British Gas SEG export tariff — Export Premium, October 2026
British Gas pays 12p/kWh for exported solar electricity through Export Premium — but only if British Gas supplies your electricity. It's the path of least resistance, not the best money: Good Energy pays 25p and EDF 18p.
- 12p/kWh flat — every exported unit.
- Electricity customers only — British Gas must supply your electricity.
- £312/yr left behind — vs Good Energy's 25p on 2,400 kWh exported.
- You have options — export elsewhere, or move import for a top rate.
Is 12p actually good?
Export Premium sits near the bottom of the SEG market. Of roughly 30 live SEG tariffs (October 2026), the strongest flat rates — Good Energy's Solar Savings Exclusive at 25p and EDF's Export Exclusive 12m V3 at 18p — pay far more per unit, and Ecotricity's 12p now matches it (E.ON Next's Next Export Exclusive now pays 13p, above British Gas). The trade-off: those exclusives require moving your electricity import too — exactly the friction British Gas is counting on.
Import and export suppliers can be different under SEG rules, so you have room to manoeuvre. Check the full table on our best SEG export rates guide, and price a whole-package move with a free quote — with the cap rising again on 1 October 2026, the import side matters too.
Compare SEG export tariffs
Tell us your postcode and panel size — see how Export Premium stacks up against every rate you qualify for.
British Gas Export Premium vs the market — October 2026
| Supplier & tariff | Export rate (flat) | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive | 25p/kWh | Good Energy import customer |
| EDF Export Exclusive 12m V3 (12-month fixed) | 18p/kWh | EDF import customer, system ≤5kW |
| E.ON Next Export Exclusive | 13p/kWh | E.ON Next import customer |
| British Gas Export Premium | 12p/kWh | BG electricity customer, ≤15kW |
| Ecotricity | 12p/kWh | Ecotricity import customer |
| Default / legacy SEG floor | 5–7p/kWh | 2020–2021 contracts, often 5p |
SEG rates are supplier-set and can change — confirm before signing up.
Our honest verdict: convenient, not competitive
On a 4kW system exporting ~2,400 kWh a year, 12p pays an estimated £288. The same export earns £600 at Good Energy's 25p and £432 at EDF's 18p — staying put leaves roughly £312 a year on the table, about £26 a month. Even so, at 12p it now sits level with Ecotricity's import-tied 12p and barely clears the 5p legacy floor. See how it fits alongside import deals on our British Gas tariffs page.
Who it genuinely suits
BG loyalists who want one bill and no switching admin. Low exporters — self-consume most generation and the pence gap is worth tens of pounds, not hundreds. Households mid-contract on a BG fix, where exit fees could eat the gain. Exporting 2,000+ kWh a year? The numbers point to an upgrade. More: our British Gas profile.
Eligibility for Export Premium
British Gas electricity
The catch most people miss: British Gas must supply your electricity. Export Premium is for British Gas electricity customers; homes supplied elsewhere don't qualify.
MCS-certified installation
Your solar PV system needs an MCS certificate (standard for professional installs) — it's the first thing any SEG application asks for.
Smart meter
A SMETS2 smart meter (or DCC-migrated SMETS1) recording half-hourly export is mandatory. No working smart meter, no SEG payments.
How to sign up — or upgrade away
- Gather your details: MCS certificate number, panel kW, battery capacity, MPAN, export reading.
- Check your import position: confirm British Gas supplies your electricity — or weigh moving import for 25p/18p.
- Apply: registration takes 5–10 working days.
- Cancel any old SEG deal with 14 days' written notice.
- Take a reading on switchover day and check your first statement.
The two upgrade paths
Path 1 — keep BG import, export elsewhere. Stay with BG and take an open-market export deal that accepts any import supplier — rates here are modest, so this route mainly suits people who don't qualify for Export Premium (e.g. electricity-only customers). Ecotricity's 12p only matches it but needs you to switch import to Ecotricity too.
Path 2 — move import for a top rate. The serious money requires bundling: switch your electricity import to Good Energy (25p) or EDF (18p, ≤5kW) and take their exclusive export tariff. Compare the whole package — a great export rate on a poor import deal can be a net loss.
What 12p earns a year
Typical 4kW system: ~4,800 kWh generated, half exported (~2,400 kWh). Estimates only — actual export varies.
| Tariff | Rate | Est. income (2,400 kWh/yr) | vs 12p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Energy | 25p/kWh | £600/yr | +£312 |
| EDF | 18p/kWh | £432/yr | +£144 |
| British Gas Export Premium | 12p/kWh | £288/yr | — |
Estimated income only — rates change.
British Gas SEG — frequently asked questions
Do I need British Gas to supply my electricity?
Yes — the tariff is for homes whose electricity is supplied by British Gas (systems up to 15kW). Homes supplied by another electricity supplier don't qualify for the 12p rate.
Is 12p/kWh a competitive SEG rate?
It's bottom-half. On a 2,400 kWh export, 12p earns an estimated £288; Good Energy's 25p earns £600 and EDF's 18p earns £432 — £144–£312 a year less than the leaders. Ecotricity's import-tied 12p (£288) sits level with it, and it stays above the 5p legacy floor (£120): below-average.
Can I keep British Gas import and export elsewhere?
Yes. SEG import and export are decoupled: keep a British Gas import tariff and export on the open market — Ecotricity's 12p is exclusive to Ecotricity import customers, so taking it also means switching supplier; the top rates come from moving your import to Good Energy or EDF for their 25p/18p exclusives.
What do I need to apply?
An MCS certificate, panel kW (plus battery capacity), your MPAN, an export reading and a SMETS2 smart meter (or DCC-migrated SMETS1). Registration takes 5–10 working days.
Is the export income taxable?
For owner-occupiers, SEG income is generally income-tax-exempt under HMRC's micro-generation rules. If the property isn't your home or generation is a business, take advice.
Does the Ofgem price cap rise affect my export rate?
No — SEG rates are supplier-set, not price-cap regulated. But with the Ofgem price cap at £1,723 a year, export income is one of the few levers offsetting rising import costs — why settling for 12p when 18–25p exists deserves a second look.
Make your export earn its keep
The Ofgem price cap is £1,723 a year for a typical home. You can't control the cap, but you can control what your panels earn: the £312/yr gap between 12p and the best flat rate would absorb most of the increase on its own.
Check your best SEG rate now
Free, no obligation — every export tariff you qualify for, including the 18–25p exclusives, side by side.
More on British Gas
- British Gas tariffs, rates and profile
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