If you’ve got solar panels sitting on your roof, somebody is buying the electricity you don’t use yourself. The question is whether they’re paying you a fair rate for it, or whether you’re on the same 5p-ish pittance your energy supplier signed you up to three years ago and haven’t thought about since.
The best solar export tariff in 2026 isn’t a single headline figure. It depends on whether you installed through a specific supplier, whether you’ve got a battery, whether you’re willing to switch your import tariff, and how much faff you’re prepared to put up with. By the end of this guide you’ll know where you actually sit on the scale from “quietly losing money” to “squeezing every last pence out of every exported kWh.”
Rates in the UK export market right now run from about 3p/kWh at the bottom end to 25p/kWh at the top end for a fixed rate, with variable rates occasionally peaking well above 30p/kWh during stressed evening windows. That’s a big spread. On a typical household system it’s the difference between making around £50 a year and making several hundred.
What a solar export tariff actually is
Every time your panels generate more electricity than you’re using, the surplus flows back down your connection into the grid. A solar export tariff is simply the rate your supplier pays you for that electricity, measured in pence per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh).
The scheme that governs this is the Smart Export Guarantee, or SEG. It was introduced in January 2020 to replace the export element of the old Feed-in Tariff, which closed to new applicants in April 2019. Under the SEG, every licensed electricity supplier with 150,000 or more domestic customers must offer at least one export tariff to eligible small-scale generators. They don’t have to offer a good tariff. They just have to offer one above zero. Some of them take the rules quite literally and still pay around 3p/kWh on their lazier deals.
Self-consumption (using your own electricity instead of exporting it) is usually the bigger driver of payback than export income, and it’s heavily influenced by how your system is sized. Our 2026 solar panel cost guide covers what a fair quote should contain and how system size affects both your upfront cost and your self-consumption rate.
If you’re still weighing up whether to install solar in the first place, whether solar panels are worth it in the UK covers the full economics including but not limited to export income.
Fixed vs variable (agile) export tariffs
Export tariffs come in two main flavours: fixed and variable.
A fixed-rate export tariff pays you the same rate for every unit you export, whenever you export it. Midday in July, teatime in November, Sunday afternoon, Tuesday night. Doesn’t matter. The rate is the rate. Simple, predictable, and easy to understand.
A variable (or agile) export tariff pays you a different rate depending on the time of day, based on wholesale electricity market prices. Octopus Agile Outgoing is the best-known example. When the grid is stressed, typically around 4pm to 7pm in winter, the wholesale price goes up and your export rate goes up with it. When everybody’s solar panels are pumping power into the grid at midday in June, the wholesale price collapses and your export rate with it.
The two suit different households. Fixed-rate tariffs are for people who just want the money and don’t want to think about it. They’re ideal if you’ve got solar panels but no battery, because without storage you can’t time your exports anyway. You export whenever the sun’s out, and that’s that.
Variable rates are where battery owners can make a genuine difference to their earnings. With storage, you can hold onto your solar generation (or fill the battery from cheap off-peak grid electricity) and release it to the grid during the expensive windows.
Comparison of current best export tariffs
Here’s how the major SEG tariffs stack up in spring 2026. Rates change. Treat this as a directional guide, not gospel, and check the supplier’s own site before signing up.
| Supplier | Tariff | Type | Approx. rate (p/kWh) | Must import too? | Standout note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Energy | Solar Savings Exclusive | Fixed | ~25p | Yes + installed by Good Energy | Highest fixed rate on the market (12-month term) |
| EDF | Export Exclusive 12m V2 | Fixed | ~24p | Yes + installed by EDF partner | Premium rate for EDF solar customers |
| So Energy | So Export Premium | Fixed | ~20p (12m only) | Yes | Drops to ~4.5p after 12 months |
| E.ON Next | Next Export Premium v3 | Fixed | ~17.5p | Yes + installed by E.ON | Best rate if going solar with E.ON |
| Octopus Energy | Intelligent Octopus Flux | Variable (time-of-use) | Peak rates often ~25–30p | Yes + eligible battery | Top earner for solar-plus-battery setups |
| Octopus Energy | Outgoing Octopus (Fixed) | Fixed | 12p (dropped from 15p, March 2026) | Yes | Still one of the most solid flat rates |
| Octopus Energy | Outgoing Agile | Variable (half-hourly) | Varies, can spike above 30p at peak | Yes | Best paired with battery and active management |
| British Gas | Export and Earn Plus | Fixed | ~12p | Yes | Mid-tier bundled option |
| OVO Energy | OVO SEG (fixed) | Fixed | ~12p | Yes | Straightforward bundled deal |
| ScottishPower | SmartGen | Variable | ~6p | No | Among the best untied rates |
| E.ON Next | Next Flex Export | Variable | ~6p | No | Other widely available untied rate |
| Octopus Energy | Octopus SEG | Fixed | ~4.1p | No | Use this to keep your current supplier for import |
Outgoing Octopus cut its rate from 15p/kWh to 12p/kWh on 1 March 2026. This was its first rate change since September 2022, and it knocks it off the top spot it held for years as the default pick for Octopus solar customers. It’s still a strong fixed rate, just no longer dominant.
E.ON Next Export Exclusive dropped from 16.5p to 13p in November 2025, which was a meaningful cut. E.ON’s current premium tariff for its install customers is Next Export Premium v3 at 17.5p.
Good Energy’s 25p rate is technically time-limited. It’s fixed for a 12-month term, after which you drop onto Good Energy Solar Savings at 15p. It’s still attractive but do the maths on years two and beyond.
Which export tariff is best for your setup?
Best tariff for solar only
Without a battery you can’t time your exports, so a fixed rate is the best play. You’ll be exporting whenever the sun’s out regardless. Good Energy Solar Savings (if you’re their customer), Outgoing Octopus at 12p, or one of the E.ON fixed tariffs if you installed through them. Don’t bother with Octopus Agile, as midday export rates often sit in the low single digits exactly when your panels are generating the most.
Best tariff for solar and a battery
Intelligent Octopus Flux or standard Flux are usually the top earners due to their high export price, with Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive a close alternative if you installed through them. Agile Outgoing rewards active management.
Best tariff for solar and an EV
Intelligent Octopus Go for the car paired with Outgoing Octopus fixed for export is the standard combination. IOG’s overnight rate (around 8p/kWh) lets you charge the battery cheap each night and top up from solar through the day. Anything you don’t use yourself still earns you a margin when it exports (you imported it at 8p and you’re paid 12p to send it back).
Best tariff for existing Feed-in Tariff customers
If you’re on a legacy Feed-in Tariff, stay there. It’s almost certainly paying you more than SEG ever will.
Export tariff rates change, and they change faster than most other bits of the energy market. What’s top today might not be in six months. Make a note in your calendar to review your rate once a year, or when you see headlines about rate cuts. The switch is slow, but the decision takes about 15 minutes. It’s worth doing.
How batteries change the maths
A battery flips the export calculation on its head. Without storage you’re a passive exporter. Your panels push whatever you don’t immediately use, and you get paid whatever rate applies at that moment. On a variable tariff that usually means being paid peanuts in the middle of sunny days, when every other solar home is also dumping electricity onto the grid and wholesale prices have cratered.
With a battery, you can play the spread. Charge the battery when electricity is cheap (from your own solar, or by importing from the grid during off-peak hours), then discharge to the grid when prices peak. This is export arbitrage, and it only works on half-hourly variable tariffs.
Octopus Flux and Intelligent Octopus Flux are built specifically for this. Both are import-plus-export tariffs with three time bands each day. The peak window (4pm to 7pm) pays the highest export rate and charges the highest import rate, and off-peak (2am to 5am) is the opposite. Intelligent Flux goes a step further: Octopus takes control of your battery and automates the charging and discharging for you, provided you’ve got a compatible battery. If you haven’t bought your battery yet, our best home batteries for solar guide covers which brands play nicely with smart export tariffs.
Agile Outgoing is the other option for battery owners who want dynamic pricing but prefer to manage their own battery. It tracks wholesale prices every 30 minutes. Historically Agile Outgoing has paid significantly more than fixed alternatives over a year, but the variability is real, and there are days where it pays less than Octopus’s own 12p fixed rate would.
Each Octopus export tariff suits a slightly different household. Our full breakdown of Octopus Energy’s SEG tariffs compares Outgoing, Outgoing Agile, Flux and Intelligent Flux side by side, with current rates and battery compatibility lists.
Do you have to import and export from the same supplier?
Mostly yes, if you want a decent rate. The export tariffs hitting 15p, 20p, or 25p per kWh are almost all “tied” or “bundled,” meaning they’re only available if you also buy your import electricity from the same supplier. Often you’ll need to have had your solar (and sometimes battery) installed by them too.
“Untied” tariffs are open to any SEG-eligible home regardless of who supplies your import. Rates are much lower.
Switching to a better export tariff usually means switching your import tariff too. A 3p jump in export rate doesn’t help if they’re stinging you for an extra 5p on every imported unit. Always check both sides. How to switch energy supplier covers the mechanics if you’re unfamiliar with the process.
ScottishPower, British Gas, and E.ON do offer decent-ish rates on certain tariffs without forcing an import switch. Those are the exceptions, not the rule.
What to check before signing up
Rates are the headline, but the small print is where SEG deals come unstuck. Before you commit, run through the following.
- Smart meter requirement. You almost always need a SMETS2 smart meter (or a compatible upgraded SMETS1) configured to send half-hourly export readings. Without one, most tariffs are a non-starter. If you haven’t got one, your supplier will usually install one for free, but it can add weeks to the process.
- MCS certificate. Your system must be installed by an MCS-accredited installer and you must have the MCS certificate. A small number of tariffs accept Flexi-Orb as an alternative. A DIY installation that isn’t MCS-certified is all but unsellable to the major suppliers. This is the main reason DIY solar is economically limited.
- DNO paperwork. You need your G98 or G99 approval letter from your DNO (Distribution Network Operator). This is what gives you permission to export at all, and it comes with your export MPAN.
- Contract term. Some rates are fixed for 12 or 24 months. Others are technically “variable” and can change with 30 days’ notice. Ask directly.
- Export caps. A handful of tariffs cap how much they’ll pay for. Worth asking if you’ve got a larger system.
- Inverter size. A few premium tariffs restrict eligibility by inverter rating, particularly if you’ve got a system above 3.68kW single-phase that needs G99 rather than G98 approval.
- Battery eligibility. For smart export tariffs like Intelligent Flux, check your battery brand and model are on the approved list. This list changes.
Step-by-step: how to actually get onto a better export tariff
The process isn’t hard, but it’s slower than a normal energy switch and involves a bit of paperwork.
- Check what export tariff you’re currently on. Log into your supplier’s app or account and find your export rate. Many people are still on 5p–7p legacy deals that their installer signed them up to years ago. If you’ve never looked, this is the first thing to do.
- Gather your paperwork. You’ll need your MCS certificate, your G98/G99 DNO approval letter, your export MPAN (often on your current SEG supplier’s correspondence), and the serial number of your smart meter. For some suppliers you’ll also need proof of ownership, especially if the system was installed by a previous owner of the property.
- Decide whether to switch import and export together. This is where the real savings sit. Compare the new supplier’s import rates against what you’re paying. If the combined deal doesn’t beat your current setup overall, hunt for an untied export option and keep your current import tariff. Our step-by-step guide on switching energy supplier walks through how to compare import deals properly.
- Apply for the export tariff. This is a separate process from an import switch. Most suppliers have an online application form. Some, like EDF, still require you to email or post a form in.
- Wait for meter configuration. Your new supplier may need to configure your smart meter for half-hourly export readings, which can take a couple of weeks. Your export MPAN will need to be registered to the new supplier, and DNOs can take one to four weeks to action this.
- Check your first payment. When your first export payment lands, make sure the rate matches what you signed up for. If it doesn’t, query it straight away.
The whole thing typically takes three to six weeks from application to first payment. If it’s taking longer, chase.
Common pitfalls
A few things catch people out regularly. Worth being alert to them.
Sticking with your installer’s default export tariff. A lot of installers sign customers up to whichever SEG deal they’ve got a quick pipeline to, which is usually not the best-paying one. If you haven’t reviewed your export rate in 12+ months, you’re probably leaving money on the table.
Assuming Octopus is automatically the winner. It was, for a long time. The March 2026 rate cut changed that. For solar-only homes without batteries, Good Energy’s Solar Savings (for their customers) or E.ON Next Export Premium (for E.ON install customers) now beat Outgoing Octopus on straight rate. Check current numbers before defaulting to Outgoing.
Signing up to Agile Outgoing without a battery. If you’ve got solar and no storage, Agile can actively lose you money compared to a decent fixed tariff. You’ll be exporting heavily at midday when Agile rates often sit in the low single digits, and you can’t shift that generation to the evening peak without a battery.
MCS paperwork delays. If you’ve lost your MCS certificate, your installer should be able to reissue it, and the MCS installer finder tool can help you track it down if the installer has gone bust. If you’re choosing a new installer, our solar cost guide covers what an MCS-accredited quote should actually contain.
Older SMETS1 meters. These sometimes can’t handle half-hourly export readings and need upgrading. Most SMETS1 meters have been upgraded remotely by now, but not all.
Suppliers quietly dropping export rates after you sign up. A “variable” fixed-rate tariff can be changed on 30 days’ notice. Keep an eye on your supplier’s emails and check rates every six months or so. If your rate gets slashed, the tariff usually has no exit fees and you can move.
FAQ
What’s the best solar export tariff in the UK right now?
Depends on what “best” means. For a fixed rate, Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive at 25p/kWh, if you’ve got (or are installing) solar and a battery through Good Energy. For households with a battery who want the highest earnings over a year, Intelligent Octopus Flux tends to come out on top. For solar-only, non-tied options, the pickings are thinner. ScottishPower SmartGen and E.ON Next Flex Export at around 6p/kWh are the widely available open-market rates.
Do I have to switch import supplier to get the best export rate?
Usually, yes, if you want the top-tier rates. The best bundled rates (15p–25p) nearly all require you to be an import customer too. If you don’t want to switch, you’re generally capped at around 6p/kWh on an untied tariff.
How much can I realistically earn from exporting solar?
It depends on your system size, your self-consumption, and your tariff. A typical household with a 4kWp system exporting around 1,500–2,000 kWh per year earns roughly £150–£300 annually at a 10p–15p rate. With a battery and a time-of-use tariff, active households can earn meaningfully more, sometimes beyond £500 per year, but that requires active management.
Can I be on a fixed export tariff and a variable import tariff?
Often yes, but check. Some suppliers restrict which import tariffs pair with which export tariffs. Octopus publishes a compatibility table for its combinations, for example.
Do I need a battery to benefit from an agile export tariff?
Usually no, in the sense that you can sign up without one. But practically, yes. Without storage you can’t shift your exports to the expensive windows, so you’ll mostly be exporting at midday when Agile rates are low. For solar-only homes, a fixed-rate tariff almost always beats Agile.
What happens to my export tariff if my supplier goes bust?
Your SEG payments from that supplier stop. Ofgem’s Supplier of Last Resort process covers your import supply but does not obligate the new supplier to match your old export rate. You’d need to shop around again. In a supplier insolvency, outstanding export payments aren’t guaranteed.
Can I switch export tariffs as often as I want?
Most SEG tariffs have no exit fees, so yes. The practical constraint is that each switch takes a few weeks, so there’s a limit to how often this makes sense.
For full scheme details and a current register of SEG licensees, see Ofgem’s Smart Export Guarantee page. For independent consumer guidance, MoneySavingExpert’s solar guide is regularly updated.
