Best Smart Export Guarantee Rates in 2026 — and How to Switch

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is the UK scheme that pays solar panel owners for surplus electricity they export to the grid. It replaced the old Feed-in Tariff export payments in January 2020, and while early SEG rates were frankly poor — some suppliers offered as little as 1p/kWh — the market has improved significantly. In 2026, the best SEG rates are worth having, and choosing the right tariff can add hundreds of pounds to your annual solar earnings.

What Is the Smart Export Guarantee and Who Qualifies?

The SEG requires all licensed electricity suppliers with 150,000 or more domestic customers to offer at least one export tariff paying a positive rate — meaning they cannot pay you zero or negative rates. Ofgem oversees the SEG scheme and publishes the list of obligated suppliers. Smaller suppliers can offer SEG tariffs voluntarily, and some do offer competitive rates.

To qualify for the SEG, you need:

• A solar PV system (or other eligible low-carbon technology) with a capacity of 5 MW or less
• An MCS-certified installation (or equivalent for community energy projects)
• A smart meter that can provide half-hourly export readings to your supplier

You do not need to be an import customer with the same supplier — you can have your electricity supply with one company and your SEG export tariff with another. This is important because it means you can hunt for the best SEG rate independently of your import tariff. Our full Smart Export Guarantee guide explains eligibility in detail and covers community energy and battery storage rules.

Best SEG Tariff Rates Compared — August 2026

Rates change frequently, so treat these as indicative figures for mid-2026. Always check directly with the supplier for current rates before switching.

The standout option for most solar owners is Octopus Energy’s Agile Outgoing tariff, which pays half-hourly rates that track the wholesale electricity market. On sunny days when the grid has high solar penetration, rates can drop — but during periods of high demand, rates can reach well above 20p/kWh. For a household with a solar battery that can time exports intelligently, this tariff can be very rewarding.

Octopus Energy SEG: Why It Leads the Market

Octopus Energy has consistently offered the most innovative SEG products in the UK. Their Agile Outgoing tariff is designed to work alongside their Agile import tariff, allowing solar and battery owners to buy cheap overnight electricity and sell during peak demand periods — a strategy that can significantly boost total earnings. Octopus publishes transparent half-hourly pricing data so you can see exactly what you are earning and when.

Their fixed Outgoing tariff at 15p/kWh is also the best flat-rate SEG available as of mid-2026. It suits households without a battery who want predictable income without the complexity of variable pricing. There is no requirement to be an Octopus import customer, which makes switching to Octopus for export-only straightforward.

How to Switch SEG Tariff

Switching SEG supplier is simpler than switching your main energy supply. Here is the process:

• Check your current contract: Review any minimum term or notice period on your existing SEG tariff. Most fixed-rate SEG tariffs have no lock-in, but confirm before switching.
• Confirm your smart meter compatibility: You need a smart meter that sends half-hourly export data (SMETS2 or an updated SMETS1 meter). Your supplier can confirm. If you only have an analogue or older smart meter, some SEG tariffs will not be available to you.
• Apply to your new SEG supplier: Most SEG applications are done online. You will need your MCS installation certificate number, your meter serial number, and your export MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number — found on your current SEG bill or by contacting your current supplier).
• Wait for the switch: SEG switches typically take 2–4 weeks. You will receive a confirmation letter. Your new supplier will contact your meter operator to begin reading export data.
• Notify your old supplier: Give notice per the terms of your existing tariff. In most cases there is nothing to pay — you are simply closing your export account.

How to Maximise Your SEG Export Earnings

Choosing the right tariff is the most impactful step, but there are several other ways to increase what you earn from your solar exports:

Shift heavy appliances to solar generation hours. Running your dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer between 10am and 3pm increases self-consumption and reduces export. That sounds counterintuitive for maximising export earnings — but it only makes sense to export if the export rate exceeds your import rate. At 15p export versus 24p import, you are better off self-consuming.

Add a battery. A home battery lets you store solar during the day and discharge in the evening, which means you export surplus from the battery rather than from the panels during low-rate hours. Combined with Octopus Agile Outgoing, an intelligent battery can target exports during high-rate windows. Our home battery storage guide covers which systems support smart export scheduling.

Charge an EV from solar. If you have an electric vehicle, combining solar with EV charging can absorb a large proportion of your midday generation. A 40–60 kWh EV battery can effectively store most of a day’s solar output, which is then used for driving rather than exported at a lower rate.

Keep your panels clean and unshaded. A thin film of grime can reduce output by 5–10%, and for the same reason, addressing any new shading (overgrown trees, new buildings) promptly protects both your self-consumption and your export volume.

SEG vs Feed-in Tariff: What Changed?

The original Feed-in Tariff (FiT) guaranteed a generation tariff (paid per kWh generated, whether used or exported) plus an export tariff. The SEG only pays for what you actually export — there is no generation payment. This means SEG is less generous for low-usage households who self-consume a high proportion of their solar. However, the SEG is better than the FiT’s deemed export mechanism, which assumed you exported 50% of your generation regardless of what you actually sent to the grid. With a smart meter on the SEG, you are paid for every unit you actually export, not a fixed estimate.

If you are still on the old Feed-in Tariff (only possible if you installed before March 2019), it is almost certainly worth keeping. FiT generation rates of 3–5p/kWh plus export payments of 5.24p/kWh (the final deemed export rate) are lower than the best SEG rates, but the combination of generation payment plus export means total earnings can still exceed SEG for many households. Ofgem’s FiT information page has details on the scheme’s closure and how existing participants are managed. You cannot transfer from FiT to SEG — once you leave the FiT, you cannot return.

Use our solar savings calculator to model your expected SEG earnings based on your system size and typical export percentage.