OVO SEG tariff rates pay between 4p and 20p per kilowatt-hour for the electricity your solar panels send back to the grid. The rate you can access depends on whether you import electricity from OVO and whether OVO itself installed your solar panels and battery.
Solar generation in the UK has been hitting new records. Government Energy Trends data show that generation increased by nearly 37% to a record 20 TWh in 2025, aided by the longest average number of sun hours since the series began in 2001.
As households continue to export more surplus electricity to the grid than ever before, it’s worth ensuring you’re on the best possible solar export tariffs.
OVO is one of the UK’s largest energy suppliers, and its export tariff range includes three tiers, a fivefold gap between the lowest and highest rate, and eligibility conditions that depend on who supplies your electricity and your solar panel installer.
Understanding what OVO offers, what each tariff actually requires, and how OVO compares with the rest of the market can help you determine whether it’s the best choice for your home.
Key Takeaways:
- OVO offers three SEG tariffs: SEG (4p/kWh), SEG Beyond Exclusive (12p/kWh), and SEG Install Exclusive (up to 20p/kWh).
- The 20p rate requires OVO to install your solar panels and a battery, and you must be an OVO electricity customer. Solar-only OVO installations pay 15p/kWh.
- SEG Beyond Exclusive requires an OVO electricity supply but no specific installer.
- The standard 4p tariff is open to anyone with an eligible renewable installation, regardless of supplier or installer.
- All tariffs require an MCS certificate for solar panels, a smart meter and, for battery owners, a system schematic diagram.
- OVO pays quarterly, in March, June, September and December.
What SEG Tariffs Does OVO Offer?
OVO Energy is a mandatory SEG licensee required by Ofgem to offer at least one above-zero export tariff to eligible renewable generators. The supplier offers three tariffs, each with progressively higher rates tied to various conditions.
OVO SEG tariffs at a glance:
| Tariff | Rate | Who can access it | Rate type |
| SEG Install Exclusive | Up to 20p/kWh | OVO electricity customers who have solar panels and a battery installed by OVO (15p if solar-only) | Variable |
| SEG Beyond Exclusive | 12p/kWh | OVO electricity customers; any installer | Variable |
| SEG | 4p/kWh | Anyone with an eligible renewable installation | Variable |
Rates and eligibility were checked against supplier information in June 2026. Tariffs can change, so you should confirm directly with the supplier before switching.
SEG Install Exclusive – Up to 20p/kWh
This is OVO’s highest export tariff, paying up to 20p per kWh.
Who Can Get It?
You must be an OVO electricity customer, generate your own renewable electricity at home, have an installed capacity under 30kW, and, critically, have both your solar panels and home battery installed by OVO.
If OVO installs only your solar panels, without a battery, the rate drops to 15p/kWh.
The Beyond Reward
You can earn rewards by linking your account to Beyond on the OVO SEG Install Executive tariff. Beyond is OVO’s free rewards programme, and it’s offered as a bonus, not an eligibility condition.
The Installer Constraint
This tariff requires OVO to have installed your equipment. It excludes households that have already used different solar panel installers. There is no route to the full 20p rate for existing solar owners using another installer.
SEG Beyond Exclusive – 12p/kWh
This is OVO’s mid-tier tariff, available to any OVO electricity customer regardless of who installed their solar system.
Who Can Get It?
You must generate your own renewable electricity at home, have an installed capacity under 30 kW, and have your electricity supply with OVO.
OVO Beyond Exclusive is only available to customers who pay monthly. Pay-As-You-Go customers can’t sign up.
There is also no requirement to have installed your panels through OVO.
Why This Matters
At 12p/kWh, the SEG Beyond Exclusive is three times OVO’s standard 4p rate for an OVO electricity customer with solar panels from any installer.
Any OVO customer currently on the standard SEG tariff with eligible solar should check whether they qualify for SEG Beyond Exclusive.
SEG – 4p/kWh
This is OVO’s open-access tariff. It’s available to anyone with an eligible renewable installation, regardless of import supplier or installer.
Who Can Get It?
You must be able to generate your own renewable energy at home, with installed capacity not exceeding 5MW, and your electricity supply can be with any provider.
At 4p/kWh, OVO’s SEG trails the best open-access rates in the market. Both Scottish Power SmartGen and E.ON Next’s Flex Export pay 6p/kWh with no import commitment required.
If you don’t want to switch to OVO for import, those alternatives pay 50% more for the same exported electricity.
Eligibility Requirements for All OVO SEG Tariffs
The following baseline requirements apply across all three OVO tariffs.
Eligibility checklist:
| Requirement | Detail | How to confirm |
| MCS-certified system | You must have an MCS certificate for solar panels or equivalent. | Provided by your installer. |
| Smart meter | Required to track your exported energy. | Ask your supplier whether your meter records and transmits export data. |
| Battery schematic diagram | Required if you have a battery installed, showing the direction of energy flow from your solar panels through the rest of the installation. | Provided by your installer. |
| No existing Feed-in Tariff (FiT) export payments or public grants | You cannot receive FiT export payments or certain public grants, and also sign up to SEG. | Check with your FiT licensee. |
| Installed capacity | Under 5MW (50kW for micro-CHP) for standard SEG; under 30kW for both Beyond and Install Exclusive. | Stated on your MCS certificate. |
| OVO electricity supply | Required for SEG Beyond Exclusive and SEG Install Exclusive. Not required for standard SEG. | Check your current import supplier. |
| OVO installation | Required for the full 20p rate on SEG Install Exclusive (15p if solar-only through OVO). Not required for the other two tariffs. | Confirmed during application. |
Do You Need a Smart Meter and Export MPAN?
Yes. A smart meter to track your exported energy is a core sign-up requirement for all three tariffs.
You also need an export MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number). This is a unique reference number for your export connection, distinct from your import MPAN. Suppliers use it to register your export meter point and record your export readings correctly.
OVO can get you a new export MPAN if you need one, or switch it from your current SEG provider. This can take up to four weeks to register.
How to Apply for an OVO SEG Tariff
OVO’s application process follows four steps:
- Step 1 — Choose your tariff and apply: Complete the relevant online application form for SEG, SEG Beyond Exclusive, or SEG Install Exclusive. This only takes a few minutes.
- Step 2 — OVO reviews your application: OVO will contact you if further information is needed or if there are any issues with your documents.
- Step 3 — Application approved: OVO creates a new export MPAN if you need one, or switches your existing one from your current SEG provider.
- Step 4 — Tariff goes live: OVO confirms your SEG tariff is active and requests your first meter readings.
What Documents Do You Need?
- An MCS certificate or equivalent
- Proof of identity
- Proof of address
- Battery schematics (If you have a storage battery and get payments for FiT generation)
- Permission to receive the SEG payments (if you don’t own the installation)
If everything is in order, you could start earning in just 4 weeks. This is faster than the timelines confirmed by several other major suppliers, though the actual timing depends on the DNO’s processing of your export MPAN.
How Are OVO SEG Payments Made?
OVO pays quarterly. The readings used for payments will be sent automatically from your smart meter 4 times a year: March, June, September, and December.
If your meter cannot send readings automatically, OVO will ask you to submit them manually.
This quarterly schedule is more frequent than the annual-by-default payment offered by some suppliers. It also matches the standard quarterly approach used by most major UK energy companies.
How Much Could You Earn?
The Energy Saving Trust notes that the average solar panel system is around 3.5-kilowatt peak (kWp). With a typical annual generation of approximately 3,000 kWh and 50% self-consumption:
Worked example
- Estimated annual generation: 3,000 kWh
- Self-consumed in home (50%): 1,500 kWh
- Exported to grid (50%): 1,500 kWh
| OVO tariff | Rate | Estimated annual export income |
| SEG Install Exclusive (with battery) | 20p/kWh | £300 |
| SEG Install Exclusive (solar only) | 15p/kWh | £225 |
| SEG Beyond Exclusive | 12p/kWh | £180 |
| SEG | 4p/kWh | £60 |
An OVO electricity customer on the standard 4p tariff who switches to SEG Beyond Exclusive gains an additional £120 per year in this scenario, with no change of installer required, only OVO electricity supply.
Note: These figures are illustrative. Actual earnings depend on system size, location, self-consumption profile, battery presence and the applicable rate at the time.
Which OVO Tariff Is Right for Your Situation?
Decision framework
| Your situation | Recommended tariff | Why |
| Not an OVO customer, not willing to switch | SEG (4p), or consider Scottish Power SmartGen or E.ON Next Flex Export (both 6p) | It’s the only OVO option without an import requirement; alternatives pay more with no conditions |
| OVO electricity customer, solar from any installer, no battery | SEG Beyond Exclusive (12p) | Best rate without the installer condition |
| OVO electricity customer, considering new solar and battery, willing to install through OVO | SEG Install Exclusive (20p) | Highest available rate, requires full OVO installation |
| OVO electricity customer, installing solar only (no battery) through OVO | SEG Install Exclusive (15p) | Solar-only OVO installations qualify at the reduced Install Exclusive rate |
| OVO electricity customer with existing solar from another installer, wanting the top rate | Not currently possible | Full 20p rate requires OVO to have installed both solar and battery |
| Currently on OVO’s standard SEG (4p) and an OVO electricity customer | Switch to SEG Beyond Exclusive (12p) | Same import requirement; three times the export rate |
OVO SEG Tariffs vs the Wider Market
At up to 20p/kWh, SEG Install Exclusive sits below Good Energy Solar Savings Exclusive (25p, also installer-exclusive), Octopus Intelligent Flux (averaging around 23p, battery required) and is on par with So Energy So Bright (20p, also installer-exclusive).
It’s ahead of EDF Export Exclusive 12m V3 (18p) and E.ON Next Export Premium v3 (17.5p).
At 12p/kWh, SEG Beyond Exclusive matches Octopus Outgoing Octopus (12p) and trails the customer-exclusive fixed rates from EDF (15p), British Gas (15.1p), Good Energy (15p) and E.ON Next (13p).
OVO’s open-access standard SEG rate of 4p/kWh trails the market’s best open-access rates. Scottish Power SmartGen and E.ON Next Flex Export both pay 6p/kWh with no import commitment.
“The most common gap we see with OVO customers is staying on the basic 4p tariff when they’re already an OVO electricity customer with solar from any installer. Moving to SEG Beyond Exclusive requires only confirming your OVO electricity supply, and you don’t need new hardware or a new installer. It’s one of the easiest upgrades available in the entire SEG market.”— Energy tariff specialist.
Rates verified against supplier information in June 2026. Tariffs can change, so you should confirm directly with the supplier before switching.
Pros and Cons of OVO SEG Tariffs
Pros:
- Competitive top-tier rate for new installations: SEG Install Exclusive at up to 20p/kWh is one of the strongest installer-exclusive rates in the market, ahead of EDF and E.ON Next’s equivalent products.
- The mid-tier rate requires no installer condition: SEG Beyond Exclusive at 12p/kWh is accessible to any OVO electricity customer regardless of who installed their solar panels, making it a genuinely flexible mid-tier option.
- Fast turnaround: OVO states applicants can start earning in just 4 weeks, which is among the fastest timelines by major suppliers.
- Quarterly payment schedule: OVO pays automatically four times a year via smart meter data, with fixed payment months (March, June, September, December).
- Solar-only route to a strong rate: Homeowners who install solar only (no battery) through OVO can still access 15p/kWh under SEG Install Exclusive, which is a notable middle ground.
Cons:
- Weakest open-access rate among major suppliers: At 4p/kWh, OVO’s standard SEG tariff is below the 6p/kWh offered by Scottish Power and E.ON Next, with no conditions attached.
- The top rate excludes existing solar owners entirely: SEG Install Exclusive’s full 20p rate requires OVO to have installed both solar panels and a battery. There is no path to this rate for anyone who has already gone solar with another installer.
- Mid-tier rate trails several competitors: At 12p/kWh, SEG Beyond Exclusive is below EDF (15p), British Gas (15.1p), Good Energy (15p) and E.ON Next (13p) customer-exclusive fixed rates.
- 30kW capacity limit on the two higher tariffs: While generous for domestic use, this is a hard limit on SEG Beyond Exclusive and SEG Install Exclusive, and it doesn’t apply to OVO’s standard 5MW tariff.
Final Thoughts on OVO SEG Tariff
OVO’s SEG tariff range has three tiers, and each is unlocked by progressively committing more of your energy relationship to OVO.
The mid-tier SEG Beyond Exclusive at 12p/kWh is the most broadly useful product. It asks only for OVO electricity supply, with no installer condition, making it an easy upgrade for any existing OVO customer currently sitting on the 4p standard tariff.
The top-tier SEG Install Exclusive rate is competitive but structurally narrow. It’s only available to new solar customers willing to use OVO as their installer for both panels and the battery. Existing solar owners, regardless of how recently they installed, cannot access the full 20p rate through any other route.
Where OVO falls short is its open-access offering. At 4p/kWh, any solar household not importing from OVO and not planning to switch will find better value at 6p/kWh from Scottish Power or E.ON Next, with no conditions attached.
FAQs on OVO SEG Tariff
What Is the SEG Tariff for OVO Energy?
OVO offers three SEG tariffs: SEG (4p/kWh, open to anyone), SEG Beyond Exclusive (12p/kWh, OVO electricity customers), and SEG Install Exclusive (up to 20p/kWh, OVO electricity customers with solar and battery installed by OVO).
What Does SEG Tariff Mean?
SEG stands for Smart Export Guarantee, a scheme requiring licensed electricity suppliers with at least 150,000 domestic customers to pay homeowners for renewable electricity exported to the grid.
Who Pays the Highest SEG Tariff?
As of June 2026, Good Energy’s Solar Savings Exclusive pays the highest rate of 25p/kWh and requires solar and battery installation by Good Energy Solar. OVO’s SEG Install Exclusive at up to 20p/kWh is among the next-highest tier alongside So Energy.
Are SEG Tariffs Worth It?
Yes, for almost all solar households. Without one, exported electricity earns nothing. Rates range from around 1p to 25p/kWh depending on the supplier and eligibility, so comparing tariffs before signing up can help you earn hundreds of pounds a year.
Can I Get SEG Without MCS?
No. You need MCS certification or an accredited equivalent, such as Flexi-Orb. Regulations require that your installation and installer be certified through MCS or an equivalent scheme. Some suppliers accept Flexi-Orb while others require MCS specifically.
Why Are SEG Rates So Low?
Ofgem requires SEG rates to be above zero but sets no minimum beyond that. Some suppliers offer competitive rates to attract solar customers; others provide only the legal minimum because they’re obligated to participate, not because they’re competing for business.
Sources and References
- GOV.UK – Energy Trends March 2026
- OVO Energy – Your Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) application
- Energy Saving Trust – Solar panels
- Ofgem – Smart Export Guarantee
