ScottishPower Tariffs: Fixed and Export Options

ScottishPower is one of the UK's big six energy suppliers, serving around five million households and businesses across Great Britain¹. For a household comparing tariffs, the practical question is what the supplier actually sells: a standard variable rate, fixed deals, a two-part Flexi structure, green tariffs backed by its own windfarms, and an export tariff called SmartGen that paid 12p per kWh in the Smart Export Guarantee's fifth year².

The company is Spanish-owned, a subsidiary of Iberdrola since 2007, and it occupies the sixth and final place in the UK's big energy suppliers list³. It is a mandatory licensee for both the Feed-in Tariff and the Smart Export Guarantee, which means it must offer export payments to eligible households⁵.

For energy independence, the picture is mixed. ScottishPower's green tariffs are backed by 100% renewable electricity from its own UK windfarms, and its SmartGen export rate has been among the highest available². But a household on any ScottishPower tariff remains connected to the grid, dependent on a supplier for billing and settlement, and dependent on the company's systems for smart meter data and app features.

What ScottishPower offers UK households

ScottishPower's domestic range covers the standard variable tariff, fixed-rate products such as Fixed Saver, and the Flexi tariffs. The standard tariff is variable, so prices can go up or down, and it is subject to Ofgem's energy price cap¹². Fixed deals lock the unit rate for a set term, and ScottishPower states that customers can switch between its own tariffs at any time without paying exit fees¹⁴.

The Flexi tariffs are the most distinctive product. They consist of two parts: a fixed price for the energy supplied, and variable costs linked to external industry costs⁸. Those variable components include transmission and distribution charges, and they are updated quarterly. The Flexi page publishes the variable cost components effective from 1 July 2026, with further updates due on 1 October 2026 and quarterly thereafter⁸.

ScottishPower also sells green tariffs. All domestic green tariffs are backed by 100% green electricity generated from the company's own windfarms in the UK, and the fuel mix disclosure for green tariff customers shows 0g of CO2 per kWh⁷. For customers on non-green tariffs, the same disclosure shows 468g of CO2 per kWh, 15% coal and 4% nuclear⁷.

On the export side, ScottishPower operates SmartGen for households with solar panels. Customers who install solar panels or a battery through ScottishPower can access preferential SmartGen+ export rates¹⁷. The company installs solar panels and batteries throughout Great Britain¹⁷.

Specifications: what the Flexi tariff actually contains

The Flexi tariff's specification is published as a set of cost components rather than a single unit rate. The transmission (TUoS) standing charge is 22.26p per day, with a TUoS unit rate of 0p per kWh⁸. The distribution (DUoS) standing charge is 17.61p per day, with a DUoS unit rate of 1.932p per kWh⁸. The capacity market unit rate is 1.216p per kWh⁸.

Two of these figures are disputed between documents. The capacity market unit rate appears as both 1.216p per kWh and 1.332p per kWh in the same price list, and the DUoS standing charge appears as both 17.61p per day and 9.56p per day⁸.

The gas standing charge on the Flexi tariff is 3.39p per day⁸. The variable costs were effective from 1 July 2026⁸.

For the standard tariff, the standing charge in the South Wales (SWALEC) region is 56.83p per day on direct debit, with a unit rate of 32.13p per kWh for electricity and 14.37p per kWh for gas⁹. The standard tariff is variable, so these figures can change¹³.

What the warranty and guarantees cover

ScottishPower's guarantees are not product warranties in the way a boiler manufacturer's are. They are service standards set by Ofgem, and the company must meet them¹⁹. The Guaranteed Standards cover things like restoring supply after a power cut and responding to complaints within set timescales.

For households with solar panels, the relevant guarantee is the export payment itself. ScottishPower is a mandatory Smart Export Guarantee licensee, which means it must offer an export tariff to eligible households⁵. The SmartGen tariff paid 12p per kWh in SEG Year 5, the highest untied rate available². The same rate was recorded in SEG Year 3².

For Feed-in Tariff customers, ScottishPower Energy Retail Ltd is a mandatory FIT licensee⁶. The company provides dedicated contact routes for FIT customers, including a meter readings telephone line on 0800 001 5156, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, and email addresses for meter readings, change of ownership, switching and export opt-in changes²⁰.

The Priority Services Register is the main support guarantee for vulnerable households. It offers a free annual gas safety check by a fully qualified engineer on request, a password service to authenticate home visitors, alternative format bills including large format, Braille, compact disc and audio cassette, and a Protected Service Scheme to nominate a friend or relative to receive bills²¹. ScottishPower states that these services are offered at no additional cost¹⁵.

What ScottishPower tariffs cost

There is no single price for a ScottishPower tariff. The cost depends on the tariff, the region, the payment method and the fuel. The standard tariff in South Wales carries a standing charge of 56.83p per day and a unit rate of 32.13p per kWh for electricity⁹. The Flexi tariff's standing charges are 22.26p per day for transmission and 17.61p per day for distribution, with unit rates of 0p and 1.932p per kWh respectively⁸.

For households considering solar and battery storage, ScottishPower's installation arm quotes batteries from £2,910, or £1,680 if bought with solar panels¹⁰. A limited-time offer of £250 off solar panels and battery systems ran from 28 August to 5 October 2026¹⁷.

ScottishPower also acts as an introducer to Heatable for boiler installation, and states that it receives a commission for introducing customers²². It acts as a credit broker and not a lender for any finance arrangements²².

The company's own guidance on energy efficiency includes an advice tool that equips approved installers with clear and correct information for customers and gives detailed energy efficiency advice at the point of installation¹. The Energy Saving Trust case study notes that the supplier offers energy efficiency advice to customers and supports them with personalised advice¹.

The company's status and ownership

ScottishPower is not a British company. It has been a subsidiary of the Spanish utility Iberdrola since 2007, and is described as Spanish-owned despite its name¹¹. It occupies the sixth and final spot in the UK's big energy suppliers list³. It is part of the Iberdrola group¹.

The company has traded in the UK for 30 years and states that it has over 2,000MW of installed wind power capacity, enough to power over 1m homes¹⁵. It aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050¹⁵.

ScottishPower Energy Retail Ltd holds the encompassing licences for supply, and is a mandatory FIT licensee and a mandatory SEG licensee⁵. In SEG Year 5, ScottishPower submitted its annual data after the 30 June deadline, which was recorded as an incident in the Smart Export Guarantee annual report². The company had 14,216 registered installations in SEG Year 5, a 5.3% share².

On customer service, ScottishPower ranked 10th in the supplier comparison table for January to March 2026²³. The company has a Trustpilot score of 4.3 out of 5¹⁸. It has refunded a payment in a case that was reported in June 2026²⁴.

ScottishPower states that it works with third parties such as StepChange Debt Charity and runs a Hardship Fund to help customers who have difficulties paying their bill due to low income or other changes in financial circumstances¹⁵. It also ensures that eligible customers receive the Warm Home Discount¹⁵.

What it means for household energy independence

A ScottishPower tariff keeps a household connected to the grid and dependent on a supplier for billing, settlement and smart meter data. The green tariffs reduce the carbon intensity of the electricity supplied, with 0g of CO2 per kWh for green tariff customers, but they do not reduce the household's dependence on the network⁷.

The Flexi tariff's structure is the clearest example of shared risk. The fixed part covers the energy supplied, while the variable part passes through external industry costs⁸. That means the household bears some of the cost variability that a fully fixed tariff would absorb.

The SmartGen export tariff offers a route to earning from generation, and at 12p per kWh it has been among the highest rates available². For a household with solar panels, that export income reduces the net cost of electricity and shortens the payback period on the installation. But the rate is set by the supplier and can change, and the household remains dependent on the grid for import when generation is low.

ScottishPower's app and online account add a digital dependence. The app is available on Google Play and the App Store, and the company offers a free call back service bookable up to a week in advance¹⁵. Remote features depend on a working internet connection and the supplier's systems.

For households in Scotland, energyadvice.scot provides a free service for Scottish citizens with questions about their energy supplier, wanting to understand their supplier's complaints process, or with problems with their energy bills²⁵. Ofgem also provides guidance on complaining about an energy supplier²⁵.

The Feed-in Tariff remains open to existing customers but closed to new applicants. ScottishPower's FIT pages provide the contact routes for meter readings, change of ownership and export opt-in changes²⁰. For households already on FIT, the export payments continue under the scheme rules.