Your panels make the most power at midday, often more than you're using. The Smart Export Guarantee, or SEG, makes sure none of that spare power goes to waste. It flows to the grid, and your supplier pays you for it.
How does it work?
Any energy supplier with 150,000 or more domestic customers must offer an SEG export tariff. To qualify, you need a meter that records half-hourly export, usually a smart meter, and an MCS-certified install. You get paid per kWh of solar you export. It's even possible to use one supplier for import and a different one for export.
Why does the rate matter so much?
Export rates vary a lot, from a few pence per kWh on basic tariffs to 20p or more on the best time-of-use ones. The government doesn't fix these rates, so shop around the way you'd shop for any tariff. Using your own solar, directly or through a battery, is usually worth far more than exporting it.
The quick version
- SEG pays you per kWh of solar you export.
- You need a smart meter and an MCS install to qualify.
- Using your own solar usually beats exporting it.