If you've got solar panels — or you're close to getting them — the next question is usually the same. How much can you actually earn from what you don't use? That's what the Smart Export Guarantee is for: the legal arrangement that pays you per kWh for the surplus your roof sends back to the grid. The awkward part is that suppliers set their own rates, and the gap between the best and the worst is enormous.
In 2026 the floor sits at around 3p per kWh (Eon Next Export). The ceiling — on the dynamic tariffs like Octopus Outgoing Agile or Flux — can briefly touch 40p during winter peak windows. Over the 25-year life of a system, the difference between picking the right tariff and leaving the default is easily £6,000–£10,000. Worth a few minutes of attention now.
How much can you actually earn?
| Tariff type | Export rate (p/kWh) | Annual earnings (~2,000kWh export) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum statutory offer (fixed) | 3p | £60 |
| Typical fixed rate (most suppliers) | 8–12p | £160–£240 |
| Octopus Outgoing Fixed | 15p | £300 |
| Octopus Outgoing Agile (time-varying) | 8–40p dynamic | £280–£450 (depends on export timing) |
| Octopus Flux (battery-paired) | ~17p daytime / ~30p peak | £400–£600 |
The table assumes a 4kW solar array with no battery, exporting around 2,000 kWh a year after you've used what you can. Add a battery and a dynamic tariff and the export earnings shift upward — £150–£300 a year more is typical, because you can push more of the export into the expensive evening peak window instead of giving it away at lunchtime.
What it actually takes to register
- An MCS-certified solar PV system. Every OMEGA install is MCS-certified and we issue the certificate at commissioning — you never chase us for it.
- A smart meter that can read export (SMETS2 or an upgraded SMETS1). If you don't have one, your supplier will fit it free on request, usually within a few weeks.
- A SEG licensee of your choice. Important: this doesn't have to be the same company you buy electricity from. You can import from EDF and export to Octopus if the maths is better that way.
- A short online application with your MCS certificate and meter serial numbers. Approval typically takes 2–4 weeks.
- From approval onwards, you're paid for every kWh exported — most suppliers settle quarterly.
Fixed or dynamic — which is right for your home?
Fixed-rate tariffs pay the same 24 hours a day. For a home without a battery, that's usually the right shape — your export is concentrated in daylight hours, exactly when wholesale prices are lowest, so a dynamic rate averages out below the fixed headline.
Dynamic tariffs track the wholesale market half-hour by half-hour. Sometimes they pay below 3p. Sometimes above 40p — typically in the 4–7pm winter peak. They only work in your favour if you have a battery that can hold energy back until the peak window. For a solar-plus-battery household, Octopus Flux or Agile usually beat any fixed rate by £200–£400 a year.
What a battery actually adds
On a 4kW solar system, a 5kWh battery is usually the sweet spot. It lets you store the morning surplus for the evening self-use window (saving you from buying back at 28p), and then push whatever's left out during the 4–7pm peak-rate window on a dynamic tariff (earning 30p or more). Across a typical year, a battery adds around £450 of value on top of solar alone on a dynamic SEG plan.
The other reason to fit the battery alongside the panels rather than later: a battery installed at the same time as the PV qualifies for the same 0% VAT rate that applies to the solar itself until March 2027. That alone saves £600–£1,000 against retrofitting one a year down the line.
Where we pick things up
Book a free home survey online or ring 0800 229 4094. We'll size the system, model the export income against real 2026 tariffs, and show you a side-by-side view of solar-only vs solar-plus-battery returns on the tariff that suits your usage. Every OMEGA quote names the modelled tariff, the assumed export volume, and the 25-year income total — so you can see the whole picture, not a headline number. No cost. No obligation. No pressure.
Want to find out how much you could save?
Book a free 45-minute survey. We'll check every active grant, measure your home, and give you a written quote — with no obligation to proceed.
No cost. No obligation. No pressure.