The Smart Export Guarantee, explained.

Last updated: 24 June 2026.

What is the Smart Export Guarantee?

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a government-backed scheme, overseen byOfgem, that requires larger energy suppliers to pay you for the surplus solar electricity you export to the grid. In short: when your panels make more than your home is using, that spare power isn't wasted — your supplier pays you for it.

How does it actually work?

• Your system is fitted by an MCS-accredited installer (that's us) and registered.
• A smart/export meter measures how much electricity you send back to the grid.
• You sign up to an SEG tariff with a participating supplier.
• You're paid per unit (kWh) exported — rates vary by supplier, so it's worth comparing.

So should I export as much as possible?

Not necessarily. Exported power earns you the SEG rate, but the electricity you use yourself is usually worth more, because you avoid buying it at full price. The smartest setup uses as much of your own solar as possible, then exports the rest.

This is where a battery changes the maths

Without storage, spare daytime solar is exported cheaply — then you buy expensive grid power in the evening. A home battery stores your daytime solar so you run your home on it after dark, slashing what you buy at peak rates. You still export your true surplus and earn from it — you just keep more of the valuable stuff.

How to get the most from the SEG

• Use an MCS-accredited installer so you qualify cleanly.
• Right-size the system to your home (we do this at your free survey).
• Consider a battery to maximise self-use.
• Shop around SEG tariffs — and revisit them, as rates change.

We handle the MCS certification, the DNO application and all the paperwork so your system is set up correctly to benefit from the SEG — with a company owner on every install across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex & Kent.

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