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UK SEG — Scottish Power

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

SmartGen Premium pays around 12p/kWh for exported solar — one of the strongest commercial export rates in the UK, level with EDF and — since its 1 March 2026 cut from 15p — Octopus Outgoing Fixed, 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 Premium pays

Scottish Power SmartGen Premium 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 12M Small Business (15p, EDF supply customers) and with Octopus Outgoing Fixed, which was cut from 15p to 12p on 1 March 2026, and it is roughly double what British Gas (8p, or 3p for non-customers), E.ON Next (commercial by quote), OVO (4p) and Shell Energy (3.5p) offer. Only dynamic tariffs pay more — well-managed Octopus Outgoing Agile sites average 14-18p and Octopus Flux peaks near 30p — so on flat rates SmartGen Premium now sits in a three-way tie at the top of the market. 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 Premium 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 Agile — 14-18p average, peaks near 30p (requires Octopus import) — dynamic, the highest overall return and best for battery sites
  • EDF Export 12M Small Business — 12p flat (SEG-only, no import switch) — highest no-lock-in rate
  • Octopus Outgoing Fixed — 12p flat (requires Octopus import) — cut from 15p to 12p on 1 March 2026
  • Scottish Power SmartGen Premium — ~12p (requires Scottish Power import) — level with the top flat rates, but bundled
  • British Gas Export Extra — 6.4p (requires BG import)
  • E.ON Next — ~5.5p · OVO — 5p · Shell Energy — 3.5p

Indicative commercial export rates, verified July 2026. The flat top tier is now a three-way tie at around 12p — Octopus Outgoing Fixed, EDF Export 12M Small Business and Scottish Power SmartGen Premium — with dynamic tariffs above it. Confirm live figures with each supplier before signing.

SmartGen Premium, EDF Export 12M Small Business and — since the 1 March 2026 cut — Octopus Outgoing Fixed are economically twins on the flat export side, all at around 12p. The differentiator is entirely about import: EDF leaves your import alone, while Scottish Power and Octopus both take it over.

Scottish Power SmartGen Premium 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 Premium 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 Premium vs EDF vs Octopus — how to decide

Choose Scottish Power SmartGen Premium 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 can shift export with battery storage, or you are switching import anyway and Octopus import pricing suits you. On flat rates there is now nothing to choose between them — Outgoing Fixed was cut from 15p to 12p on 1 March 2026, level with SmartGen Premium — so the real case for Octopus is dynamic export: battery sites on Outgoing Agile average 14-18p and Flux peaks near 30p, which no flat 12p tariff can match. Compare Octopus and Scottish Power import pricing head to head before deciding.

How to apply for Scottish Power SmartGen Premium

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

Because SmartGen Premium 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.

Related

Scottish Power SmartGen Premium FAQs

What does Scottish Power SmartGen Premium pay in 2026?
Scottish Power SmartGen Premium pays approximately 12p/kWh for exported electricity in 2026. That is genuinely competitive — it matches EDF Export 12M Small Business (15p, EDF supply customers) and beats British Gas (8p, or 3p for non-customers), E.ON Next (commercial by quote), OVO (4p) and Shell Energy (3.5p) by a wide margin. The one condition is that SmartGen Premium requires you to take Scottish Power for import too; it is not available as a standalone export contract.
Does SmartGen Premium require Scottish Power import?
Yes. Unlike EDF, which accepts SEG-only export contracts on top of any import supplier, Scottish Power SmartGen Premium 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 Premium 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 Premium is fine; if not, EDF captures the same 12p export without touching your import deal.
Scottish Power SmartGen Premium vs Octopus — which pays more?
On flat rates they are now level. Octopus cut Outgoing Fixed from 15p to 12p on 1 March 2026, so it pays about the same as SmartGen Premium at around 12p — the headline gap has gone. Octopus only pays more on its dynamic tariffs: Outgoing Agile averages 14-18p for well-managed battery sites and Intelligent Octopus Flux peaks near 30p in winter peak windows. 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 Premium 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 Premium 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 15p (EDF supply customers) (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 Premium?
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 Premium 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 Premium?
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 Premium 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.
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The allowance depends on the asset, and most pages on this topic get it the wrong way round. Solar PV is special-rate expenditure (HMRC Capital Allowances Manual CA22335), so the 100% year-one route is the Annual Investment Allowance — Full Expensing is a main-rate measure and does not reach it. Battery storage, EV charging and heat pumps are Heat pumps for space or water heating are special-rate: AIA, then the 50% FYA. Standalone batteries are probably main-rate (full expensing for companies), but HMRC has no specific guidance; confirm with your adviser.

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  • 1. A short written funding note naming every scheme your site qualifies for in 2026 — and the ones it does not.
  • 2. Indicative system size and a capex band for your roof.
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Pillar guideSEG export tariffs comparedSide-by-side of every commercial SEG rate in 2026.