Smart Export Guarantee for Solar launches
Launched on the 1st January 2020 the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) means large energy suppliers will be obligated to offer a tariff for small-scale solar power exports, which should help to sweeten the deal for new solar owners, who will also benefit from lower energy bills.
Electricity suppliers which have more than 150,000 customers will be required to offer at least one tariff for power exported to the grid from renewables smaller than 5MW, though smaller suppliers are not excluded from offering tariffs too. Households that have had solar PV installed since 1st April 2019 will have the choice of over 14 suppliers.
The SEG replaces the Export Tariff, which was scrapped in April 2019 along with the Generation Tariff under the government’s Feed-In Tariff scheme.
In order to be eligible for the SEG, the solar installation must be certified by an approved scheme, such as the Microgeneration Certification Scheme & households and organisations will also require a smart meter in order to take accurate export readings.
Suppliers will be required to offer tariffs with rates above 0p/kWh. The STA, as part of its #Fair4Solar campaign, called on government to guarantee a fair rate for small-scale solar power exports, and will be keeping a close eye on the market. As will Ofgem, which is tasked with monitoring competitiveness and intervening should this fail to materialise.
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Our recommendation is Octopus Energy who have their Agile (variable rate) or Outgoing (fixed rate currently 5.5p/kWh). Click here to sign up.
