The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is the scheme that pays households for any excess electricity they send back to the grid from small-scale renewable systems such as solar panels. For many homeowners, that means earning money from power they do not use themselves, especially on bright days when panels are generating more than the home needs.
It is not as generous or as simple as the old Feed-in Tariff it replaced. Rates are set by individual energy suppliers rather than the government, and they can vary significantly. Even so, the SEG remains an important part of the wider financial picture. If you are weighing up the cost of solar panels, comparing the best solar panels, or deciding whether solar panels worth it, export payments can help improve the long-term return alongside bill savings and lower installation costs.
