UK SEG — Scottish Power

Scottish Power SmartGen+ — ~12p export, with one import condition.

SmartGen+ pays around 12p/kWh for exported solar — one of the strongest commercial export rates in the UK, level with EDF and well above British Gas, E.ON Next, OVO and Shell. The catch is import lock-in: you have to take Scottish Power for import too. Here is when that trade-off is worth it.

What Scottish Power SmartGen+ pays

Scottish Power SmartGen+ pays approximately 12p/kWh for exported electricity in 2026, putting it firmly in the high band of the UK SEG market. That rate is level with EDF Export Standard (12p) and roughly double what British Gas (6.4p), E.ON Next (5.5p), OVO (5p) and Shell Energy (3.5p) offer. Only Octopus Outgoing Fixed (15p) and well-managed Octopus Outgoing Agile sites (14-18p average) pay more. For a commercial operator with real export volumes, 12p is a serious, wholesale-reflective rate rather than a token compliance offer.

The one condition: import lock-in

SmartGen+ is only available to customers who also take Scottish Power for import. That is the defining trade-off. EDF, by contrast, accepts SEG-only export contracts on top of any import supplier — so EDF gives you the same 12p export without changing import. With Scottish Power you are committing your import contract to them to unlock the export rate, which means the import pricing has to stack up for your usage profile, not just the export figure.

Where Scottish Power sits in the market

Ranked by commercial export rate, the UK SEG market in 2026 looks like this:

Octopus Outgoing Fixed — 15p (requires Octopus import) — highest flat rate
Octopus Outgoing Agile — 14-18p average (requires Octopus import) — dynamic, best for battery sites
EDF Export Standard — 12p flat (SEG-only, no import switch) — highest no-lock-in rate
Scottish Power SmartGen+ — ~12p (requires Scottish Power import) — competitive, but bundled
British Gas Export & Earn Plus — 6.4p (requires BG import)
E.ON Next — ~5.5p · OVO — 5p · Shell Energy — 3.5p

SmartGen+ and EDF are economically twins on the export side. The differentiator is entirely about import: EDF leaves your import alone, Scottish Power takes it over.

Scottish Power SmartGen+ worked example

For a typical 500kWp commercial site exporting 120,000 kWh/year, currently on a low 5-6p SEG (E.ON Next, OVO, British Gas, Shell):

Current SEG revenue at 5.5p: £6,600/year
Scottish Power SmartGen+ at 12p: £14,400/year
Export revenue uplift: £7,800/year
25-year cumulative export differential (CPI-adjusted): £220,000+
Caveat: this counts export only — net benefit depends on Scottish Power import pricing vs your current import deal

The export uplift is real and large. The discipline is to model the import side too: if Scottish Power import is competitive for your usage, the full £7,800 export gain flows through. If their import is more expensive than your current deal, some of that gain is offset on the import bill — which is exactly why EDF's SEG-only route at the same 12p is often the cleaner answer.

SmartGen+ vs EDF vs Octopus — how to decide

Choose Scottish Power SmartGen+ if…

Your import contract is ending or flexible, and Scottish Power import pricing is competitive for your usage. Bundling import and export with one supplier can simplify administration, and at 12p the export rate is strong.

Choose EDF if…

You are part-way through a fixed-term import contract, or your current import deal is cheap. EDF gives you the same 12p export as a SEG-only contract with no import change and no exit fees — the lowest-friction route to a high export rate.

Choose Octopus if…

You are switching import anyway and Octopus import pricing suits you. Outgoing Fixed at 15p beats SmartGen+ by roughly 25%, and battery sites on Outgoing Agile can average 14-18p. Compare Octopus and Scottish Power import pricing head to head before deciding.

How to apply for Scottish Power SmartGen+

Confirm you hold an MCS certificate in your business name for a sub-5MW system
Confirm your meter supports half-hourly export readings (most modern commercial meters do)
Get Scottish Power import pricing in writing and compare it against your current import deal
Apply through Scottish Power as an import-plus-export package with your MCS number and meter point reference
Arrange the Scottish Power import switch alongside the SmartGen+ export tariff
Tariff goes live once the import switch completes — typically 14-21 days end to end

Because SmartGen+ bundles import, expect the fuller supplier-switch timeline rather than the faster export-only process EDF offers. Always confirm the import rate before committing — the export rate is only half the economics.

Scottish Power SmartGen+ FAQs

What does Scottish Power SmartGen+ pay in 2026?

Scottish Power SmartGen+ pays approximately 12p/kWh for exported electricity in 2026. That is genuinely competitive — it matches EDF Export Standard (12p) and beats British Gas (6.4p), E.ON Next (5.5p), OVO (5p) and Shell Energy (3.5p) by a wide margin. The one condition is that SmartGen+ requires you to take Scottish Power for import too; it is not available as a standalone export contract.

Does SmartGen+ require Scottish Power import?

Yes. Unlike EDF, which accepts SEG-only export contracts on top of any import supplier, Scottish Power SmartGen+ is only available to customers who also take Scottish Power for import. That import lock-in is the central trade-off: the 12p export rate is strong, but you are committing your import contract to Scottish Power to get it, so the import pricing has to stack up for your site as well.

Scottish Power SmartGen+ vs EDF — which is better?

Both pay around 12p for export, so the decision turns on import. EDF lets you keep your existing import supplier and bolt on SEG-only export at 12p with no exit fees — lower friction, no lock-in. Scottish Power requires you to switch import to them as well. If Scottish Power import pricing is competitive for your usage, SmartGen+ is fine; if not, EDF captures the same 12p export without touching your import deal.

Scottish Power SmartGen+ vs Octopus — which pays more?

Octopus pays more on headline rate: Outgoing Fixed at 15p versus SmartGen+ at around 12p, roughly 25% more. Octopus Outgoing Agile averages 14-18p for well-managed battery sites. Both Octopus and Scottish Power require their own import, so the comparison is import-versus-import. If you are switching import anyway, compare Octopus and Scottish Power import pricing directly, then let the better total bill decide rather than the export rate alone.

Is the 12p SmartGen+ rate worth switching import for?

It depends on the import side. For a high-export commercial site, moving from a 5-6p SEG to SmartGen+ at 12p adds several thousand pounds a year, which can justify an import switch if Scottish Power import pricing is competitive. But if your current import deal is cheap or fixed-term, EDF at 12p (SEG-only, no import change, no exit fees) usually wins net — same export rate, none of the import-contract risk.

What are the eligibility requirements for SmartGen+?

The standard SEG requirements apply: an MCS certificate in your business name confirming the solar PV system is under 5MW, plus a meter capable of half-hourly export readings. On top of that, SmartGen+ requires a Scottish Power import contract — so you would switch or hold import with Scottish Power as part of signing up. Most modern UK commercial meters already support half-hourly export; if not, the supplier arranges an upgrade.

How do I apply for Scottish Power SmartGen+?

Apply through Scottish Power as an import-plus-export package. You provide your MCS certificate number and meter point reference, and arrange Scottish Power import alongside the SmartGen+ export tariff. Because it bundles import, the switch is a fuller supplier change than an EDF SEG-only move — expect the import switch timeline (around 14-21 days) rather than the faster export-only process. Confirm import pricing in writing before committing.

Free funding review

See which grants your business qualifies for — free 20-minute funding review.

Tell us your sector, roof size and energy spend. We come back within one working day with a shortlist of grants and the realistic capex you can expect to recover.

Start Funding Review Call 020 4525 6101

No obligation. We don't charge for grant scoping.

Explore this guide cluster

Export tariffs, SEG & financing

Turn exported generation into revenue and remove capital cost — every Smart Export Guarantee tariff and zero-capex structure compared.

Pillar guideSEG export tariffs comparedSide-by-side of every commercial SEG rate in 2026.