If you're dealing with a fault related to this topic, a remote diagnostic identifies the root cause and recommends the fix — usually within 30 minutes. All major brands supported.
Book your free diagnosticHow diagnostics workRon took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)
Amazing! I was having trouble with a flat GivEnergy battery and solar panels not working. I contacted through WhatsApp and we managed to get it all sorted within a couple of days! Super fast service. I can’t thank you enough for your help when my installer didn’t want to know and GivEnergy has gone in to administration! I know where to go if anything happens again!
Great experience with STS great communication from Ron, very helpful and knowledgable. Installed me a second Givenergy battery to help take the strain off my original 9.5 that needs refurb due to a weak cell. They secured me an 8.2 arranged install. Levi arrived the whole install was done within 1.5 hours - great tidy job. Worked with me to alter my setup to allow easy removal of my 9.5 when i can get it away for refurb - very happy with their service and its reassuring to know there is a company out there that can help look after my givenergy system
Great service. Got our Givenergy battery back online remotely when others said it needed an onsite visit. Ron resolved the issue within about an hour of my email. Brilliant service.
I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues
Super support. Delighted I found them. System battery was down for quite a while and no one would try to fix it as GivEnergy out of business. A few hours later and I’m up and running again. Brilliant service!!! Highly recommend them.
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a UK government-backed scheme that requires larger licensed electricity suppliers to offer a tariff paying homeowners for electricity exported to the grid from qualifying renewable systems. It launched in January 2020 as the successor to the Feed-in Tariff.
When your solar panels generate more electricity than your home is consuming, the surplus automatically flows out through your meter to the grid. Your smart meter records how many kilowatt-hours were exported during each half-hour period. Your SEG supplier reads these readings (via the smart meter data network) and pays you at the agreed rate — usually monthly or quarterly.
The SEG obligation applies to all licensed electricity suppliers with 150,000 or more domestic customers. Larger suppliers — Octopus Energy, British Gas, E.ON Next, OVO Energy, EDF, Scottish Power, and others — must offer a qualifying tariff. Smaller suppliers with fewer than 150,000 customers can offer SEG voluntarily.
Crucially, the government mandates only that a rate above zero must be offered — it does not set the actual price. This means SEG rates vary considerably between suppliers, and it is worth comparing before registering.
Your SEG supplier does not need to be the same company that supplies your grid electricity. You can buy electricity from Octopus and register export payments with British Gas, or any other combination. This matters because it gives you full flexibility to get the best rate on each independently — and to switch either without affecting the other.
The Feed-in Tariff (FiT) closed to new applicants in March 2019. SEG replaced it. If your system was installed before that date and you registered for FiT, you remain on it — FiT pays better rates and was locked in for 20 years. If you were not registered, or your system was installed after March 2019, SEG is your only option.
If you are already receiving FiT payments, you do not need SEG — your FiT export tariff covers export payments. You should remain on FiT as long as possible, as it pays significantly better than SEG for most installations. Your 20-year FiT contract runs from the original commissioning date.
Check your FiT contract end date. When FiT expires, you can register for SEG to continue receiving export payments — at lower rates. The transition is not automatic; you must register for SEG after FiT ends. If your FiT payments have stopped unexpectedly, see our guide on FIT payments stopped.
SEG eligibility is straightforward for the vast majority of domestic solar installations. The main requirements are MCS certification and a smart or export meter. Here is what each means in practice.
Your system must have been installed by an MCS-accredited installer and have a valid MCS certificate. This is the compliance document issued at commissioning — it lists the panels, inverter, battery, installer, and installation date. Without it, no SEG supplier will accept your application.
SEG payments are based on measured export — not estimated. Most SEG suppliers require a functioning smart meter (SMETS1 or SMETS2) that is enrolled in the Data Communications Company (DCC) network and submitting half-hourly export readings.
If you do not yet have a smart meter, contact your electricity supplier and request one. Most domestic properties are eligible and installation is free. Allow 2–4 weeks lead time.
SEG covers renewable electricity generating systems up to 5 MW capacity — which encompasses all domestic solar installations. Qualifying technologies include solar PV, wind, micro-hydro, and anaerobic digestion. Battery-only systems (no solar or other generator) do not qualify.
There is no minimum system size requirement, but very small installations (below 1 kW) may find the administrative overhead outweighs the earnings. A 4 kW system generating 3,800 kWh/year and exporting 40% would earn around £60–£230/year depending on the tariff.
If your export limit is set to 0 W, or your inverter has a configuration issue preventing export, no electricity reaches the meter as export — and SEG payments will be zero regardless of registration. Before registering, confirm your inverter portal shows export figures and that your export limit is above zero.
Common cause of zero export despite being registered: a firmware update that reset the export limit to 0 W. This happens most frequently on GivEnergy systems. Check the export limit setting in your portal after any firmware update.
SEG rates change regularly as suppliers adjust to wholesale electricity prices. Rather than list specific rates that will become outdated, this section explains the types of tariff available and what to look for when comparing.
A guaranteed rate per kWh exported, fixed for the contract term. Simpler to understand — you know exactly what each unit of export earns.
Rate varies by time of day and grid conditions. Can pay significantly more than fixed during high-demand periods. Requires timing export to maximise value.
The headline number. For fixed tariffs, compare directly. For dynamic tariffs, look at the average rate under normal conditions — not just the peaks.
Some tariffs are 12-month contracts; others are rolling monthly. Check whether there is an exit fee and how much notice is required to switch.
Monthly is preferable to quarterly — less cash tied up waiting for payment. Some suppliers also offer in-app real-time visibility of export earnings.
Confirm the supplier accepts your meter type. A small number of tariffs require SMETS2 only and do not accept SMETS1 or dedicated export meters.
Earnings depend on system size, location, export limit, and whether you have battery storage. As a rough guide for a south-facing 4 kW system in the UK midlands:
Estimates only. Actual export depends on consumption, tariff, orientation, shading, and season. Battery self-consumption savings typically exceed SEG earnings — the 7p example is illustrative, not current market rate.
Registration is done directly with your chosen SEG supplier. The process takes 1–2 weeks from application to first payment period. Here is what you need and what to expect.
You will need these before starting any application:
Check current SEG rates from obligated suppliers. The Ofgem SEG page maintains an up-to-date list of suppliers and their tariffs at ofgem.gov.uk. Look at rate, contract length, and payment terms before committing. You are not locked in permanently — switching SEG suppliers is possible, though it may involve a waiting period.
Most SEG suppliers have an online application form — search "[supplier name] SEG tariff apply." Complete the form with your MCS details, MPAN, and smart meter information. Most applications are processed automatically and confirmed within 5–10 working days. You will receive a welcome letter confirming your tariff rate, contract start date, and payment schedule.
After your first payment period (one to three months after registration), check that the kWh paid matches your inverter portal's export figure for the same period. Small discrepancies are normal (meter vs portal measurement methodology differs slightly). Large discrepancies — for example, portal showing 300 kWh exported but payment for only 10 kWh — usually indicate:
If you moved into a property with an existing solar system, the previous owner's SEG registration stays in their name until you act. You must either transfer the existing tariff to your details or apply for a new one. Until you do, any export payments may continue reaching the previous owner.
Full guide: claiming export payments after buying a solar property →Adding a battery changes your relationship with SEG significantly. The inverter now has three options for surplus solar: power the house, charge the battery, or export. Understanding which option the inverter prioritises — and how to influence that — matters for maximising combined self-consumption savings and export earnings.
Most hybrid inverters default to self-consumption mode: surplus solar charges the battery first, and only exports once the battery is full. This maximises self-consumption — each kWh stored in the battery typically saves 24–30p (the avoided import cost) whereas exporting it earns only 4–15p via SEG. The financial case for charging the battery before exporting is strong for most tariffs.
The consequence: a system with battery typically exports far less than the same system without one. This is expected and correct — the reduction in SEG income is more than offset by the increase in self-consumption savings. See the battery storage guide for a detailed explanation of self-consumption economics.
Dynamic export tariffs (Octopus Agile, Octopus Flux) pay higher rates during specific periods — typically 16:00–19:00 when grid demand peaks. If your export rate during those windows exceeds your peak import rate, it can be worth deliberately discharging the battery to the grid during that window.
This requires configuring Timed Export mode in your inverter — setting a discharge window timed to match the high-rate export period. The inverter discharges the battery at full power, or at the set power depending on the inverter generation. That output covers the house load first, and the rest is exported through the meter. This is separate from normal SEG export of solar surplus — it is a deliberate battery-to-grid transaction.
If your export limit is set to 0 W (zero export mode), your system will not export anything to the grid — and SEG earnings will be zero regardless of how much you generate or how big your battery is. If you have a zero-export DNO condition, confirm this is genuinely required before assuming SEG is unavailable. Some systems are set to zero export by the installer by default when the DNO limit actually permits export. Check your G98/G99 approval letter and your inverter's export limit setting.
Why DNOs set export limits, how your inverter enforces them, and whether yours can be raised.
See Export Limitation Explained →Battery chemistry, self-consumption vs export economics, and AC vs DC coupling.
See How Battery Storage Works →Operating modes including export, timed export, and zero-export explained.
See How Solar Inverters Work →Step-by-step diagnostic for missing export payments — registration, metering, and supplier billing issues.
See Not Being Paid for Solar Export →Application stuck, rejected, or delayed? Common causes and how to fix them.
See SEG Registration Issues →Step-by-step guide to transferring or registering SEG when you buy a house with solar already installed.
See Claiming Export Payments →How to configure timed export and tariff settings to maximise SEG earnings on a GivEnergy system.
See GivEnergy Tariff Optimisation →What your installer should have confirmed, including MCS certification and export limit setup.
See Installation Day Checklist →Low or zero SEG payments are usually caused by a misconfigured export limit, a firmware reset, or a smart meter not submitting data correctly. A remote diagnostic session reviews your portal, inverter settings, and export history to find the cause — usually within 30 minutes.
Due to unprecedented demand we’re currently only carrying out on-site work in Yorkshire, and replies are taking up to 7 days. Remote diagnostics continue for the whole UK as normal.
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