Energy Tariff Guide for Solar Panel Owners: Which Tariff Suits You?

Installing solar panels changes your relationship with the grid — and with your energy supplier. You're no longer just a consumer; you're also a generator. The tariff that made sense before your panels went on the roof almost certainly isn't the one that makes the most of them now. Picking the wrong deal means leaving export income on the table, or paying peak-rate import at exactly the wrong times.

What the Smart Export Guarantee means for you

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is the government framework that obliges every licensed electricity supplier with more than 150,000 domestic customers to pay you for every kilowatt-hour you export to the grid. It replaced the old Feed-in Tariff export element in January 2020 and is regulated by Ofgem. You cannot receive both FIT export payments and SEG payments at the same time.

To qualify for SEG you need three things: an MCS-certified installation of 5 MW or less, a smart meter capable of recording half-hourly export readings, and an application to a SEG-licensed supplier. You do not need to buy your import electricity from the same supplier you use for export — the two contracts are completely independent.

Rates are set by suppliers, not Ofgem, and are not covered by the energy price cap (which stood at £1,849/yr for a typical household in Q2 2026, rising to £1,862/yr from 1 July 2026). As a result, rates vary enormously — from a few pence per kWh at the lower end to variable peak rates above 30p/kWh on smart tariffs.

Fixed SEG rates: simple but not always optimal

If you want certainty and simplicity, a fixed SEG rate locks in a guaranteed payment for every unit you export regardless of the time of day. Good Energy's Solar Savings Export tariff pays around 15p/kWh and is open to customers who import from any supplier. E.ON Next Export Exclusive pays around 16.5p/kWh, though it requires you to take import from E.ON Next as well. Octopus's Outgoing Fixed tariff, which pays 12p/kWh (reduced from 15p in March 2026), similarly allows you to pair it with any import tariff.

Fixed SEG tariffs suit households that export consistently throughout the day — for example a south-facing array with no battery, where the bulk of generation simply flows straight onto the grid. The maths is easy and there are no smart-meter algorithms to manage.

Time-of-use tariffs: when variable rates win

Time-of-use (TOU) tariffs charge different import rates at different times and, in the best cases, pay different export rates too. For solar owners with a battery, they can be transformative: charge cheap overnight, discharge and export at the evening peak, and let the panels top up the battery for free during the day.

The key question is whether your household can genuinely shift consumption and manage battery dispatch — either manually or through an automated home energy system. If the answer is yes, the financial upside over a flat-rate deal is significant. If the answer is no, a flat-rate tariff with a competitive fixed export rate is almost certainly simpler and just as rewarding.

To understand how much a battery can amplify TOU savings, see our guide to whether solar batteries are worth it in the UK.

Octopus Flux: built for solar + battery

Octopus Flux was specifically designed for homes with both solar panels and battery storage. It uses three price bands across the day: a cheap overnight import window (roughly 2 am–5 am, around 17p/kWh), a standard mid-rate for most of the day, and a peak window (4 pm–7 pm) where both import and export rates are highest — export reaching around 24p/kWh and import around 36p/kWh. The incentive is clear: charge the battery overnight at the cheapest rate, let the solar panels run through the day, and export stored energy at the peak rate each evening.

Octopus estimated that a 4 kWp solar and 13.5 kWh battery system in the Midlands could save around £1,184/yr on Flux versus roughly £780/yr on a simpler overnight tariff. However, Flux and its AI-managed sibling Intelligent Octopus Flux were paused for new signups in March 2026 amid wholesale market volatility. Check the Octopus website for current availability before applying.

Agile Octopus: half-hourly import pricing

Agile Octopus tracks wholesale market prices in 30-minute slots. When grid demand falls or renewable output surges, the import rate can drop dramatically — occasionally to zero or below. For battery owners who can schedule charging to coincide with the cheapest windows, Agile can be very competitive. Agile includes a price cap of £1/kWh to protect against extreme wholesale spikes.

The catch is that Agile is an import-only tariff. You need to pair it with a separate export arrangement — Octopus's Outgoing Agile, which mirrors the variable structure on the export side, is a natural companion. Managing both requires either a smart home energy system or willingness to check rates regularly.

Intelligent Octopus Go: for solar + EV households

If you have both solar panels and an electric vehicle, Intelligent Octopus Go is worth examining closely. It pairs a flat daytime import rate with a discounted overnight window (around 8p/kWh, falling to approximately 7p/kWh in some regions from April 2026) for six hours between 11:30 pm and 5:30 am. Octopus's smart charging system schedules your EV to charge automatically in that window, and compatible battery systems can top up at the same cheap rate.

The result is that solar generation handles your daytime consumption, and cheap overnight power handles EV charging and battery backup — meaning you rarely need expensive peak-rate grid power at all. For EV buyers weighing home charging options, our best home EV charger guide covers the compatible hardware.

What to look for in a tariff as a solar owner

Export rate — this is your SEG payment. Higher is better, but variable rates can beat fixed ones if you have a battery and can export at peak. Always compare on an annual basis, not just the headline rate.

Import rate and structure — flat rate or TOU? If you have a battery, a TOU import tariff lets you charge at off-peak rates. Without a battery, a competitive flat rate or a cheap overnight window for EV charging may be all you need.

Standing charge — standing charges are not covered by the export rate comparison. High standing charges can erode export income on low-consumption households. The Ofgem price cap standing charge for Q2 2026 was 57.21p/day for electricity.

Smart meter requirement — all SEG tariffs require a smart meter capable of half-hourly export readings. If you do not yet have one, most major suppliers will install one free of charge.

Supplier lock-in — some higher-rate SEG tariffs require you to import from the same supplier. Check whether bundling gives you the best combined deal, or whether separate import and export contracts work out cheaper.

Does having solar affect standard tariff eligibility?

No. Owning solar panels does not disqualify you from any standard electricity tariff. You remain free to switch import supplier at any time, just as you would without panels. Your SEG export arrangement is a separate contract and switching your import deal does not automatically cancel your SEG payments — though you should notify your export supplier if your import address details change.

How to compare and switch

Ofgem's Confidence Code accredits third-party comparison services that show regulated impartial results. Uswitch, MoneySuperMarket, and Look After My Bills are among the Confidence Code accredited sites. For solar-specific tariff comparisons, the Energy Saving Trust also maintains guidance on SEG rates and how to apply.

When you are ready to switch, the process mirrors a standard switch: apply online, provide your MPAN and export MPAN (the unique meter reference for your export meter), supply your MCS certificate number, and your new supplier handles the rest. Most switches complete within 17 working days.

Thinking about whether your current system is sized to make the most of a TOU tariff? Our overview of home battery storage explains how battery size affects export earnings under different tariff structures.