The Smart Export Guarantee, often referred to as the SEG, launched on 1 January 2020 and is a government-backed initiative. The SEG is the tariff through which you get paid for the electricity you export back to the grid. If your home or business generates renewable energy that you don’t use, you can claim the SEG. We have tried to answer some of the most asked questions about the SEG in our latest post below.
Which technologies are eligible for the SEG?
There are five eligible low-carbon technology types for the SEG. If you have one of these installed, you may be able to benefit from the SEG:
- Solar photovoltaic (solar PV)
- Wind
- Micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP)
- Hydro
- Anaerobic digestion (AD)
These installations must be located in Great Britain and have a total installed capacity (TIC) of no more than 5MW, or no more than 50kW for micro-CHP.
What is Exported Power?
Sometimes your Solar PV System will generate more power than you can consume within your home or business. For example, if your PV system is generating 2kWh’s of electricity, but you’re only consuming 1kWh within the property, the remaining 1kWh will be sent back to the grid to help make the grid greener. Your SEG Supplier will pay your for that electricity.
How does the SEG work?
Your total exported power is recorded by your Smart Meter. When your energy supplier pulls the information from your Smart Mater about how much electricity you’ve used during the month, they will also see how much you’ve exported.
Who can apply?
Any Solar PV generator, whether you’re a home or business, can apply for the SEG as long as they aren’t receiving any other incentive, such as the old Feed-In-Tariff payments and the system isn’t larger than 5MWp of capacity.
Who pays you?
You are free to sign up to any suppliers Smart Export Guarantee scheme. It does not have to be your existing energy supplier.
How much do you get paid?
The amount you get paid will vary, as some suppliers value the energy you export more so than others.
How long does it take to sign up?
Your supplier should be able to sign you up relatively quickly, all they need to do is confirm they’re receiving the figures correctly from your meter. You should normally expect to be signed up within a couple of weeks.
What will I need to claim the SEG?
You will likely be asked to produce an MCS Certificate and your DNO Acceptance Letter (GB Solar will provide you with these.) You will also require a SMETS II smart meter. If you do not have one, you will be able to apply to have one installed completely free-of-charge by your energy supplier