your installation up to 5MW, a smart meter capable of half-hourly export readings, and an application to your chosen SEG supplier with the MCS paperwork. Installations under the old Feed-in Tariff keep FiT export payments instead — switching to SEG usually only pays if you export heavily on a top rate.
Basic SEG tariffs pay low single-digit pence; competitive fixed export rates run ~15p/kWh; and agile/time-of-use export tariffs can average 15–25p+ for households who shift export into peak windows. A 4kWp home exporting 1,800 kWh/yr earns ~£70 on 4p… or ~£270 on 15p. Check current rates when you switch — and re-check annually, because the leaderboard moves.
With a battery, you choose when to export. The strong 2026 play on agile tariffs: charge cheap overnight, run the house on stored energy, and export solar (or even stored) power into evening peak prices. Some households now earn more from smart export than they save on import. Model it before you buy — our solar savings calculator includes export income.
Facts checked 21 August 2026. We link to official sources and show when facts were last verified. If a scheme changes, we update the page.
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