Solar Export Tariff Rates: A Homeowner Guide to SEG Payments in London & Kent

How much can I earn exporting solar electricity? A typical UK home with a 4 kWp to 5 kWp solar array typically earns between £150 and £450 per year by exporting surplus clean power back to the grid. Your actual earnings depend on your export tariff rate (typically ranging from 2p to 17.5p per kWh), array size, and whether you store energy in a battery.

Key takeaways

• Current rates vary widely: Depending on your supplier, Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) rates currently span from roughly 2p to upwards of 17.5p per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
• Dual-fuel advantages: Suppliers like E.ON Next, Octopus Energy, and British Gas often reserve their highest export payouts (12p–17.5p/kWh) for customers who also take their domestic import electricity.
• South East solar advantage: Roofs across London and Kent benefit from some of the highest solar irradiance in the UK, generating surplus power that can yield substantial export returns.
• Battery synergy: Pairing solar PV with battery storage gives you the flexibility to self-consume peak-rate energy, charge cheaply overnight, or export power when tariffs pay the most.

---

What are solar export tariff rates and how does the SEG work?

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), regulated by Ofgem, requires licensed electricity suppliers with over 150,000 customers to pay domestic renewable generators for every unit of electricity they export to the national grid.

Unlike the legacy Feed-in Tariff (FiT), which paid a flat generation and deemed-export subsidy, the SEG pays for actual metered exports recorded every half hour. Every supplier sets their own rates and contractual conditions, meaning payments can differ by several hundred pounds per year for the exact same roof layout.

By law, SEG rates must remain above zero pence, but competitive providers offer significantly better rates than standard baseline minimums.

---

Which suppliers offer the best solar export tariff rates?

Export tariffs generally fall into two broad categories: standalone export tariffs and paired/exclusive export tariffs.

1. Paired Import/Export Rates (12p – 17.5p/kWh): Energy suppliers frequently pay their highest export rates when you switch your domestic electricity import tariff to them. For example, tariffs such as E.ON Next's 12-month fixed export offering provide up to 17.5p/kWh, while British Gas offers up to 12p/kWh for import customers. Similar dynamic or fixed arrangements from providers like Octopus Energy reward coupled accounts.
2. Standalone SEG Tariffs (2p – 5p/kWh): If you prefer to keep your import supply with another utility company, you can sell surplus power under a separate exporter-only contract. However, these rates are lower, typically paying between 2p and 4.5p per kWh.
3. Time-of-Use & Smart Tariffs: Dynamic export contracts pay variable rates linked to wholesale market demand. These reward households capable of dumping stored battery power onto the grid during late afternoon and early evening peak hours.

---

What can homes in London and Kent realistically earn?

Geographic location plays an important role in solar generation. Due to their southerly position, Kent—the 'Garden of England'—and Greater London enjoy between 1,000 and 1,150 peak sunlight hours per year, well above the UK national average.

Consider an average suburban home in Maidstone or Bromley with a south-facing 4.5 kWp system generating roughly 4,200 kWh annually:

• Without a battery: The household might self-consume 35% (1,470 kWh) and export 65% (2,730 kWh). On an export rate of 12p/kWh, that equates to roughly £327 in annual export revenue, on top of direct savings on imported bills.
• With a home battery: The household might self-consume 75% of generation to replace grid imports costing around 25p–30p/kWh, exporting only 25% (1,050 kWh). While the export income drops to around £126 at 12p/kWh, total household energy bill savings are usually higher because avoiding grid imports typically delivers greater value than selling excess energy.

---

Is it better to self-consume or export your solar electricity?

As a rule of thumb, self-consumption delivers greater bill relief than export payments. When you buy grid electricity at standard price-cap rates (historically 24p–28p/kWh), avoiding that purchase saves you more than the 12p–15p/kWh you would receive for exporting.

However, in high-sunlight regions like Kent and outer London, summer generation often outstrips what a home, heat pump, or even a home battery can absorb in daylight hours. A competitive solar export tariff ensures that none of that clean energy goes unrewarded.

Furthermore, households with smart hybrid systems and time-of-use tariffs can import cheap green power overnight (for instance, on dedicated heat pump or EV tariffs at 7p–14p/kWh) and export solar generation at higher daytime rates, accelerating their overall payback timeline.

---

What do you need to qualify for export payments?

To become potentially eligible for SEG payments and access top-tier export rates, your installation must satisfy specific industry prerequisites:

1. MCS Certification: Your solar PV array (and battery storage, if applicable) must be installed by a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accredited installer or hold equivalent certified compliance.
2. Smart Meter (SMETS2): Your home must have an operational half-hourly smart meter capable of communicating export data back to your chosen utility.
3. DNO Approval: Your local Distribution Network Operator (UK Power Networks across London and the South East) must approve the grid connection via either an standard G98 notification or a G99 application for larger arrays and batteries.

At Renewables For Us, our engineering team manages the complete process for London and Kent homeowners—from MCS compliance to UK Power Networks grid paperwork—ensuring your system is fully certified to claim maximum export earnings.