Best SEG tariffs: export rates compared (September 2026)
Export rates from each supplier's own site on 23 September 2026, grouped by what you must do to get them, and how to tell which deal pays you most.
The best export rate depends on what you are willing to do for it. Of the suppliers we checked on 23 September 2026, the best flat rate open to anyone, whoever supplies your electricity, was 6p per kWh (E.ON Next Flex Export, variable). If you also buy your electricity from the supplier, 13p was available from E.ON Next and EDF, both fixed for a year. SEG deals for people who buy their system from the supplier paid 15p to 20p, usually for the first year only; Good Energy, which is not a SEG licensee, paid 25p on a private deal outside the SEG. These tariffs cover Great Britain only; Northern Ireland has its own arrangements, described at the end.
All rates below come from each supplier's own website on 23 September 2026. Export rates change often, so confirm the rate and conditions on the supplier's site before you switch. To understand how the scheme works, start with our Smart Export Guarantee guide.
| Your situation | Best flat rate among the suppliers we checked (23 September 2026) | Tariff and main condition |
|---|---|---|
| You want to keep your current electricity supplier | 6p | E.ON Next Flex Export: open to any supplier's customers, variable |
| You are willing to switch your electricity supply | 13p | E.ON Next Export Exclusive (not with a time-of-use import tariff) or EDF Export 12m, both fixed for 12 months |
| You are buying a new system | 20p (15p for panels only) | OVO SEG Install Exclusive: OVO installs your panels and battery; OVO electricity supply. Outside the SEG, Good Energy paid 25p for 12 months on a private deal (panels and battery installed by Good Energy Solar) |
My yearly electricity use is
Your yearly electricity use helps us size your solar panel system.
If you have a battery and can export in the early evening, time-of-use export can pay more, but it is not a flat rate. Octopus Flux, which needs both your import and export on Flux, paid 27.17p to 30.68p per kWh from 4pm to 7pm, 9.55p to 10.54p at most other times and 4.19p to 5.24p from 2am to 5am, depending on region. Its import price is time-banded too; the time-of-use section below has the details.
Export tariffs open to anyone
These pay you whoever supplies your electricity, so you can keep an import deal you are happy with. They pay less than the tied tariffs further down.
| Supplier and tariff | Rate per kWh | Fixed or variable | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| E.ON Next Flex Export | 6p | Variable, no exit fees | Systems up to 5 MW; smart export meter and consent to half-hourly data |
| So Energy So Export Flex | 4.5p | Not stated | Any supplier; up to 5 MW; MCS or equivalent certificate; grid connection paperwork; smart meter |
| Octopus Outgoing SEG (export only) | 4.1p | Fixed for 12 months | For export-only accounts: you buy your electricity from another supplier |
| OVO SEG | 4p | Not stated | Any supplier; up to 5 MW; MCS or equivalent; smart meter |
| EDF SEG Export Variable | 3.0p | Variable, no exit fees | Anyone, EDF customer or not |
| British Gas Export SEG | 3p | Not stated | For anyone who is not a British Gas electricity customer |
Tariffs that need your electricity supply
The best of these pay roughly twice the best open rate, in return for buying your electricity from the same company.
| Supplier and tariff | Rate per kWh | Fixed or variable | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| E.ON Next Export Exclusive | 13p | Fixed for 12 months, no exit fees | E.ON Next import tariff that is not time-of-use (E.ON does not count Economy 7 or Economy 10 as time-of-use); residential; up to 15 kW; smart export meter with half-hourly data consent |
| EDF Export 12m | 13p | Fixed for one year, no exit fees | Residential EDF electricity customer; up to 50 kW; MCS certificate and network operator's letter; half-hourly smart export meter. Switching electricity supplier moves you to EDF's variable export tariff |
| Octopus Outgoing | 12p | Variable | Octopus electricity customer on a compatible import tariff; smart meter sending half-hourly export data; not available if Feed-in Tariff payments started in the last 12 months |
| British Gas Export Premium | 12p | Variable, no exit fee | British Gas electricity customer; systems up to 15 kW; smart meter recording half-hourly exports; MCS or equivalent; proof of grid connection |
| OVO SEG Beyond Exclusive | 12p | Not stated | OVO electricity supply; systems under 30 kW; MCS or equivalent; smart meter |
| Good Energy Solar Savings | 12p | Variable | Good Energy supply customer with solar panels; smart meter sending half-hourly readings. Good Energy is not on Ofgem's current SEG licensee list, so this is a private export deal outside the SEG rules |
| British Gas Export Extra | 8p | Variable, no exit fee | British Gas electricity customer; systems over 15 kW |
| EDF SEG Export Variable Value | 5.6p | Variable, no exit fees | EDF electricity customers |
Tariffs for systems bought from the supplier
These are the highest flat rates, but you only get them by buying your installation from the supplier or its installer. Compare the full system price first: a high export rate for a year does not make up for an expensive quote. Our solar panel cost guide shows what installations typically cost.
| Supplier and tariff | Rate per kWh | Term | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive | 25p | Fixed for 12 months, then Good Energy's standard Solar Savings rate (12p today) | Not a SEG tariff: Good Energy is not a SEG licensee, so this is a private deal. Panels and battery installed by Good Energy Solar; Good Energy supply; half-hourly smart meter |
| OVO SEG Install Exclusive | 20p with solar and battery, 15p with solar only | Not stated | OVO installs your system; OVO electricity supply; under 30 kW |
| EDF Export Exclusive 12m | 18p | 12-month tariff, no exit fees | New solar or battery installation by Contact Solar from an enquiry made on or after 2 March 2026; EDF residential electricity supply; solar PV only as generation; up to 50 kW; MCS or Flexi-Orb certificate; once per purchase |
| E.ON Next Export Premium | 17.5p | Fixed for 12 months, one term only | Solar or battery installed by E.ON Installation Services from 10 November 2025; residential; up to 15 kW; smart export meter with half-hourly data consent |
Most of these deals come with a battery, and a battery reduces how much you export, because it keeps surplus for your evening use. A high rate on fewer exported kWh can earn less than you expect. The solar battery guide explains that trade-off.
Time-of-use export tariffs
Time-of-use export pays more when the grid needs power most, usually 4pm to 7pm. Panels alone export little at that time, especially in winter, so these tariffs suit homes with a battery that can discharge in the evening.
- Octopus Prime Outgoing: 16p per kWh from 4pm to 7pm and 9p the rest of the day. It is a 12-month fixed-term tariff with no exit fees, for Octopus electricity customers on a compatible import tariff.
- Octopus Agile Outgoing: a different price every half hour, following day-ahead wholesale prices with no cap. It is a 12-month fixed-term tariff with a fixed pricing formula and no exit fees.
- Octopus Flux: needs solar panels, a home battery, a half-hourly smart meter, an MCS document, and both your import and export with Octopus on Flux. On 23 September 2026 its export rates, which vary by region, were 27.17p to 30.68p from 4pm to 7pm, 4.19p to 5.24p from 2am to 5am, and 9.55p to 10.54p at other times. In London they were 28.60p, 5.24p and 9.80p. Your import price is time-banded too, so compare both sides for your region on Octopus's site.
- Intelligent Octopus Flux: closed to new customers on 23 September 2026, except those who bought solar panels and a battery from Octopus.
How to choose: compare import and export together
A tied export tariff pays only if the electricity you must buy alongside it is not much dearer. Work out both sides with your own numbers.
Worked example (illustrative, not a quote). Take a 4 kWp south-facing system in London, a household using 2,500 kWh a year, no battery, and MCS's default self-consumption table. As shown in our SEG guide, that home generates about 4,076 kWh, uses about 734 kWh itself and exports about 3,342 kWh a year.
- Export income if you keep your supplier: 3,342 kWh × 6p = £200.52 a year (E.ON Next Flex Export, open to anyone).
- Export income on a tied tariff: 3,342 kWh × 12p = £401.04 a year (Outgoing Octopus, which needs Octopus as your electricity supplier on a compatible tariff).
- Gain from the tied tariff: £401.04 − £200.52 = £200.52 a year.
- Electricity still bought from the grid: 2,500 − 734 = 1,766 kWh a year.
- Cost of a dearer import tariff: every 1p per kWh more on 1,766 kWh costs £17.66 a year, and every 1p per day more on the standing charge costs £3.65 a year.
- Break-even: £200.52 ÷ £17.66 = about 11.4p per kWh. Here the tied deal wins unless its unit rate is more than about 11p higher than your alternative, less any standing charge difference.
At 13p (E.ON Next Export Exclusive, which needs E.ON Next as your electricity supplier on a tariff that is not time-of-use), exports would earn 3,342 × 13p = £434.46, a gain of £233.94 over the open 6p rate and a break-even of £233.94 ÷ £17.66 = about 13.2p per kWh.
The same test works for any pair of tariffs. It changes most with how much you export: a household that uses more of its own solar, or adds a battery, gains less from a higher export rate.
Fixed or variable?
A fixed rate is locked for its term, usually 12 months; at the end you move to whatever the supplier then offers. A variable rate can change at any time, with notice. Most tariffs in these tables have no exit fees, so you can move if a better deal appears.
Other checks before you switch:
- System size limits. E.ON's and British Gas's best rates stop at 15 kW, OVO's at 30 kW and EDF's at 50 kW.
- Battery charging from the grid. Ofgem's guidance lets a supplier refuse SEG on export from a battery charged from the grid. If you plan to charge overnight and export later, check the supplier's terms.
- When payment starts. EDF and E.ON Next start your tariff once your export MPAN is registered with them, so apply as soon as your system is commissioned.
What Ofgem's figures show
Ofgem's latest SEG report, for April 2024 to March 2025, supports the pattern in our tables. Tied tariffs offered an average of 14.54p per kWh against 4.39p for untied ones, and 76.2% of the electricity exported under the SEG was on tied tariffs. Suppliers paid £56.97 million for 443.1 GWh of exports, which works out at about 12.9p per kWh on average (£56.97 million ÷ 443.1 million kWh = £0.1286 per kWh; our calculation, not an Ofgem figure). Ofgem's own published figure is higher, an average rate of 14.04p per kWh paid across installations, because it averages each installation's tariff rate, while our figure weights each rate by how much was exported. Ofgem's own conclusion is that consumers "must actively compare options".
How we compiled this comparison
- Source: each rate and condition was read on the supplier's own website on 23 September 2026. We do not use rates from comparison sites.
- Grouping: tariffs are grouped by what you must do to get them (nothing, switch your electricity, buy a system), then ordered by rate. We do not rank across groups, because the conditions differ.
- Basis: rates are pence per exported kWh as each supplier states them. Suppliers' import prices are not included, because they vary by region and payment method; use the worked example above to compare them.
- Not included: suppliers whose rates we did not verify on their own site that day, including ScottishPower, Utility Warehouse, Fuse and Utilita, and tariffs whose conditions the supplier's page does not state. Their absence does not mean their rates are worse.
- Independence: no supplier paid to be included or for its position, and Solar Report has no commercial relationship with any supplier listed.
Northern Ireland
The Smart Export Guarantee applies only in England, Scotland and Wales, so the SEG tariffs above are not available in Northern Ireland. There, suppliers pay for exports under their own tariffs. Power NI paid 9.64p per kWh from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026 for generators under 50 kW, at a rate approved each year by the Utility Regulator. A new rate applies from 1 October 2026, so check Power NI's site. Our SEG guide explains how exports are metered and paid in Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the best SEG rate?
It depends on your situation. Among the suppliers we checked on 23 September 2026, the best flat rate open to anyone was E.ON Next's 6p. The best for customers who buy their electricity from the same supplier was 13p (E.ON Next Export Exclusive and EDF Export 12m). The highest SEG rate was OVO's 20p for systems OVO installs with a battery. Good Energy paid 25p, but on a private deal outside the SEG (Good Energy is not a SEG licensee) that needs panels and a battery installed by Good Energy Solar and lasts 12 months.
Can I get my export tariff from a different supplier to my electricity?
Yes. Open tariffs such as E.ON Next Flex Export (6p) pay whoever supplies your electricity. The higher tied rates need you to buy your electricity from the same supplier.
Is it worth switching electricity supplier for a better export rate?
It can be, but check the import price first. In our London example, moving from the 6p open tariff to Outgoing Octopus at 12p, which needs Octopus as your electricity supplier, adds about £201 a year. That outweighs an import rate up to about 11p per kWh dearer. Run the same sum with your own export and import figures.