ScottishPower SmartGen SEG Export Tariffs: Rates and Rules

Under Great Britain's Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) regulations, licensed electricity suppliers are obligated to remunerate domestic and small-commercial renewable generators for clean electricity exported to the distribution network. ScottishPower, acting as a mandatory SEG licensee under Ofgem rules, structures its export remuneration through the SmartGen tariff family.

Rather than offering a single flat rate, ScottishPower operates a tiered structure linked directly to customer relationship depth and installation provenance. For domestic microgenerators operating solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays, understanding where an installation sits within these three distinct SmartGen tiers determines annual export income and overall system payback velocity.

ScottishPower SmartGen Tariff Structure: The Three Tiers

ScottishPower divides export compensation into three variable-rate tiers:

1. SmartGen Baseline (6p / kWh)

The entry-level SmartGen tariff provides 6p per kWh for exported electricity. This tier is open to any qualifying renewable generator in Great Britain, regardless of who supplies the property's incoming electricity. If you purchase imported grid electricity from another supplier, you remain legally entitled to register your export MPAN with ScottishPower and receive the 6p per kWh rate. The unit rate is variable, meaning ScottishPower may adjust the payment level subject to regulatory terms.

2. SmartGen Premium (12p / kWh)

SmartGen Premium doubles the baseline remuneration to 12p per kWh. Eligibility requires the generator to hold an active domestic electricity supply contract with ScottishPower for imported power at the same installation address. If a household switches its import tariff away from ScottishPower, the export account reverts to the 6p baseline rate.

3. SmartGen Premium Plus (15p / kWh)

SmartGen Premium Plus represents ScottishPower's highest domestic export tier, paying 15p per kWh. This tier is strictly reserved for customers who fulfill two simultaneous conditions:

1. They take their domestic import electricity supply from ScottishPower at the installation address.
2. They purchased and had their solar photovoltaic panels, battery energy storage system, or combined setup installed directly through ScottishPower.

For homeowners investing in a turnkey installation through ScottishPower's retail energy services division, the 15p per kWh rate provides substantial export cashflow for every exported kilowatt-hour.

Payment Settlement Schedules: The 90-Day Cycle

Unlike suppliers that credit domestic export revenue monthly against an integrated direct debit bill, ScottishPower administers SEG payments on a distinct quarterly timeline. Payments are made within a 90-day period following the export settlement cycle.

Generators receive export remuneration either as a direct credit applied to their ScottishPower energy account or as a payment disbursement, depending on account configuration and import customer status. Because payments occur on a 90-day cadence, microgenerators should track seasonal summer production peaks to ensure their submitted half-hourly export readings correlate accurately with quarterly statements.

System Capacity and Technology Eligibility Limits

To qualify for ScottishPower SmartGen export agreements, generating equipment must comply with statutory capacity boundaries and approved technology classifications:

• System Capacity Ceiling: The generation asset must not exceed 5 megawatts (MW) in total capacity.
• Micro-CHP Exception: Combined heat and power systems face a statutory ceiling of up to 50 kilowatts (kW) for Micro-CHP.
• Eligible Technologies: Recognised generation types include rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV, wind turbines, hydro systems, anaerobic digestion (AD), and micro-CHP.
• Anaerobic Digestion Requirements: For AD installations, operators must submit an Ofgem AD Declaration confirming their reporting start date. If the system capacity exceeds 1 MW, the operator must provide an annual sustainability audit report to Ofgem alongside quarterly declarations.

Metering and Technical Certification Rules

Receiving export payments requires rigorous metering infrastructure and documentation confirming grid compliance.

Half-Hourly Metering

Under Ofgem SEG mandates, generators must possess an operational export meter capable of recording electricity flows half-hourly. In domestic properties, this requirement is satisfied by a second-generation smart meter (SMETS2) or a compliant SMETS1 meter enrolled in the Data Communications Company (DCC) national network. The smart meter must be configured with an active Export Meter Point Administration Number (Export MPAN).

Installer Certification

ScottishPower mandates third-party installation validation. Generators must provide a formal certificate issued by an accredited scheme, including:

• Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)
• Flexi-Orb
• NICEIC
• NAPIT

Systems installed by uncertified contractors or self-installed DIY arrays without recognised competent-person certification are ineligible for SEG registration.

Distribution Network Operator (DNO) Notification

Before connecting generation hardware to the low-voltage network, installers must notify the local Distribution Network Operator (such as UK Power Networks, National Grid Electricity Distribution, Northern Powergrid, SP Energy Networks, or Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks). Installers must comply with Engineering Recommendation G98 for small microgenerators or secure prior G99 connection approval for larger systems. Generators must provide a letter or email from their local DNO confirming system registration.

Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Interaction

Households receiving legacy Feed-in Tariff (FIT) payments must observe strict non-duplication rules. While a generator can continue receiving the FIT Generation tariff for all renewable units generated, holding both a deemed FIT export contract and a SEG contract on the same installation is prohibited. You must formally opt out of FIT deemed export before joining ScottishPower SEG.