Do I have to take SEG from my electricity supplier?

No. SEG is independent of import. You can import from supplier A on a fixed tariff and export to supplier B on a different SEG tariff. It's almost always worth doing — the best SEG payer rarely matches the cheapest import supplier.

Is SEG income taxable?

For most domestic homeowners, no. HMRC treats SEG payments under the £1,000 Trading Allowance for sole traders and as non-taxable for purely domestic micro-generation. If you're generating commercially or have other trading income, check with an accountant.

Most suppliers credit your import account quarterly. Octopus and a few others pay direct to bank. Statements show export kWh × your rate.

SEG export tariffs UK (2026)

Every active SEG tariff in the UK ranked by 2026 export rate, plus the three switch traps that catch most homeowners.

What SEG actually is

The Smart Export Guarantee replaced the old Feed-in Tariff in 2020. Every licensed energy supplier with 150,000+ customers must offer at least one SEG tariff that pays you for the units you export to the grid. They set their own rate; the government sets only the floor (which is currently zero — yes, zero).

Eligibility: MCS-certified install, system under 5 MW, and a smart meter that reports half-hourly export readings. You don't have to import from your SEG supplier — you can buy electricity from supplier A and sell exports to supplier B. Most homeowners miss this and lose money on it.

The 2026 SEG league table

Rates as published in May 2026. Variable tariffs change with wholesale prices; fixed tariffs lock for 12 months.

Octopus Outgoing Fixed — 15p/kWh fixed (existing Octopus customers only). The default best-value pick.
Octopus Outgoing Agile — 5–30p/kWh, half-hourly variable (tracks day-ahead wholesale). Best for households who can shift export to peak hours.
EDF Export+ — 16p/kWh fixed (must be EDF import customer). Highest fixed rate of 2026.
OVO Smart Export — 4p/kWh variable. Avoid unless you need it for OVO bundle pricing.
E.ON Next Export — 16.5p/kWh fixed (12-month). Newer, beats EDF on paper for new customers.
Scottish Power SmartGen — 12p/kWh fixed.
British Gas Export & Earn Flex — 6.4p/kWh fixed. The default 'lazy' choice — usually the worst value.
Shell Energy SEG — 3.5p/kWh fixed. Avoid.

How rate choice changes payback

On a typical 4 kWp install exporting ~2,000 kWh/year:

British Gas at 6.4p = £128/year. Octopus Outgoing at 15p = £300/year. EDF Export+ at 16p = £320/year. Over 25 years (panel warranty), that gap compounds to roughly £4,800 — about 60% of an entire 4 kWp install cost.

If your installer set you up on the import-supplier's default SEG, switch on day 1 of the install. It takes 5 minutes online and you don't lose anything by it.

The three traps

Trap 1: Tied rates. Some 'high' SEG rates require you to also import from that supplier — and the import rate is often above the Ofgem cap. Always check the import standing charge and unit rate before switching.

Trap 2: Battery exclusions. Octopus Agile and a few smaller suppliers cap or exclude export from grid-charged batteries. If you plan to arbitrage (charge cheap overnight, export at peak), read the battery clause carefully.

Trap 3: Smart meter polling rate. SEG only pays half-hourly meters. If yours reports daily, you'll be billed at the supplier's flat-rate fallback (usually 0p). Ask your import supplier to switch your meter to half-hourly mode — free, takes 24 hours.

How to switch

Apply directly via the new supplier's SEG portal. You'll need: MCS certificate (PDF from your installer), MPAN (top-right of any electricity bill), bank details, and the date your system was commissioned. Approval takes 10–28 days; backdated payments are not standard so apply the day your system goes live.

You can switch SEG suppliers as often as you like — no exit fees, no tie-in. Most homeowners review annually when fixed tariffs expire.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to take SEG from my electricity supplier?: No. SEG is independent of import. You can import from supplier A on a fixed tariff and export to supplier B on a different SEG tariff. It's almost always worth doing — the best SEG payer rarely matches the cheapest import supplier.
Is SEG income taxable?: For most domestic homeowners, no. HMRC treats SEG payments under the £1,000 Trading Allowance for sole traders and as non-taxable for purely domestic micro-generation. If you're generating commercially or have other trading income, check with an accountant.
How is SEG paid?: Most suppliers credit your import account quarterly. Octopus and a few others pay direct to bank. Statements show export kWh × your rate.