Choosing a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff is not simply a matter of selecting the highest advertised rate. This guide provides a reusable checklist for comparing export payments, confirming eligibility, checking meter data and deciding whether your current deal still suits your solar panels, battery or wider home energy system.
Overview
The Smart Export Guarantee is the framework through which participating electricity suppliers pay eligible generators for electricity exported to the grid. For a household with solar panels, the payment is one part of the overall financial return. The other parts are the electricity you use directly, any reduction in imported electricity and the value of energy stored or used later.
That means the best SEG tariff is not automatically the one with the highest headline rate. A tariff with a higher export payment may have stricter eligibility requirements, a shorter fixed term, less convenient payment arrangements or conditions that affect how a battery can operate. Compare the complete offer with your system and usage pattern.
Before comparing providers, gather the basic information for your installation:
- Solar system capacity and commissioning date.
- Whether you have panels only, solar battery storage, an EV charger or other controllable loads.
- Your export meter or generation meter arrangements.
- Recent export readings and payment statements.
- Installer, commissioning and certification documents.
- Your existing electricity supplier and account details.
Keep the export payment separate from your import electricity tariff when doing your calculations. You may be able to buy electricity from one supplier and receive export payments from another, subject to each provider's conditions and your meter setup. Confirm the arrangement before switching either contract.
Checklist by scenario
If you are applying for SEG for the first time
- Confirm eligibility. Ask the supplier which technologies, installation sizes and documentation it accepts. Eligibility rules and evidence requirements can differ between providers, so do not assume that a previous installer conversation is enough.
- Check your meter data. Find out how exported electricity will be measured and whether the supplier requires a particular meter type, reading format or communications arrangement. Take a dated opening reading where appropriate.
- Prepare documents. Have your MCS certificate or equivalent evidence, installation details, ownership information and bank details available if requested. A MCS certified installer can usually provide useful handover paperwork, but the supplier remains responsible for confirming its own requirements.
- Ask when payments are made. Check whether payments are monthly, quarterly or triggered by a reading, and whether readings must be submitted by a deadline.
- Record the start date. Keep the acceptance email, tariff terms and opening export reading together. This creates a useful baseline if the first payment is disputed.
If you already receive SEG payments
- Download your latest statement and compare the billed export volume with your solar monitoring app or meter readings.
- Check the rate applied to each period, especially if your tariff has changed or contains more than one rate.
- Review whether the payment schedule is being followed and whether any readings are missing or estimated.
- Compare your current terms with available alternatives, including fixed versus variable pricing and any exit or notice requirements.
- Ask whether changing your import supplier, adding a battery or changing your meter will affect the export agreement.
If you are adding a battery
A battery can increase self-consumption, but it may also change the volume and timing of electricity exported. Before installation, ask both the battery installer and SEG supplier how the system will measure exports and whether the supplier places conditions on electricity discharged from the battery.
Some tariffs may distinguish between electricity generated by your panels and electricity imported from the grid and later exported. Do not rely on an app label alone: request the supplier's written position and confirm how the meter records the relevant flows. Compare the expected extra export income with the battery's purchase, installation and financing costs. Export revenue should not be the only reason to choose a battery.
If you are reviewing a business or larger installation
For commercial solar, export payments can be only one part of the procurement decision. Review the site's half-hourly or interval data, operational demand, planned expansion, export limits and electricity contract. A business may gain more value from using generation on site than exporting it, but this depends on its load profile and system design.
Compare SEG arrangements alongside the wider solar business case rather than selecting an export rate in isolation. Our commercial solar procurement guide covers the broader quote and contract questions to ask.
What to double-check
| Comparison point | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Export rate | Is the rate fixed or variable? Can it change, and how will notice be given? |
| Eligibility | Does the provider accept your technology, system size, certification and commissioning evidence? |
| Metering | Which meter measures export, who provides the readings and how are estimates corrected? |
| Payment schedule | How often are payments made, and is a minimum balance or reading required? |
| Battery conditions | Are there restrictions or special rules for energy exported from a battery? |
| Contract terms | Is there a fixed term, notice period, review date or requirement to remain an import customer? |
| Ownership and changes | What happens if you sell the property, replace the inverter, add panels or change the meter? |
Use a simple comparison sheet with one row per provider. Record the rate, rate type, payment cycle, meter requirements, battery wording, documentation required, contract length and the date you checked the information. Tariff pages can change, so save the provider's terms or confirmation email as well.
To estimate the financial difference between tariffs, use your actual exported kilowatt-hours rather than total solar generation. A basic comparison is:
Estimated annual export income = annual exported electricity × export rate
This is only an estimate. Export volumes vary with weather, occupancy, battery settings, EV charging and appliance use. If a rate is variable, model more than one outcome instead of treating today's figure as guaranteed. For a wider view of self-consumption and system performance, see our solar monitoring guide.
Common mistakes
- Comparing rates without comparing terms. The headline number does not reveal meter, battery, payment or contract conditions.
- Confusing generation with export. Panels may generate electricity that is used in the home, stored in a battery or exported. SEG payments normally relate to the exported quantity measured under the supplier's arrangement.
- Assuming a battery always increases export income. A battery is commonly installed to shift solar energy into later household use, which can reduce exports while increasing self-consumption.
- Ignoring estimated readings. An estimated export figure can distort a payment. Compare statements with meter data and ask the supplier to correct errors promptly.
- Changing equipment without notifying the supplier. Adding panels, replacing an inverter or changing metering can affect documentation and eligibility checks.
- Using old assumptions. SEG offers, supplier terms and industry processes can change. Treat online comparison tables and forum posts as starting points, not final confirmation.
- Forgetting legacy arrangements. If your system is covered by an older export or generation payment arrangement, check its terms before applying for a new SEG tariff. Do not assume the two arrangements can be combined.
When to revisit
Review your SEG tariff at least when your contract reaches its review or renewal point, but also after a material change to your energy system. Good triggers include adding or replacing a battery, installing an EV charger, changing your electricity meter, moving home, replacing an inverter or seeing a sustained difference between your monitoring app and supplier statements.
It is also sensible to check your arrangement before seasonal planning cycles. Winter and summer can produce different generation and export patterns, while changes in household occupancy or EV use can alter the value of exporting electricity. A quarterly payment review is a practical habit: record export volume, payment received, rate applied and any unresolved query.
Use this action list whenever you review the deal:
- Download the current SEG terms and note the date checked.
- Record the latest meter reading and export statement.
- Compare actual export with your monitoring data.
- Check whether your system, battery or electricity contract has changed.
- Compare at least the rate, payment schedule, metering rules and battery conditions.
- Ask the supplier for written clarification before switching or changing equipment.
- Keep all acceptance, reading and payment records in one folder.
For related decisions, see our UK solar installation checklist and guides to solar battery storage and solar charging for an EV. Repeating this review when tariffs, equipment or household usage changes will give you a more realistic view of solar savings than relying on a single advertised export rate.
