Smart Export Guarantee
/ smart EK-sport garr-un-TEE /
Also known as: SEG, SEG tariff, export tariff
Definition
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is the UK scheme under which licensed electricity suppliers pay small-scale generators for surplus electricity they export to the grid. It covers solar PV, onshore wind, micro-CHP, hydro and anaerobic digestion. Larger suppliers are required to offer a SEG tariff and each sets its own rate, so payments vary between suppliers. The scheme began in January 2020 and replaced the Feed-in Tariff for new applicants.
In practice
To join, you apply to a supplier that offers a SEG tariff - it does not have to be the supplier you buy your electricity from. For installations up to 50kW, the supplier will normally ask you to show that the installation and installer are MCS certified, or certified under an equivalent scheme, and will usually check this against the MCS database. You also need a meter that records the electricity you export, normally a smart meter.
Because tariffs differ, it is worth comparing suppliers before you apply and checking the terms - including whether the rate is fixed or variable and how often you are paid. The value of exports depends on how much of your generation you use yourself, so a battery or well-timed usage can change the economics of a solar PV or wind system.
Building Regulations
The Smart Export Guarantee is an energy scheme, not a Building Regulations requirement. Planning permission and Building Control for the installation itself are separate. Rules and tariffs change, so check the current position with Ofgem and your chosen supplier.
Full guide: MCS certification explainedSee also