TL;DR:

  • The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) pays you for electricity exported to the grid from your solar panels — but rates vary enormously across suppliers, from around 4p/kWh to 25p/kWh at peak times.
  • Octopus cut its standard Outgoing Octopus rate from 15p to 12p/kWh in March 2026; their Agile export tariff can still reach 25p+ during peak demand periods.
  • E.ON Next’s Export Exclusive at 16.5p/kWh is currently one of the best flat-rate offers open to all customers.
  • There are now over 50 SEG tariffs across 11 suppliers — but only around 21 are open to customers who aren’t already on that supplier’s import tariff.

If you’ve got solar panels on your roof, the SEG is how you get paid for the electricity you don’t use. It replaced the old Feed-in Tariff (FiT) export payments for new installations from January 2020, and unlike the FiT, there’s no guaranteed rate — suppliers set their own prices, and they change them.

That’s both good and bad. The competition has driven rates up from the paltry 5.24p/kWh minimum that kicked off the scheme, but it also means you need to actively compare and switch to avoid being on an outdated tariff.

How the SEG Works

Any Ofgem-licensed electricity supplier with 150,000 or more domestic customers is required to offer at least one SEG tariff. The rate must be above zero, but there’s no floor beyond that. You need:

  • A solar panel system (or other eligible generation like wind or micro-hydro)
  • A smart meter that can report export data to your supplier
  • To have exported at least some electricity to the grid

The SEG applies to any installation up to 5MW, which covers virtually all residential and most small commercial solar. Large installations above 50kW also require Ofgem’s Renewables Obligation or CfD certification alongside the SEG.

The Best Rates Available in 2026

Octopus Outgoing Agile — up to 25p/kWh

The highest potential export rate on the market, but also the most variable. Outgoing Agile mirrors Octopus’s Agile Octopus import tariff — rates change every 30 minutes based on the wholesale electricity price. During periods of high grid demand (typically weekday evenings between 4–7pm in winter), export rates can spike significantly above the average. During oversupply periods (sunny midday in summer), rates drop low.

If your generation profile aligns with peak demand periods — or if you have a battery that lets you time your export — Outgoing Agile can substantially beat any flat-rate tariff. If your solar generates most during midday summer when rates are lowest, it’s less attractive.

E.ON Next Export Exclusive — 16.5p/kWh

The best flat-rate offer currently open to all customers regardless of who they import from. E.ON Next has held this rate steady through 2026 and it remains one of the strongest guaranteed single-rate offers on the market.

Octopus Outgoing Fixed — 12p/kWh

Octopus reduced this from 15p to 12p on 1 March 2026, which was a notable step backwards from what had been one of the most competitive flat rates. The cut was attributed to the falling wholesale electricity price affecting the export price Octopus receives. At 12p it’s still reasonable, but no longer the standout it was.

EDF SEG — approximately 12–15p/kWh

EDF offers competitive rates for customers who import with them, and occasionally promotional rates for new sign-ups. Their rates have been broadly competitive but lag the E.ON Next flat-rate offer.

British Gas — 12p/kWh

British Gas has maintained a consistent 12p/kWh rate through the first half of 2026, available to both British Gas and non-British Gas import customers.

Lower-end tariffs — 4–7p/kWh

Some suppliers at the minimum obligation end offer rates in the 4–7p range. These are technically SEG-compliant but substantially below what you can get by shopping around. If you’re on one of these, it’s worth switching.

Tariffs Open to All vs. Bundled Tariffs

One important distinction: around half of available SEG tariffs require you to also import electricity from the same supplier. This can work well if that supplier’s import tariff is competitive, but it limits flexibility.

Of the roughly 50 SEG tariffs across 11 suppliers, approximately 21 are genuinely open to customers who import from a different supplier. E.ON Next Export Exclusive and Octopus Outgoing (both fixed and Agile) are among the standout open tariffs.

Should You Switch to an Agile Export Tariff?

The maths favour Agile if:

  • You have a battery storage system (you can charge when import is cheap, export when prices peak)
  • Your solar generation profile means you export more in late afternoon/evening rather than midday
  • You’re comfortable with variable monthly income from export

The maths favour a flat rate if:

  • You don’t have a battery and your generation follows typical solar curves (peak at midday)
  • You prefer predictability for budgeting
  • Your roof faces south-east or south-west, biasing generation toward the morning or afternoon peaks

Smart Meter Requirement

You need a compatible smart meter to claim SEG payments. First-generation SMETS1 smart meters may not report export data correctly in all cases — it’s worth checking with your supplier. SMETS2 meters (installed from late 2018 onwards) handle export metering reliably.

If you don’t have a smart meter and your supplier doesn’t offer to install one for free, the SEG rules require that any Ofgem-mandated supplier must accommodate a smart meter install at no cost to you for the purpose of claiming SEG payments.

Checking Current Rates

SEG rates change, and the market is competitive enough that it’s worth reviewing your tariff annually. Ofgem publishes a regularly updated list of available SEG tariffs at the Ofgem SEG register. The Energy Saving Trust also maintains a comparison tool.

With E.ON’s 16.5p flat rate and Octopus Agile offering peaks well above that, there’s no good reason to sit on a sub-10p tariff if you installed solar in the last few years.