Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) Experience

mvmccabe

Hi,
I'm looking for advice and other people's experiences with the Smart Export Guarantee scheme. We had solar panels fitted in January, and have already given the National Grid over 500kWh of free energy. So far, I've been finding it really hard to get onto SEG.

• The best deals are with Octopus. But our installation is Flex-Orb certified and not MCS. Octopus don't accept Flexi-Orb. To me, it seems bizarre that one type of certification should be less recognised than the other - it's still solar energy!
• The next best deal is with Scottish Power. However, I don't think we'll qualify as they insist on battery storage being separate from the export meter. I have no idea why energy that has come from solar via our battery storage should be any different from the energy straight from the panels.
• The next best deal after that is with British Gas, at 1/3 to 1/4 the price of Octopus.

Then, the application process is hard. My British Gas application has been sent back to me twice now, asking for additional info (e.g. I sent photos of smart meter with export reading and MPAN number, but now they insist on meter serial number on the photo as well!). It looks as if Scottish Power want different info (e.g. DNO confirmation reference number). 

To summarise, to get SEG payments the application process is both restrictive and difficult. And if successful, we'll probably get paid far less than the wholesale price of the energy!

What do others think

Screwdriva

I rarely say this, but given your unfortunate situation, I'd invest in a large battery (as opposed to rely on SEG)

cm4ever

Screwdriva said:

I rarely say this, but given your unfortunate situation, I'd invest in a large battery (as opposed to rely on SEG)

.... but what about that miserable ROI - you've completely shocked me and I'll need to have a lie down in a dark room now!

Reed_Richards

mvmccabe said:

• I have no idea why energy that has come from solar via our battery storage should be any different from the energy straight from the panels.

Perhaps your system would also allow you to charge the battery from cheap off-peak electricity then sell it back to Scottish Power for more money during the daytime peak rates - and Scottish Power don't like that idea?  

Grandad2b

We had some of the same issues - system installed in January but our installers were MCS and paperwork (G98 and installation certificate) dealt with very quickly.

The next step was to switch to Octopus with a referral code. Fairly straightforward although there was a bit of a mix up with the actual switch - Shell sent me an email to say the switch was complete at which point I sent Octopus meter readings but somehow the electric switch went through without a problem but Shell were still expecting me to send them gas readings. Got that sorted after about 3 days.

Having completed the switch we asked for a smart meter installation and at the same time I emailed the G98 and MCS certs and explained that I wanted to apply for export under the SEG. The meter installation went through really quickly - about a fortnight after the switch but total silence on the SEG front.

A couple of weeks later, and purely by chance, I came across the export application on the Octopus website (there doesn't seem to be a search facility) so completed that and very quickly spotted a notice on my account saying they had applied for my Export MPAN and this would take a couple of weeks. After about a month I queried why this wasn't progressing and was fobbed off with words to the effect of it can take a couple of months. Another couple of weeks went by and still nothing so I started investigating what the actual process is. Turns out the DNO, you know, the ones who approve your G98, also issue the Export MPAN so I rang Northern Powergrid to enquire. "Oh yes", says the young lady, "I'll get someone to call you". About 3 hours later I had my MPAN. Apparently the woman I spoke to first could have done that.
Naturally I immediately (Monday afternoon) emailed Octopus with the good news and to be fair to them the notice on the account changed almost immediately to say they were going through their processes. I got a switch cooling off notification (no idea why) and on Wednesday I could see our export for Tuesday.

Overall it's been at times frustrating and tedious but we eventually got there. I have no idea if we'll get paid for the 500+ units that went out through the smart meter before the Export MPAN. It's not clear where the fault for the delay lies - did NPg issue it and fail to notify Octopus or something else?

Anyway, best of luck with your application. You might try switching to Octopus once all your paperwork is in order, maybe they will then accept Flexi-Orb. Can't hurt to ask.

[Deleted User]

Reed_Richards said:

mvmccabe said:

• I have no idea why energy that has come from solar via our battery storage should be any different from the energy straight from the panels.

Perhaps your system would also allow you to charge the battery from cheap off-peak electricity then sell it back to Scottish Power for more money during the daytime peak rates - and Scottish Power don't like that idea?  

That was Octopus’ position until recently and then they brought out Flux.

BossBob

Grandad2b said:

We had some of the same issues - system installed in January but our installers were MCS and paperwork (G98 and installation certificate) dealt with very quickly.

The next step was to switch to Octopus with a referral code. Fairly straightforward although there was a bit of a mix up with the actual switch - Shell sent me an email to say the switch was complete at which point I sent Octopus meter readings but somehow the electric switch went through without a problem but Shell were still expecting me to send them gas readings. Got that sorted after about 3 days.

Having completed the switch we asked for a smart meter installation and at the same time I emailed the G98 and MCS certs and explained that I wanted to apply for export under the SEG. The meter installation went through really quickly - about a fortnight after the switch but total silence on the SEG front.

A couple of weeks later, and purely by chance, I came across the export application on the Octopus website (there doesn't seem to be a search facility) so completed that and very quickly spotted a notice on my account saying they had applied for my Export MPAN and this would take a couple of weeks. After about a month I queried why this wasn't progressing and was fobbed off with words to the effect of it can take a couple of months. Another couple of weeks went by and still nothing so I started investigating what the actual process is. Turns out the DNO, you know, the ones who approve your G98, also issue the Export MPAN so I rang Northern Powergrid to enquire. "Oh yes", says the young lady, "I'll get someone to call you". About 3 hours later I had my MPAN. Apparently the woman I spoke to first could have done that.
Naturally I immediately (Monday afternoon) emailed Octopus with the good news and to be fair to them the notice on the account changed almost immediately to say they were going through their processes. I got a switch cooling off notification (no idea why) and on Wednesday I could see our export for Tuesday.

Overall it's been at times frustrating and tedious but we eventually got there. I have no idea if we'll get paid for the 500+ units that went out through the smart meter before the Export MPAN. It's not clear where the fault for the delay lies - did NPg issue it and fail to notify Octopus or something else?

Anyway, best of luck with your application. You might try switching to Octopus once all your paperwork is in order, maybe they will then accept Flexi-Orb. Can't hurt to ask.

I also waited a month after applying for an export account with Octopus. I then rang them and explained. I was told that they’d check on a national database. MPAN found and export tarif sorted but yes at the cost of significant export to the grid that probably won’t be paid for! I doubt if they’d like it if we owed them money for electricity we’d used. In fact we know they don’t as we aren’t allowed to allow our account balance to go negative!

Katieowl

I originally contacted British Gas (my electricity supplier) 0n via email 9th June this year. They asked for more info which I sent (after three trying phonecalls to acertain exactly what they wanted) via email on 14th June. Heard nothing more, chased them up by email 14/8 no response, called on 18/8 and was told that my email of 14th June was never received!!!! Yeah right! Was asked for BACS account details at that point and asked to send the info from 14th June again, which I did, no email confirmation that it was recieved, is being actioned as of today, a week later, so havent a clue. Just put a shirty can you chase up the SEG team on the BG Facebook messenger. Am really cross now! I will call them again next week if there is no response, but I'm working up to making an offical complaint, If I owed them £££ they'd be all over it. 

QrizB

mvmccabe said:

The best deals are with Octopus. But our installation is Flex-Orb certified and not MCS. Octopus don't accept Flexi-Orb. To me, it seems bizarre that one type of certification should be less recognised than the other - it's still solar energy!

If the OP is still reading, Octopus no longer require MCS. They will pay export payments on electrician-installed systems.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6464617/octopus-opens-up-seg-tariffs-to-non-mcs-installations

Meatballs

Also worth noting FlexiOrb works with EON who are offering 16.5p for current customers too, so there is some market competition.

tripled

Katieowl said:

I originally contacted British Gas (my electricity supplier) 0n via email 9th June this year. They asked for more info which I sent (after three trying phonecalls to acertain exactly what they wanted) via email on 14th June. Heard nothing more, chased them up by email 14/8 no response, called on 18/8 and was told that my email of 14th June was never received!!!! Yeah right! Was asked for BACS account details at that point and asked to send the info from 14th June again, which I did, no email confirmation that it was recieved, is being actioned as of today, a week later, so havent a clue. Just put a shirty can you chase up the SEG team on the BG Facebook messenger. Am really cross now! I will call them again next week if there is no response, but I'm working up to making an offical complaint, If I owed them £££ they'd be all over it. 

I originally applied for British Gas SEG on 6th April, which they acknowledged. Like with you, they also asked me for additional information, despite me having sent everything they asked for on the application form, and then claimed emails weren't received. Finally at the beginning of June they confirmed they had everything, but I'm still waiting for the account to be set up. I raised an official complaint 5 weeks ago and, aside from the automated acknowledgement promising a response in up to 21 days (which has been and gone), I've heard nothing. They are an absolute shower.