The best solar export tariff is the one that pays most for your real exported electricity after account conditions, meter requirements and tariff tie-ins are included. Rates change, so this guide explains a repeatable Smart Export Guarantee comparison instead of naming a supplier as a permanent winner.
Quick answer: how to find the best export tariff
Start with the live payment rate, then check whether it applies to every exported unit, changes by time of day or requires you to buy electricity from the same company. Use at least twelve months of export-meter data where available. Multiply exported kilowatt-hours by the applicable rate for each period, then compare contract length, payment timing and exit terms.
Do not choose from an old league table. Export rates and conditions can change faster than Google recrawls an article. Ofgem advises generators to shop around and publishes the current list of licensed Smart Export Guarantee providers.
What the Smart Export Guarantee provides
The Smart Export Guarantee, usually shortened to SEG, requires eligible electricity suppliers to offer an export tariff to eligible small-scale generators in Great Britain. Solar photovoltaic systems are included. Ofgem says the tariff must remain above zero and eligible generators are entitled to payment based on actual meter readings.
The export provider does not have to be the company that supplies your household electricity or gas. A tariff can nevertheless offer different terms depending on whether you also buy electricity from the same provider, so compare the whole arrangement rather than the export headline alone.
The seven checks that change the result
- Live export rate: record the date checked and whether the rate is fixed, variable or time dependent.
- Imported-electricity tie-in: note whether the best advertised rate requires a matching import tariff and compare the combined annual cost.
- Metering: confirm the export meter can provide the readings required by the provider.
- Installation evidence: check which certification, commissioning and network documents the application requires.
- Payment basis: distinguish actual metered export from any alternative payment model and check payment frequency.
- Contract terms: check duration, rate-change notice, exit process and whether the provider can move you to another rate.
- Battery rules: confirm how exported electricity from a battery is treated and whether grid-charged export is restricted.
Fixed, variable and time-of-use export tariffs
A fixed export tariff pays one stated rate for qualifying units during the relevant contract period, subject to its terms. A variable tariff can change after notice. A time-of-use tariff pays different rates depending on when electricity reaches the grid.
A higher time-limited rate is not automatically worth more. A household that exports most solar electricity around midday may receive little benefit from an evening premium unless a battery can shift energy without breaching the tariff rules. Conversely, a straightforward fixed rate can be easier to value where export timing cannot be controlled.
Calculate annual export income
For a single-rate tariff, use:
Annual exported electricity in kWh × export rate in pence ÷ 100 = estimated annual payment.
For example, 1,500kWh exported at a hypothetical 5p/kWh would produce £75, while the same export at a hypothetical 15p/kWh would produce £225. That £150 difference is only useful if both rates apply to the same units and do not create a larger import-tariff cost elsewhere.
For time-of-use tariffs, split the exported units by each payment window. Use real meter data rather than assuming every battery discharge will land in the highest-paying period.
Solar batteries and export tariffs
A battery can increase self-use, shift electricity into a higher-value export window or support backup goals, but these are different decisions. Exporting stored energy can leave less available for the home and may require replacement electricity later at a higher import price.
Model solar generation, household consumption, import prices, battery losses, usable capacity and export payments together. Ask the installer to state the operating assumption and confirm the export provider's current battery terms before commissioning an export strategy.
How to switch safely
- Download recent export readings and your current SEG statement.
- Open Ofgem's current SEG provider list and the live tariff terms for each option you want to compare.
- Record the rate, date checked, import tie-in, meter and evidence requirements, payment schedule and contract terms.
- Calculate the annual result using the same export profile for every option.
- Apply to the selected export provider and keep the acceptance confirmation before ending an existing arrangement.
- Check the first statement against the export meter and raise discrepancies promptly.
If the solar installation, meter or network paperwork is incomplete, resolve that evidence before relying on a projected payment.
Official source and review date
This guide was checked on 24 August 2026 against Ofgem's Smart Export Guarantee guidance for generators. Ofgem confirms that payment rates and contract length are determined by the chosen SEG provider, so live provider terms remain the source for a current quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Which solar export tariff pays the most?
There is no permanent winner because rates and conditions change. Compare live offers using the same actual export profile and include any import-tariff tie-in.
Must my export and import provider be the same?
No. Ofgem says you can use different companies for SEG payments, electricity supply and gas, although an individual export offer may provide different terms to its import customers.
Does SEG pay for estimated export?
Eligible generators are entitled to payment based on actual meter readings. Check the provider's metering and submission process before applying.
