How do I get paid for exporting solar electricity to the grid?

Generating surplus solar is only half the story — to be paid for it you must set up an SEG tariff. This page walks through the practical steps, from certification to choosing the best export rate.

Step 1: Get the basics in place

Before you can claim SEG payments, two things need to be sorted, and a good installer usually sets you up for both:

• MCS certification. Your installation must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (or an equivalent). The installer issues an MCS certificate once the system is commissioned — keep this, as suppliers require it to enrol you on an SEG tariff.
• Export metering. You need a meter that records how much electricity you send to the grid. A smart meter does this, measuring export half-hourly. If you do not have one, arrange to have one fitted, as suppliers cannot pay accurately without metered export data.

With your MCS certificate and a suitable meter, you are ready to apply. These are the only real prerequisites — the system size limit (up to 5 MW) is far above any domestic installation, so it is never an obstacle for a home.

The reason MCS matters so much here is that it is the supplier's assurance the system was designed and installed to a recognised standard, by a certified company, using certified equipment. Without it, a supplier has no straightforward way to verify the installation, which is why it is effectively the gateway to the scheme. This is also why it pays to confirm, before you commit to an installer, that they are MCS-certified and will provide the certificate on completion — it is what enables your ability to be paid for export.

Step 2: Compare and apply for an SEG tariff

Because each supplier sets its own SEG rate and conditions, the next step is to compare tariffs. Some pay a flat rate per kWh exported; others vary the rate by time of day or track wholesale prices. The right one depends partly on when you export — for example, a time-varying tariff can pay more if you export during higher-price periods.

Importantly, you can take your SEG tariff from a different supplier than the one you buy electricity from, so you are free to choose the best export deal independently of your import tariff. Once you have picked a tariff, you apply to that supplier and provide your MCS certificate, meter details and proof that you own the system. After enrolment, the supplier pays you for your metered export, typically as a credit on a regular cycle.

Indicative process for guidance only. Source: Ofgem.

Getting the most from export payments

Once you are on an SEG tariff, payments are automatic based on what your meter records as export. But how much you earn depends on how much you actually export, which you can influence. The more solar you use on site — running appliances during the day, or storing surplus in a battery for the evening — the less you export and so the smaller your SEG payment, but the more you save on imported electricity.

Since the electricity you avoid buying is usually worth more per kWh than the export rate you receive, self-consumption generally beats export financially. That said, exporting your genuine surplus for a payment is always better than giving it away for nothing, so signing up to an SEG tariff is worthwhile for any home with solar. The sensible approach is to use or store what you can, then make sure the rest is metered and paid for under the best SEG tariff you can find.

Common questions when setting up

A few practical points come up repeatedly when households set up their export payments, and knowing them in advance avoids delay:

• Keep your paperwork. The MCS certificate and your installer's commissioning documents are what a supplier needs to enrol you. Storing them safely means you can apply promptly and switch SEG tariffs later without hunting for them.
• Confirm your meter is suitable. Export is measured by a smart meter; if yours cannot record export, arrange an upgrade before applying, as the supplier cannot pay accurately without it.
• You can switch. Just as with any tariff, you are not locked in forever — if a better SEG rate appears, you can move your export tariff, and it need not be the same supplier as your import.
• Existing FIT recipients. If you are already on the older Feed-in Tariff from an earlier installation, that is a separate, closed scheme; you generally keep your FIT agreement rather than moving to the SEG.

Once enrolled, there is little to do — the meter records your export and the supplier credits you per their tariff. It is worth a periodic check that the credits are appearing as expected and that your tariff is still competitive, since SEG rates and offers change over time. Beyond that, the system runs in the background: you generate, use what you can, and get paid automatically for the surplus that flows to the grid.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• Ofgem — Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
• Energy Saving Trust — The Smart Export Guarantee

Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific home. They are guidance, not a quotation or guaranteed saving.