
Author: E.ON Next
Reading Time: 4 mins
Explore how you can get paid for the energy generated by your solar panels and maximise your benefits.
This blog explains the ways to benefit from government schemes and export tariffs, detailing how they work and who qualifies. It covers the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) in the UK, which allows solar panel owners to earn from excess energy fed back into the grid.
Additionally, the blog offers guidance on how to find the best tariff options, what factors affect payments, and tips to ensure you’re maximising the financial benefits of your solar panels. Whether you’re considering solar panels or already have them installed and want to add solar battery storage, learn how to make the most of your system and earn from your clean energy contributions.
Solar energy is a great way to power your home and save on energy bills. You can not only save, but you can earn money too, via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). Solar panels work by collecting energy from the sun, which is then converted into usable electricity. The use of solar power can help to reduce your reliance on grid electricity, which in turn, reduces your energy bills and saves you money over time. You can find out more about all things solar by reading our How do solar panels work?
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a government obligation for larger suppliers to offer an export tariff that pays customers for excess electricity that they send back to the grid from renewable technologies, such as solar panels.
The SEG is a government initiative that enables businesses to earn money by selling excess electricity generated from their solar panels back to the grid.
The good news is, E.ON Next are a mandated SEG licensee and so you could get SEG payments through us. We have four SEG tariff options as shown below.
E.ON Next now offers a fantastic 12 month fixed term Smart Export Guarantee tariffs:
Next Export Premium v3 pays 17.5p per kWh of electricity exported and is available for customers who have had a solar or solar and battery installation by E.ON after 10/11/2025 and have an energy tariff for their homes with E.ON Next. You'll receive the SEG rate based upon the original solar and storage quotation you have signed until the fixed term ends.
Available to all customers who currently have their supply with E.ON Next excluding Time of Use tariffs
12-month fixed term SEG tariff.
No exit fees.
13 pence per kWh paid for exported electricity.
Available to all customers with a renewable generation system (such as solar panels) up to 5MW.
This is a variable rate SEG tariff and can change throughout the year.
No exit fees.
6 pence per kWh paid for exported electricity.
Available to all SME/Commercial customers with a renewable generation system (such as solar panels) up to 5MW
12-month fixed term SEG tariff.
No exit fees.
8.5 pence per kWh paid for exported electricity.
Get paid for exporting energy.
Firstly, you must have one of the following energy techs:
Solar photovoltaic system
Hydro power
Onshore wind
Micro-Combined Heat and Power
Anaerobic digestion
You must also:
Be the owner of the generation unit e.g. solar panels.
Have a generation unit with a capacity of up to 5MW.
Have a meter that is able to record energy that’s exported to the grid, on a half hourly basis. This could be a smart meter. Switching to a smart meter means you can see exactly what you are spending on your energy in real time. Knowledge is power when it comes to powering your home, so take control of your energy use and make budgeting a cinch. Together we can reduce energy bills as well as carbon emissions.
Find out how you can get a smart meter for your home.
Have an installation that is certified to the MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), or Flexi-Orb.
Have the ability to opt out of FiT payments. or be prepared to lose your FiT export payment if you move to SEG.
Not be receiving SEG payments from another licensee.
If you don’t currently own solar panels, but are interested in getting them installed, you can save £200 on all new solar panels and batteries with our exclusive offer for E.ON Next customers. T&Cs apply.
Published: 19/06/2023
Updated: 10/04/2024

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