Solar PV · Glossary
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
The current UK scheme requiring large electricity suppliers to pay solar owners for surplus power exported to the grid.
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) replaced the Feed-in Tariff in January 2020. All licensed electricity suppliers with 150,000+ customers must offer at least one export tariff, and rates have become competitive: as of August 2026, Octopus Outgoing Fixed pays 12p/kWh and Octopus Outgoing Agile (variable, half-hourly) often spikes above 25p/kWh on sunny windy afternoons.
To claim SEG you need an MCS-certified solar PV installation (max 5MW) and a smart meter capable of half-hourly export readings (SMETS2). You apply directly to your chosen supplier, who does not need to be the same one supplying your import electricity.
For a typical 4kWp Cornwall solar install exporting around 1,800kWh per year, SEG income is roughly £216/year on a 12p tariff (Octopus Outgoing Fixed) or about £270/year on one of the higher-paying export tariffs such as British Gas Export & Earn. Add a battery and shift export to peak windows and that climbs significantly. See our solar PV page and battery storage page.