How the Smart Export Guarantee works
- Who pays: licensed electricity suppliers that are SEG licensees.
- What qualifies: solar PV and four other low-carbon technologies, in Great Britain, up to 5MW.
- The rate: each SEG licensee sets its own rate, contract length and terms. SEG tariff rates must always be above zero.
- How it is measured: payments are based on export meter readings.
- Who you sign with: your SEG licensee does not need to be the same company as your current energy supplier.
What you need to join
- An eligible installation: suppliers normally ask for an MCS certificate (see how to check an MCS installer).
- A meter that records exports, usually a smart meter.
- An application to the SEG licensee you choose, with your installation details.
Why self-use is worth more than export
The Energy Saving Trust says you typically get around 12p for each unit you export, while you would normally pay more than twice that to buy a unit. So each unit of solar you use at home saves more than a unit you sell. Running appliances in the day, heating water with surplus solar, or adding a battery (with a hybrid inverter) all raise self-use.
| A unit of solar power that you… | Is worth |
|---|---|
| Use at home | The price you would otherwise pay your supplier for it |
| Export under SEG | Your SEG rate (around 12p typically, per the Energy Saving Trust) |
Choosing a tariff
Compare flat-rate and time-of-use export tariffs, check whether a rate requires you to import from the same company, and read the contract length. Rates change on short notice, so we don’t publish a rate table that could go out of date. Check suppliers’ own pages when you sign up.
“Export payments pay for the system.” They help, but most of the saving comes from the power you use yourself.
Before you buy, ask installers for an estimate of self-use and export for your household, so the savings figure rests on your own usage.