E.ON–OVO Merger: What It Means for Solar and SEG Customers

E.ON's takeover of OVO Energy is now under formal review by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and if you have solar panels the part to watch is your export payments. The deal, announced on 11 May 2026, would put two of the biggest names for solar owners under one roof. Nothing changes for customers of either company while the review runs, but several of the best-paying Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariffs are tied to who supplies your electricity, so it is worth knowing where you stand.

Where the E.ON–OVO merger stands

E.ON announced its intention to acquire OVO on 11 May 2026. In its announcement, E.ON said there would be no change for customers of either E.ON Next or OVO during the regulatory review, with existing tariffs and service continuing as they are, and that it expects completion in the second half of 2026, subject to approval.

The CMA ran an invitation to comment from 8 to 23 July, then formally launched its merger inquiry on 2 September 2026. Its phase 1 decision deadline is 28 October 2026. At that point it can clear the deal, seek remedies, or refer it to a longer phase 2 investigation. The combined business would hold more than 25% of the UK energy market, according to reporting by Energy Voice, which is the level at which the CMA is required to look at a deal. Until approval, E.ON has said the two remain separate businesses.

Why solar owners should care

OVO has built its reputation among solar and battery owners on its smart-energy software, Kaluza. E.ON has said it will keep OVO's existing Kaluza licence in place and is considering wider use of the platform, and it describes home batteries, EV charging and time-of-use tariffs as central to the combined strategy. That is good news in principle for the flexible tariffs covered in our guide to time-of-use tariffs for solar owners. What neither company has said is what happens to specific OVO export tariffs once the deal completes, so treat any future rate as unconfirmed.

What OVO and E.ON Next currently pay for exports

Both suppliers run several SEG tariffs, and the rate depends on your circumstances. These are the published rates on each supplier's own SEG page as of 24 September 2026:

• OVO SEG: 4p per kWh, open to customers whose electricity supply is with any provider.
• OVO SEG Beyond Exclusive: 12p per kWh, only if your electricity supply is with OVO, for systems under 30kW.
• OVO SEG Install Exclusive: up to 20p per kWh, for OVO supply customers whose solar and battery OVO installed. OVO lists 15p if it installed solar panels only.
• E.ON Next Export Premium v3: 17.5p per kWh, for systems installed by E.ON Installation Services from 10 November 2025, up to 15kW.
• E.ON Next Export Exclusive v3: 13p per kWh, for customers importing on an E.ON Next tariff (time-of-use tariffs excluded), up to 15kW.
• E.ON Next Flex Export: 6p per kWh (variable), open to solar customers with any import supplier.

The pattern is clear: the headline rates of 12p and above are all conditional on buying your electricity from the same supplier, and some on that supplier having installed your system. Only the 4p OVO rate and 6p E.ON Next Flex rate are open to anyone. Our Smart Export Guarantee rates guide compares them with the rest of the market.

What you should do now

• Do nothing in a hurry. The deal is not approved, and E.ON has said existing tariffs continue unchanged. A merger alone is not a reason to switch.
• Check what you are actually on. Find your export tariff name, rate and any end date in your account. If it is an "Exclusive" tariff, your rate depends on your import contract, which is the thing most likely to change after any customer migration.
• Keep the two contracts separate in your head. Import and export are separate arrangements, as explained in can you switch energy supplier with solar panels. If a linked rate is withdrawn, you would need to re-apply for SEG elsewhere, and first payments can take weeks.
• Look at the whole picture. A high export rate is only worth having if the import price is competitive. Choosing an energy tariff as a solar owner walks through that trade-off, and how solar export payments work covers the basics.

If you are also weighing up shared or flat-based solar from E.ON, see our piece on E.ON Next and Allume's FlatSave scheme.

What to watch next

The next milestone is the CMA's phase 1 decision on 28 October 2026. If it clears the deal, expect E.ON to say more about how OVO customers and tariffs will be handled. If it refers the deal to phase 2, completion would slip beyond 2026. We will update this page when the outcome is known.

Another supplier deal in play: EDF is reported to be in talks to take on So Energy's customers. See what the EDF–So Energy talks mean for solar customers.