
By Jessica Sletmo
Quick Navigation:
- What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)?
- What do you need to apply to the SEG?
- How to choose which provider to go with?- Which suppliers offer export tariffs?
It's very exciting to have had your solar panels installed, but how can you make money from any excess electricity that you produce and sell back to the National grid?
The SEG is a government backed initiative that allows you to sell your excess energy back to the grid.
Anyone with a renewable generation at home should be able to sign up to an SEG tariff, but there are a few requirements you must meet:
We have made sure that all installations done through MakeMyHouseGreen meet these requirements, so you don’t have to worry about this if you choose to have your installation with us!
Each supplier has different application requirements, but there are a few documents you usually need to send through, or extract information from:
For all installations done through MakeMyHouseGreen you should expect to receive these documents within 14 days of your installation, we use technology to ensure these documents are with you as soon as possible. However, the G98/G99 DNO response may take up to three months as we depend on the DNO getting back to us.
If you've had your installation done with us, you will be notified once we have these documents ready for you, and you should be able to always access them by logging into our platform Handy, right?
Energy suppliers set their own SEG tariff prices, so you should look around to make sure you are getting the best price.
Your SEG supplier doesn’t need to be the same company who supplies your energy. But you often get a better export rate if you buy your energy from the same supplier as you sell it to.
There are fixed rate and variable rate SEG tariffs:
Each SEG provider will have details of their specific application process on their website.
All energy suppliers with over 150,000 customers have to offer an SEG tariff. However, some energy suppliers offer other export tariffs as well. These often have more favourable rates, but come with different requirements. We've listed the available ones below so that you can find which suits you best.
Supplier | Tariff name | Tariff type | Price | Notes |
Octopus | Outgoing Agile Octopus | Variable | Matches your half-hourly prices with day-ahead wholesale rates. You could earn over 50% more than with the Fixed Outgoing Octopus. | Octopus must be your import supplier. If not, the price goes down to 4.1p / kWh. |
Tesla | Tesla Energy Plan | Variable | 24p - 26p / kWh, according to location | You must have at least one Powerwall 2 battery installed and your annual consumption of daytime energy (from 07:00-19:30) has to remain less than 9,500 kWh per Powerwall installed. |
Octopus | Outgoing Fixed Octopus | Fixed | 15p / kWh | Octopus must be your import supplier. If not, the price goes down to 4.1p / kWh. |
EDF Energy | EDF Export Variable Value | Fixed | 5.6p / kWh | EDF Energy has to be your import supplier. If not, the price goes down to 1.5p / kWh. |
Utility Warehouse | UW Smart Export Guarantee - Bundle | Variable | 5.6p / kWh | Utility Warehouse must be your import supplier, and you have to have two or more additional services with them. If not, the price goes down to 2p / kWh. |
Bulb | Export payments | Fixed | 5.57p / kWh | Bulb must be your import supplier. If not, the price goes down to 3 / per kWh. |
Scottish Power | Smart Export Variable tariff | Variable | 5.5p / kWh | Scottish power doesn’t have to be your import supplier. |
E.ON Next | Next Export Exclusive | Fixed | 5.5p / kWh | You must have bought your solar installation with E.ON Solar after 1 January 2020. If not, the price goes down to 3p / kWh. |
SO Energy | So Altair | Fixed | 5p / kWh | So Energy doesn’t have to be your import supplier. |
OVO Energy | OVO SEG tariff | Fixed | 4p / kWh | OVO Energy doesn’t have to be your import supplier. |
Shell Energy | SEG tariff | Variable | 3.5p / kWh | Shell Energy doesn’t have to be your import supplier. |
British Gas | Export and Earn Flex | Variable | 3.2p / kWh | British Gas doesn’t have to be your import supplier. |
Utilita | Smart Export Guarantee | Fixed | 3p / kWh | Utilita doesn't have to be your import supplier. |
Last updated on 29/09/2022.
We know the SEG application process can be overwhelming, but hopefully this guide will help you navigate through it!
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