UK SEG Export Tariff Tracker Report: Ofgem Official Rates & Market Data

Key Takeaways

• Statutory supply licence rules mandate that every SEG tariff must offer a remuneration rate strictly greater than 0p/kWh at all times.
• Ofgem reporting reveals a multi-tier market comprising 39 distinct tariffs offered across 14 licensed energy suppliers in Great Britain.
• The export market is structurally split between 24 unbundled standalone tariffs and 15 bundled products requiring import supply or equipment pairing.
• Standalone unbundled rates range from 1.0p per kWh at the entry floor up to 12.0p per kWh for competitive variable tariffs.

How Does the UK Smart Export Guarantee Market Operate Under Ofgem?

The UK Smart Export Guarantee functions as a market-led statutory mechanism created under the Smart Export Guarantee Order 2019. It guarantees that small-scale low-carbon electricity generators across Great Britain have a guaranteed legal route to sell surplus power back to licensed electricity suppliers. Unlike the historical Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, which paid fixed subsidies for estimated total generation, the SEG regime pays generators solely for verified kilowatt-hours physically exported across the settlement boundary into the distribution network.

Because the policy design is market-led, suppliers set their own export prices and contractual lengths rather than adhering to a single state-mandated payment table. However, Ofgem enforces strict regulatory guardrails through Standard Licence Condition 57. The paramount rule is that any tariff offered to fulfill SEG obligations must remain at a rate greater than 0p/kWh at all times. Negative pricing, where generators would be penalized for grid feeding during periods of wholesale electricity oversupply, is explicitly prohibited for domestic and small commercial generators under the statutory framework.

Supply licensees fall into two distinct regulatory classes based on domestic portfolio size. Suppliers holding 150,000 or more domestic electricity customer accounts are classified as Mandatory Licensees. These mandatory companies must publish and maintain at least one accessible SEG export tariff for any qualified applicant whose installation meets accreditation standards and has an export meter. Suppliers below the 150,000 customer threshold are classified as Voluntary Licensees. They may choose whether to provide export remuneration, but once registered with Ofgem, they become bound by the same metering and settlement duties.

What Do Official Ofgem Statistics Reveal About Tariff Availability?

Statutory data published by Ofgem documents substantial expansion in export market options. In annual reporting for SEG Year 3, a total of 14 licensees offered support through 39 different export tariffs across England, Scotland, and Wales. This represented positive growth from the preceding SEG Year 2 baseline, when 12 licensees provided support across 36 tariffs.

The 39 available contracts divide into two major commercial categories:

1. Unbundled Export Tariffs (24 tariffs): Standalone agreements available to any eligible generator regardless of which company provides the building's domestic import electricity supply.
2. Bundled Export Tariffs (15 tariffs): Conditional agreements that require the homeowner to switch their domestic import supply to the licensee, install a home battery system, or purchase renewable hardware packages through the supplier's installation arm.

Bundled tariffs consistently offer higher headline export rates than unbundled contracts. Energy retailers use premium export credits to attract dual-fuel customers and incentivize battery installations. However, generators choosing bundled contracts must evaluate the combined economics of their import unit rates and daily standing charges, rather than viewing the export credit in isolation.

How Wide Is the Spread Across Unbundled Standalone Tariffs?

The official register demonstrates extreme divergence among unbundled tariffs that require no import switching. At the bottom of the statutory table, entry-level compliance tariffs offer minimal value: E pays a flat rate of 1.0p per kWh, Utility Warehouse offers 2.0p per kWh, and standard unbundled tariffs from E.ON Next, Utilita, and EDF sit at 3.0p per kWh. These legacy flat rates fulfill statutory minimum obligations but provide poor returns for unbundled solar households.

Mid-market unbundled offerings provide improved returns without locking generators into specific energy bundles. Shell Energy's standalone tariff was recorded at 3.5p per kWh, OVO Energy's core SEG tariff (AET20) paid 4.0p per kWh, Octopus Energy's base Outgoing SEG July 2020 v1 delivered 4.1p per kWh, and British Gas offered 4.8p per kWh under its Export and Earn Flex contract.

At the upper boundary of the unbundled market, specialized tariffs deliver significantly enhanced value. Cilleni Energy Supply (trading as Rebel Energy) published its Snail Export tariff at a flat rate of 10p per kWh. ScottishPower established the highest variable rate documented in the unbundled register, delivering 12.0p per kWh under its SMART GEN contract. This ten-fold spread between the 1.0p minimum floor and the 12.0p peak underscores the critical importance of reviewing the statutory register before registering export capacity.

What Technical Eligibility and Metering Rules Apply to Tracked Tariffs?

To claim payments under any of the 39 registered tariffs, microgeneration systems must comply with rigorous statutory accreditation and metering standards:

1. Accreditation Standards: Systems must demonstrate certification under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or an equivalent accredited standard recognized by the Secretary of State.
2. Half-Hourly Metering: Every registered generator must possess an export meter capable of recording half-hourly export readings. In residential installations, this is fulfilled by a smart meter communicating export telemetry.
3. Dedicated Export MPAN: The export meter must have a distinct Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) created and registered on ECOES by an electricity supplier. Import and export data are settled as entirely independent electrical channels.

Summary Checklist for UK Solar Generators Navigating the SEG Market

• Verify that your solar installer provides a valid MCS certificate for your inverter and PV array.
• Confirm that your smart meter communicates half-hourly export telemetry to your supplier.
• Compare unbundled export tariffs (such as ScottishPower's 12.0p or British Gas's 4.8p) against bundled dual-fuel offers before switching suppliers.
• Ensure that your contract guarantees payment above the legal minimum floor of 0p/kWh at all times.