Smart Export Guarantee: Best SEG Rates in 2026

If you have solar panels on your home, the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) pays you for surplus electricity you export to the national grid. Choosing the right SEG tariff can make a meaningful difference to your annual income from solar, so it is worth understanding your options. In this guide, we explain how the SEG works, compare the best rates available in 2026, and show you how to maximise your export income.

What Is the Smart Export Guarantee?

The Smart Export Guarantee is a UK government-backed scheme that requires licensed electricity suppliers with more than 150,000 domestic customers to offer at least one export tariff to small-scale renewable generators. It replaced the old Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme, which closed to new applicants in March 2019. Under the SEG, your energy supplier pays you for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity your solar panels export to the grid. You need a smart meter or an export meter for your supplier to measure your exports accurately.

To qualify for the SEG, your solar panel system must be no larger than 5 MW (domestic systems are typically 3-6 kW, well within this limit), and the installation must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). Every installation carried out by Premier Electrical Renewables includes full MCS certification, ensuring you are eligible for the SEG from day one.

Best SEG Rates in 2026

SEG rates vary between suppliers and between tariff types. Here is a summary of some of the leading tariffs available in 2026. Please note that rates can change, so always confirm the current rate directly with the supplier before signing up.

Octopus Energy offers some of the most competitive SEG rates. Their fixed export tariff typically sits around 15 pence per kWh, making them one of the highest-paying options. Octopus also offers an Agile Outgoing tariff, where the export rate varies every 30 minutes based on wholesale electricity prices. This can pay more during peak demand periods, but it also means your rate fluctuates and can occasionally drop very low.

British Gas offers a fixed SEG rate of approximately 5 to 6 pence per kWh. While lower than Octopus, it provides a simple, predictable income stream. EDF offers a similar rate in the region of 5 pence per kWh. E.ON Next provides a fixed rate of approximately 4 to 5 pence per kWh. Scottish Power and other suppliers also participate, though their rates tend to be at the lower end of the scale at around 3 to 5 pence per kWh.

The standout in 2026 continues to be Octopus Energy, particularly for homeowners who are comfortable with a variable tariff. For those who prefer certainty and simplicity, a fixed rate in the range of 12 to 15 pence per kWh from Octopus or a competitive fixed offer from another supplier is a strong choice.

Fixed vs Variable SEG Tariffs

Fixed SEG tariffs pay the same rate for every kWh exported, regardless of when you export. This makes income predictable and easy to calculate. Variable tariffs, such as Octopus Agile Outgoing, adjust the rate based on the wholesale market price of electricity. In the summer, when solar generation is high and demand is lower, variable rates can sometimes drop. In the winter evenings, when demand is high, rates can spike significantly. If you have a battery and can control when you export (discharging stored energy during peak price windows), a variable tariff can be very lucrative. Without a battery, a fixed tariff is generally simpler and more predictable.

How to Sign Up for the SEG

You do not need to be an electricity customer of the supplier you choose for SEG payments. You can buy your electricity from one supplier and receive SEG payments from another. To sign up, you will need your MCS certificate number, your smart meter MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number), and proof of your installation. Most suppliers allow you to apply online, and the process typically takes a few weeks to set up.

Maximising Your SEG Income

The most important factor in your SEG income is how much electricity you export. This depends on two things: how much your system generates and how much of that generation you use yourself. Self-consumption is always more valuable than export because using a kWh directly saves you around 24 pence, whereas exporting it earns you 4-15 pence. The ideal approach is to maximise self-consumption first -- running appliances during daylight hours, charging your battery, and heating water when the sun is shining -- and then export the genuine surplus.

For homeowners without battery storage, export rates of 50-60% of total generation are common. Adding a battery typically reduces export to 10-30%, meaning more of your generation is used at full value. The SEG then provides a useful income stream for the remaining surplus, particularly during long summer days when even a battery cannot absorb all the excess generation.