Best Smart Export Guarantee Rates 2026: Complete UK Guide

What is the Smart Export Guarantee?

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is the UK government scheme that requires energy suppliers with over 150,000 customers to offer solar households a payment for every unit of electricity they export to the National Grid. SEG replaced the legacy Feed-in Tariff export element in January 2020.

Unlike the Feed-in Tariff, SEG rates are not government-fixed — suppliers set their own rates, and they can change over time. You must have an MCS-certified solar installation and a smart meter capable of half-hourly export readings to be eligible. You can change your SEG supplier at any time without affecting your import (consumption) supplier.

If your solar system was installed under the original Feed-in Tariff (before 1 April 2019), you continue to receive your FiT export payments and are NOT on SEG. FiT and SEG are separate schemes and you cannot be on both simultaneously for the same installation.

• Mandatory for all energy suppliers with 150,000+ customers
• Requires MCS-certified solar installation and half-hourly smart meter
• You can switch SEG supplier without switching your energy supplier
• FiT customers (pre-April 2019): continue on FiT, do not need SEG
• New installations (post-January 2020): must use SEG for export payments

Best SEG Rates: March 2026 Rankings

Outgoing Octopus cut its rate from 15p to 12p/kWh on 1 March 2026, dropping from the best flat-rate tariff to tied with ScottishPower. E.ON Next Export Exclusive at 16.5p/kWh is now the best fixed flat-rate option for standard export. Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive at 25p/kWh remains the highest flat rate but is only available to homeowners who installed solar through Good Energy.

For households with battery storage, the time-of-use export tariffs — particularly Intelligent Octopus Flux — are far more valuable than any flat-rate option, with peak export earnings of up to 30.31p/kWh between 4pm and 7pm. However, these tariffs also have import rates and require compatible battery systems.

Here are the current best rates as of March 2026:

1. Intelligent Octopus Flux: up to 30.31p/kWh export (4pm-7pm peak). Import overnight ~7p/kWh. Requires compatible battery (Fox ESS, Sigenergy, GivEnergy officially supported). 2. Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive: 25p/kWh flat rate. Only available if you installed solar through Good Energy. 3. E.ON Next Export Exclusive: 16.5p/kWh flat rate. Best universally available fixed rate. Estimated annual earnings: ~£219 on a 4kW Hampshire system. 4. Outgoing Octopus: 12p/kWh flat rate (cut from 15p on 1 March 2026). No battery required. Easy to switch. 5. ScottishPower SmartGen: 12p/kWh. Available without switching your main energy supplier. 6. OVO Smart Export: 12p/kWh. Available to OVO customers.

• 1. Intelligent Octopus Flux: up to 30.31p/kWh (peak 4pm-7pm) — needs compatible battery
• 2. Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive: 25p/kWh — install-linked only
• 3. E.ON Next Export Exclusive: 16.5p/kWh — best universally available flat rate
• 4. Outgoing Octopus: 12p/kWh (was 15p before 1 March 2026)
• 5. ScottishPower SmartGen: 12p/kWh — no supplier switch needed
• Ofgem average across 42 tariffs: 8.9p/kWh

How Much Can You Earn from the SEG in Hampshire?

Your SEG earnings depend on three factors: how much your solar system generates, how much of that generation you use yourself (self-consumption), and the export rate you receive.

A 4kW solar system in Hampshire generates approximately 3,400-3,600 kWh per year. Without a battery, typical self-consumption is 30-45%, meaning you export approximately 2,000-2,400 kWh per year. With a 10kWh battery, self-consumption rises to 75-85%, meaning you export only 500-900 kWh per year — but the electricity you save using your own generation is worth more (27.69p/kWh saved vs 8-16p/kWh earned).

Annual SEG earnings for a 4kW Hampshire system, no battery: - E.ON 16.5p rate: approximately £330-396/year - Outgoing Octopus 12p: approximately £240-288/year - Ofgem average 8.9p: approximately £178-214/year

Annual SEG earnings for a 4kW Hampshire system, with 10kWh battery: - E.ON 16.5p rate: approximately £83-149/year (exporting less) - Intelligent Octopus Flux peak: £150-270/year equivalent (from just the 500-900 kWh exported at peak)

• 4kW system, no battery: exports 2,000-2,400 kWh/year
• 4kW system, 10kWh battery: exports 500-900 kWh/year (more self-used)
• E.ON Export Exclusive (16.5p), no battery: ~£330-396/year
• Outgoing Octopus (12p), no battery: ~£240-288/year
• Key insight: saving 27.69p/kWh by self-consuming beats exporting at any SEG rate

Intelligent Octopus Flux: Is It Worth It for Hampshire Solar Owners?

Intelligent Octopus Flux is the most valuable time-of-use tariff available for solar households with battery storage in 2026. It pays up to 30.31p/kWh for electricity exported between 4pm and 7pm — nearly double the best flat-rate SEG.

How it works: import electricity overnight at cheap rates (~7p/kWh) to charge your battery. Export during the 4pm-7pm peak at up to 30.31p/kWh. Use your solar generation during the day to cover consumption and top up the battery. In practice, the system automates this cycle, making decisions based on wholesale electricity prices.

Who benefits most: households with 10kWh+ battery storage, a 4kW+ solar system, and an EV (which provides an additional source of cheap overnight charging and can participate in Vehicle-to-Grid if you have a V2H charger). Based on published savings data, a Hampshire home with 5kW solar, 13.5kWh battery, and Intelligent Flux saves approximately £980-1,103 per year compared to a standard tariff home with the same consumption.

• Peak export rate: up to 30.31p/kWh (4pm-7pm)
• Import overnight: approximately 7p/kWh (varies with wholesale prices)
• Compatible batteries: Fox ESS, SigEnergy, Tesla Powerwall officially supported
• Best for: 10kWh+ battery + 4kW+ solar + ideally an EV
• Annual saving vs standard tariff (5kW + 13.5kWh): approximately £980-1,103

How to Register for the Smart Export Guarantee

Registering for the SEG is straightforward. Here is what you need to do:

1. Confirm your installation has an MCS certificate (Solent Solar provides this for every installation and we register new systems with your chosen supplier).

2. Ensure you have a smart meter that can record half-hourly export data. All smart meters installed since 2018 can do this. Older economy 7 meters may need upgrading — your energy supplier provides this free.

3. Choose your preferred SEG tariff. You do not need to use the same supplier for export and import — you can be on Octopus for import and E.ON for export, for example.

4. Apply directly through your chosen supplier's website. E.ON Next, ScottishPower, and Octopus Energy all have simple online application forms. Processing takes 1-4 weeks.

5. Once approved, your smart meter records your exports automatically. Payments are typically quarterly.

Solent Solar registers all new installations with a SEG supplier as part of our commissioning and handover process. If your existing system has never been registered for SEG, we can help you register retrospectively — you are entitled to payments from the date of registration, but not backdated.

• Step 1: Confirm MCS certificate (Solent Solar provides this automatically)
• Step 2: Confirm smart meter with half-hourly export capability
• Step 3: Choose supplier — you can mix import and export suppliers freely
• Step 4: Apply online — takes 10-15 minutes, 1-4 weeks to activate
• Step 5: We handle registration for all new Solent Solar installations