What is the Smart Export Guarantee in simple terms?
The Smart Export Guarantee is a Great Britain-wide scheme that requires larger energy suppliers to pay you for the electricity your home exports to the grid. If your solar panels produce more power than you use, the surplus is metered and your chosen supplier pays you an agreed rate for every kilowatt hour exported.
SEG started on 1 January 2020 and replaced the export part of the Feed-in Tariff, which closed to new applicants in March 2019. The scheme is overseen by Ofgem, the energy regulator.
Suppliers set their own SEG rates. The only rule on price is that the rate must always be above zero, so the gap between the best and worst tariffs can be large.
Who has to offer a Smart Export Guarantee tariff?
Any licensed electricity supplier with 150,000 or more domestic customers must offer at least one SEG tariff. Smaller suppliers can choose to offer one voluntarily. You do not have to take your export tariff from the same company that supplies your electricity, although some of the more generous tariffs are only open to their own customers.
How to compare SEG ratesWhich systems qualify for SEG payments?
Solar PV, wind, micro-hydro and anaerobic digestion systems up to 5MW, plus micro combined heat and power up to 50kW, can qualify. For a typical home that means rooftop solar panels. The installation must be certified under MCS, or an equivalent scheme, and you need a meter that records exports.
We install through MCS-certified partners, so the certificate you need for SEG is provided when your system is commissioned.
Is the Smart Export Guarantee different in Scotland?
No. The Smart Export Guarantee works the same way in Scotland as it does in England and Wales, because it is a Great Britain-wide scheme regulated by Ofgem. The practical differences are local: your network operator will be SP Energy Networks or SSEN, and Scotland's lower winter sunshine affects how much you export.
SEG does not cover Northern Ireland, which has separate arrangements.
Scottish homes generate most of their solar output between April and September, so export income is seasonal. A battery can help you use more of your own power and export at better-paid times.
SEG with a home batteryHow much can you earn from the Smart Export Guarantee?
Earnings depend on three things: how much electricity you export, the rate your tariff pays, and whether that rate is fixed or varies by time. Because suppliers change rates regularly, check the current figures on supplier websites and the Ofgem list of SEG licensees before you choose, rather than relying on old comparisons.
Using more of your own solar power usually saves more than exporting it, because the price you pay to import electricity is typically higher than most export rates.
SEG payments for domestic installations are generally not treated as taxable income; check HMRC guidance for your circumstances.
Fixed vs variable SEG rates explainedFrequently asked questions
Do I need solar panels to get SEG?
You need an eligible low-carbon generator, which for most homes means solar panels. Small wind turbines and micro-hydro systems can also qualify if they are certified and metered.
Does SEG replace the Feed-in Tariff?
Yes, for new applicants. The Feed-in Tariff closed to new applicants in March 2019 and SEG began on 1 January 2020. Existing Feed-in Tariff customers keep their payments under the original terms.
Can I switch SEG tariffs?
Usually, yes. You can move to another SEG tariff, but check for exit terms and whether the new tariff requires you to buy your electricity from the same supplier.
Is SEG available in Northern Ireland?
No. The Smart Export Guarantee covers England, Scotland and Wales only.
Thinking about solar and a battery?
Get a free, no-obligation solar and battery quote for your Scottish home. We install through MCS-certified partners. Loans available, subject to status.