Quick answer
For a GB job with no export contract yet, use 6p/kWh as a cautious working figure and also show a 0p/kWh downside case. Replace that estimate with the supplier’s written rate when the client gets one. For Ireland, get a current supplier rate instead of using the GB figure.
For a GB job where there’s no current export contract, use 6p/kWh as a cautious working figure and show the client a downside case where exported electricity earns them nothing. Once they get a written offer from an export supplier, use that rate in your model instead. For a job in Ireland, get a current supplier rate rather than using the GB figure.
Do not use the best advertised rate into the proposal
There is no single Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) rate that’s available to every commercial client. Each supplier sets its own price, contract length and conditions.
As at 16 June 2026, published business examples include:
- Octopus at 3p/kWh through its basic business SEG route
- E.ON Next at 6p/kWh on its variable export tariff
- E.ON Next at 8.5p/kWh on its fixed business tariff
- Octopus Panel Power at 12p/kWh
The higher rates usually come with extra conditions. These may cover the size of the solar array, the export meter or who supplies the client’s imported electricity.
Octopus Panel Power, for example, only covers qualifying systems below 150 kWp where the business also buys its electricity from Octopus.
Check those rules before you put 8.5p/kWh or 12p/kWh into your proposal. Otherwise, the model may show a payback based on a tariff the client cannot actually access.
Check what the supplier pays for when your client’s site has a battery as well. If the battery can charge from the grid, do not assume the supplier will pay the same rate for every kWh that leaves the site.
Ask the supplier to confirm which exported electricity they will pay for under the tariff:
- Electricity exported directly from the solar array
- Solar electricity stored in the battery and exported later
- Grid electricity stored in the battery and exported later
Show the client a cautious case and the contracted case
Run the model three times using:
- 0p/kWh
- 6p/kWh
- The supplier’s written rate once the client has it
Only count electricity that actually reaches the export meter. Take off anything the site uses directly, uses to charge the battery or does not generate because the G100 export limit requires the inverter to curtail generation.
A 500 kW array will not earn export income on every spare kWh if the connection offer only allows the site to export 100 kW.
Keep a note of:
- The export rate and the date you checked it
- Whether it is fixed or variable
- Any limit on system size
- The export MPAN and meter setup
- Whether the client must use the same supplier for import
- Which exported electricity the supplier will pay for
- The contract length and any fees, such as metering charges and early-exit fees
GridVolt’s simulator keeps the export price as a separate input. You can show your client the 0p case, the cautious working case and the contracted case without changing the solar or battery assumptions.
Related questions
Should I model solar and battery savings together?
How does a G100 export limit affect commercial battery savings?
What trading revenue is realistic for a commercial battery in Great Britain?