EDF increased the rate paid on its SEG Export Variable tariff from 1.5p to 3p per kWh in March 2023, according to an account of the supplier's export tariffs. The rate has remained at 3p per kWh since then, described as stable "among a world of changing export prices"1.
SEG Export Variable is the supplier's most open export option. Households can be paid for exported electricity regardless of who installed their system or who supplies their grid electricity, and there is no requirement to take an EDF import tariff1. Eligibility rests on having a system installed by a company certified by MCS or Flexi-Orb, with an installation capacity no larger than five megawatts1.
The 3p rate sits well below the wider market. Ofgem's latest report puts the average export rate at 10.8p per kWh, nearly three times higher than this tariff1. EDF's other export tariffs pay more but carry conditions: SEG Export Variable Value pays 5.6p per kWh and requires the household to get its electricity from EDF, Export 12m pays a fixed 15p per kWh for solar homes willing to take grid electricity from the supplier, and Export Exclusive 12m V3 pays 18p per kWh1.
| EDF export tariff | Rate | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Export Exclusive 12m V3 | 18p per kWh | Installation through EDF subsidiary Contact Solar and an EDF import tariff1 |
| Export 12m | 15p per kWh | EDF import tariff; no EDF installation required1 |
| SEG Export Variable Value | 5.6p per kWh | EDF import tariff; system up to 5MW1 |
| SEG Export Variable | 3p per kWh | MCS or Flexi-Orb installation; any supplier1 |
The account states that switching import supplier during a 12-month contract moves a household onto SEG Export Variable and its 3p per kWh rate1. Illustrative annual earnings given for a household with a 4.9kWp system, a 5.2kWh battery and annual consumption of 3,400kWh are £439 on Export Exclusive 12m V3 and £191 on Export 12m1. No equivalent annual figure is given for SEG Export Variable beyond a table entry of £711.
"Ever since EDF increased this tariff's rate from 1.5p to 3p per kWh in March 2023, it's remained stable among a world of changing export prices."
Why it matters for households
Export payments are the income side of a home's energy independence: they set what a household is paid for electricity it generates but does not use. A rate of 3p per kWh against an average market rate of 10.8p per kWh means the gap between the least conditional EDF option and the wider market is material for anyone exporting regularly1. The trade-off is structural rather than incidental. The higher rates on EDF's other tariffs depend on taking an EDF import tariff, or on having the installation carried out through the supplier's subsidiary, so the household gives up some freedom over where it buys its electricity or who fits its equipment1. For a home with a battery, the value of export also depends on how much is stored and shifted rather than sent to the grid, which is why the same system can produce very different annual figures across tariffs1.
What happens next
No change to the 3p per kWh rate has been reported since March 20231. The account notes that Export Exclusive 12m is available only to households that do not yet have both solar panels and a battery, or that went solar through EDF since 2 March 20261.
Sources1 cited
- EDF’s export tariff: is it worth it? 2026, sunsave.energy