British Gas export tariff rates range from 3p to 12p/kWh. The rate you qualify for is usually determined by your solar system’s size and whether British Gas also supplies your home’s electricity.

If you generate your own renewable electricity at home and have a smart meter that records readings every half hour, you can register for a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff and be paid for the electricity you don’t use.

Ofgem’s latest SEG annual report shows that, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, payments and exported electricity under the SEG increased by approximately 86% to around £57 million and 443 GWh, respectively. British Gas was the third-largest SEG licensee by registrations that year, with more than 20,000 households signed up to one of its solar export tariffs.

If you’re wondering whether a British Gas export tariff is a good choice for your home, it’s worth understanding how the rates break down, who qualifies, what the application involves and how British Gas compares with the rest of the export tariff market.

Key Takeaways:

• British Gas offers four SEG tariffs: Export Premium (12p/kWh, systems up to 15kW), Export Extra (8p/kWh, systems over 15kW), Export Voidcare SEG (6p/kWh, social landlords) and Standard Export (3p/kWh, open to anyone).
• The two higher rates, Export Premium and Export Extra, require British Gas to supply your home’s electricity and that you’re a named account holder on that account.
• Standard Export at 3p/kWh requires no British Gas electricity supply and is open to any eligible renewable generator.
• All tariffs require certified Generating Equipment, an Eligible Meter capable of half-hourly export readings, and exclude unoccupied properties and rent-a-roof installations from the two higher tariffs.
• British Gas pays quarterly, within 28 working days of receiving your export reading, and must give at least 14 days’ notice before lowering your rate.

A Tariff for Every Type of Household

British Gas structures its export offer around system size and electricity supply, rather than offering one tariff with a string of bolt-on conditions.

That makes it slightly more complex to navigate than some competitors, but it also means there is a defined product for almost every situation, including larger systems that many other suppliers simply exclude.

British Gas SEG tariffs at a glance:

Tariff	Rate	Who it’s for	System size
Export Premium	12p/kWh	British Gas electricity customers, named account holders	Up to 15kW
Export Extra	8p/kWh	British Gas electricity customers, named account holders	Over 15kW
Export Voidcare SEG	6p/kWh	Social landlords with a Voidcare Agreement	Up to 15kW
Standard Export	3p/kWh	Anyone not eligible for the above, developers and non-British Gas electricity customers	Any (up to 5MW SEG cap)

Rates and eligibility were checked against British Gas’s SEG tariff page in June 2026. Tariffs can change, so you should confirm directly with British Gas before switching.

Export Premium: The Rate Most Homeowners Should Be Checking

At 12p/kWh, Export Premium is British Gas’s headline residential tariff, and the one most domestic solar households will be aiming for.

Eligibility

You qualify if British Gas supplies electricity to your property and you’re named as an account holder on that electricity account.

Your generating equipment shouldn’t have a capacity of more than 15kW.

The tariff isn’t available if the property is unoccupied or vacant, or if the installation is subject to a Rent-a-Roof Agreement.

There is no requirement to have installed your solar panels through British Gas or any of its solar partners. This is a meaningful point of difference from suppliers like OVO, where the top rate is reserved for customers who bought their entire system from the supplier.

What Happens If You Leave?

British Gas will automatically switch you to the standard export tariff from the date you change supplier. If you switch your electricity import away from British Gas, your export rate drops to the open-access Standard Export SEG rate of 3p/kWh.

You may need to provide an up-to-date export reading so they can calculate what they owe you at the higher Export Premium rates.

Export Extra: The Tariff for Larger Systems

This is where British Gas diverges from most of the market. Many suppliers cap their best customer-exclusive rate at a domestic-friendly ceiling, typically 15kW or 30kW and route anything larger onto a lower open-access rate.

British Gas instead offers a dedicated mid-rate product for this group.

Eligibility

You qualify if British Gas supplies electricity to your property, you’re a named account holder on the electricity account, and your installed Generating Equipment has a capacity of more than 15kW.

The tariff isn’t available if the property is unoccupied or vacant, or if the installation is subject to a Rent-a-Roof Agreement.

There is no upper limit beyond the SEG-wide cap of 50MW for solar, wind, hydro and AD, or 50kW for micro-CHP.

Who This Actually Serves

Most domestic solar arrays fall well under 15kW, so Export Extra is primarily relevant to larger residential installations, smallholdings, or households that have significantly expanded their system capacity over time.

If your system has grown past 15kW since you originally signed up to Export Premium, it’s worth checking which tariff you’re actually on.

British Gas SEG Terms for Residential Customers places the obligation on you to tell them if your Generating Equipment is altered in any way, including any extensions or additions.

Export Voidcare and Standard Export: The Two Routes with No Electricity-Supply Requirement

Export Voidcare SEG (6p/kWh)

This is a specific product for properties that are unoccupied or vacant and covered by a Voidcare Agreement between British Gas and a landlord.

The same legal entity must be named on both the Voidcare Agreement and the SEG tariff, and the system shouldn’t have a capacity of more than 15kW.

This is a narrow-purpose tariff and will not apply to the vast majority of homeowners. It’s also unavailable for rent-a-roof installations.

Standard Export (3p/kWh)

This is the basic tariff British Gas is obligated to offer to anyone who doesn’t qualify for the others, including anyone not supplied by British Gas for electricity, and Voidcare properties with systems over 15kW.

At 3p/kWh, this sits below the strongest open-access rates currently in the market. Scottish Power SmartGen and E.ON Next’s Flex Export both pay 6p/kWh, with no import supplier requirement. This is double British Gas’s open rate for the same exported electricity.

If you have no intention of switching your electricity supply to British Gas, it’s worth checking those alternatives before defaulting to Standard Export.

If you later take out a British Gas electricity contract while on Standard Export, you’ll be automatically moved to the highest-rate SEG tariff you’re eligible for, and you don’t need to reapply separately for the export side.

What You Need Before You Apply

Your Renewable System

It needs to be certified as Generating Equipment under the SEG Scheme, located in Great Britain, and connected to and capable of exporting renewable electricity to the electricity network.

It should have a capacity of up to 50MW (50kW for micro-CHP).

Your Paperwork

This includes an MCS certificate, Flexi-Orb certificate, or equivalent accreditation certificate, plus proof of grid connection in the form of a G98 or G99 document from your DNO.

You must provide evidence of MCS or equivalent certification if requested.

Your Meter

You must have an eligible meter, either a smart meter compliant with the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications, or a separate export meter capable of recording electricity exports in half-hourly intervals.

If you’re already a British Gas electricity customer without a smart meter, British Gas will install one free of charge.

Your Bank Details

These are needed at the point of application because payments are sent by bank transfer every three months.

You Mustn’t Already Be Receiving Export Payments Elsewhere

You cannot already be receiving payments under the Feed-in Tariff scheme or a SEG scheme with a different provider.

British Gas requires you to inform them immediately if you start participating in another scheme. If British Gas later discovers undisclosed dual participation, it will issue a final bill and close your account.

How British Gas Handles Your Export MPAN

If you’re joining the SEG scheme for the first time, British Gas will create and register your export MPAN.

If you’re moving your SEG to British Gas from another provider, they’ll obtain your export MPAN directly from that provider.

You don’t need to chase your DNO separately or already have an export MPAN before applying, which removes a step that causes delays.

Applying for a British Gas Export Tariff: What Actually Happens

• Apply online. British Gas’s online application form walks you through the process. You’ll need your certification paperwork, proof of DNO connection and bank details ready.
• Confirmation. British Gas will email to confirm your application is being processed and will contact you if anything further is required. If you don’t provide the requested information within 28 days, British Gas will close your application, but you can reapply at any time.
• Account set up. British Gas’s contract terms commit to switching you within 28 days of receiving your completed application. This can take longer, up to 4 weeks, if you don’t provide the requested information, your equipment or meter isn’t eligible, your current provider obstructs the transfer, or something happens outside British Gas’s reasonable control.

If your smart meter is sending readings automatically, you generally won’t need to submit anything further.

If British Gas cannot retrieve automatic readings, you’ll need to submit an opening meter reading at the start of the contract and then every three months. Without that opening reading, you’ll not get SEG payments.

Getting Paid and What Could Go Wrong

British Gas pays quarterly, by bank transfer, within 28 working days of receiving your latest export meter reading.

There are only four payments per year. British Gas may round calculations to the nearest penny.

There is no cap on how much electricity you can export and receive payment for, beyond the physical generating capacity of your system.

Contractual Risks Worth Knowing About

You May Have to Repay SEG Income

There are several circumstances in which you won’t receive payments, or may need to repay what you’ve already received. These include:

• If your circumstances change so you no longer meet eligibility (for example, you stop being a British Gas electricity customer, or your Generating Equipment is no longer connected to the network)
• If the information you provide is untrue, or if your meter is later found not to have been recording exports correctly.

Meter Testing Costs May Fall on You

• If British Gas is your electricity supplier and you (or British Gas) suspect that your Eligible Meter isn’t recording exports correctly and you request a test, you’ll have to pay for it.
• If the meter is then found to have been over-recording, you must promptly repay any SEG overpayments. If it was under-recording, British Gas will add the shortfall to your next payment.

What It Could Actually Be Worth

The following example assumes the Energy Saving Trust’s figure of an average UK solar system being around 3.5 kWp, with estimated annual generation of 3,000 kWh and 50% self-consumption:

Worked example

• Estimated annual generation: 3,000 kWh
• Self-consumed (50%): 1,500 kWh
• Exported to grid (50%): 1,500 kWh

British Gas tariff	Rate	Estimated annual export income
Export Premium	12p/kWh	£180
Export Extra	8p/kWh	£120
Export Voidcare SEG	6p/kWh	£90
Standard Export	3p/kWh	£45

A British Gas electricity customer currently on the Standard Export tariff who qualifies for Export Premium is leaving £135 a year unclaimed in this scenario, simply by being on the wrong tariff for their existing supplier relationship.

Note: These figures are illustrative. Actual earnings depend on system size, location, self-consumption profile and the applicable rate at the time.

Where British Gas Stands Against the Rest of the Market

At 12p/kWh, Export Premium sits below several competitors’ top customer-exclusive rates, such as EDF’s Export 12m and Good Energy’s Solar Savings, both of which pay 15p.

Octopus’s Outgoing Octopus matches British Gas exactly at 12p. It’s close to, but marginally behind, E.ON Next’s Export Exclusive at 13p, and meaningfully ahead of OVO’s basic open tariff.

Export Extra sets British Gas apart structurally. It’s a dedicated mid-tier product for systems over 15kW.

Most competitors simply don’t offer a comparable bridge tariff; larger systems on many other suppliers fall straight through to the lowest open-access rate.

At the open-access level, British Gas’s 3p/kWh trails the market leaders. Scottish Power SmartGen and E.ON Next Flex Export both pay 6p with no conditions attached. This is twice what British Gas pays for the same exported unit with no import commitment.

“What people miss with British Gas is the repayment clause in the contract terms. If your circumstances change and you no longer qualify for the rate you’re on, you may have to repay some of it. It doesn’t come up often, but if you’re planning to switch electricity supplier away from British Gas, check the date carefully and keep a record of your final meter reading.”— Energy tariff specialist

Pros and Cons of British Gas Export Tariffs

Pros

• No installer lock-in: Unlike OVO, Good Energy, or So Energy, which reserve their best rate for customers who bought solar directly through them, British Gas’s top two tariffs only require you to be an electricity customer and the named account holder. You can use any MCS or Flexi-Orb-certified installer and still qualify for the full 12p or 8p rate.
• A genuine option for larger systems: Export Extra is a meaningfully useful product that most competitors simply don’t offer. Suppliers, including OVO and E.ON Next, cap their customer-exclusive rate at a domestic-friendly ceiling (15–30kW) and route anything larger straight to the open-access rate. British Gas instead provides a dedicated 8p/kWh tariff for exactly this group, all the way up to the SEG-wide cap.
• A contractual right to notice before your rate drops: The British Gas SEG Terms for Residential Customers commits the supplier to at least 14 days’ notice before any change that reduces your rate. You also get a similar 14-day notice right to general price reductions, with the right to cancel or switch if you don’t like the change. This is a genuine consumer protection.
• British Gas manages your export MPAN for you: Whether you’re a first-time SEG applicant or transferring from another supplier, British Gas confirms it will create or retrieve your export MPAN on your behalf, helping to prevent delays.
• Transparent, well-documented application process: British Gas publishes detailed, meter-specific instructions for taking manual export readings across multiple smart meter brands, and is explicit about the contractual 28-day switching commitment.
• No exit fees, no end date: You can cancel any of the four tariffs at any time, with no exit fee.

Cons

• The repayment clause is a real risk: If your circumstances change and you no longer meet eligibility criteria, if your meter is later found to have under- or over-recorded, or if information you provided turns out to be inaccurate, you may have to repay SEG income already received. This is a meaningful financial exposure.
• Meter testing costs can fall on you: If you request a meter accuracy test and British Gas supplies your electricity, you pay for the test upfront. If the meter turns out to have been over-recording your exports, you then owe British Gas the difference on top of the test cost.
• Open-access rate is weak: At 3p/kWh, Standard Export is half the rate of the market’s best open-access tariffs. Both Scottish Power SmartGen and E.ON Next Flex Export pay 6p/kWh, with no import supplier condition attached.
• All tariffs are variable, with no fixed-term guarantee: British Gas’s rates can change with 14 days’ notice (or less, in some circumstances, described as beyond British Gas’s reasonable control). There is no locked-in rate for a defined period, unlike EDF’s 12-month fixed export products.
• Rent-a-roof and unoccupied-property exclusions: If you got your panels through a rent-a-roof agreement, or the property is unoccupied or vacant (outside a Voidcare Agreement), you can’t qualify for Export Premium and Export Extra.
• Named account holder requirement: You must be named as an account holder on the British Gas electricity account for the property. Simply living at an address supplied by British Gas isn’t sufficient on its own.

Pros and Cons Comparison Table:

Pros	Cons
No installer requirement for Export Premium or Export Extra	Repayment clause: you may owe back SEG income if your eligibility or meter accuracy status changes
Dedicated Export Extra tariff fills a gap most competitors leave for systems over 15kW	Meter accuracy testing costs can fall on you if British Gas supplies your electricity
Automatic upgrade to your best eligible tariff if you later switch to British Gas electricity	Open-access Standard Export at 3p/kWh is half the 6p available from Scottish Power and E.ON Next
Contractual 14 days’ notice before any rate reduction	12p/kWh top rate trails EDF and Good Energy’s 15p customer-exclusive rates
British Gas creates or transfers your export MPAN on your behalf	All tariffs are variable — no fixed-rate guarantee for a defined term
No exit fees; cancel at any time	Rent-a-roof and unoccupied-property exclusions apply to the two higher-rate tariffs
Free smart meter installation for British Gas customers without one	Must be a named account holder, not just a resident at a British Gas-supplied property

What Is a Rent-a-Roof Agreement, and Why Does It Matter for Your Export Tariff?

A rent-a-roof agreement is an arrangement where a third party, rather than the homeowner, owns the solar panels installed on a property’s roof.

Under this model, the homeowner allows another company or individual to install panels on their roof, often at no upfront cost, in exchange for hosting the equipment.

The catch is who benefits financially: the panel owner, not the homeowner, keeps the export payments for the electricity generated.

Why This Matters

If you’re considering a “free solar panels” offer, or if you already installed panels under a no-cost arrangement some years ago, it’s worth checking the original paperwork carefully.

Rent-a-roof deals were particularly common in the UK during the early years of the Feed-in Tariff scheme, when high generation rates made them commercially attractive to installers.

If your installation falls into this category:

• You’ll not be eligible for British Gas’s Export Premium or Export Extra tariffs, regardless of your electricity supplier.
• You may not qualify for any export income at all. That right may sit entirely with the panel-owning company, depending on your specific agreement.
• It’s worth reviewing your original contract or contacting the installation company to understand exactly who can get export payments for your property.

If you own your panels outright, whether you purchased them outright, financed them through a loan, or inherited a fully-owned system when you bought your home, none of this applies to you. You remain eligible for British Gas’s full range of tariffs, provided you meet the other criteria.

Final Thoughts on British Gas Export Tariff

The British Gas export tariff range rewards customers who consolidate their electricity supply with the same company, in a structure that is easier to navigate than it first appears.

It includes four tariffs, cleanly sorted by system size and supply relationship, with no installer lock-in across the range.

For a British Gas electricity customer with a typical domestic solar system, Export Premium at 12p/kWh is a solid, unconditional upgrade from the open-access rate. It’s one of the few major supplier tariffs that doesn’t require you to have purchased your panels from them.

The contract terms make it clear that this is a genuine two-way obligation. British Gas commits to 14 days’ notice before cutting your rate and to automatically upgrading you to your best eligible tariff.

You, in turn, are on the hook to report changes promptly, keep your meter accurate, and potentially repay SEG income if your circumstances shift.

Reading the Terms and Conditions, not just the tariff page, is genuinely worth the ten minutes it takes.

FAQs on British Gas Export Tariff

What Is the British Gas Export Tariff?

British Gas’s export tariff pays you for surplus electricity your solar panels or other renewable system sends back to the grid. It currently operates four tariffs: Export Premium (12p/kWh), Export Extra (8p/kWh), Export Voidcare SEG (6p/kWh) and Standard Export (3p/kWh), with the rate determined by your system size and whether British Gas supplies your electricity.

Who Pays the Best Export Tariff for Solar Panels?

As of June 2026, Good Energy’s Solar Savings Exclusive pays the highest flat rate at 25p/kWh for customers who install solar and a battery through Good Energy Solar. Octopus’s Intelligent Octopus Flux can pay even more during its peak export window through a variable rate. Among open-access tariffs requiring no specific installer, Scottish Power SmartGen and E.ON Next Flex Export both lead at 6p/kWh.

What Is the Purpose of an Export Tariff?

An export tariff ensures households and small businesses generating their own renewable electricity, typically through solar panels, are paid for any surplus they send back to the national grid, rather than giving it away for free. It exists under the Smart Export Guarantee, which requires large suppliers to offer at least one such tariff to eligible generators.

What Is the Difference Between the Feed-in Tariff and an Export Tariff?

The Feed-in Tariff (FiT), closed to new applicants since April 2019, paid both a generation payment for all electricity produced and an export payment for electricity sent to the grid. A SEG export tariff, by contrast, pays only for metered electricity actually exported, and there is no separate generation payment. Existing FiT customers can opt out of FiT export payments and move to a SEG tariff while keeping their FiT generation payments.

Sources and References

• Ofgem – SEG Annual Report – SEG Year 5
• British Gas – SEG Terms for Residential Customers
• Energy Saving Trust – Solar Panels