How to get the best SEG tariff

MSE_Clare

Hi everyone

We've just published a new guide on How to get the best Smart Export Guarantee rates and we'd love to hear your feedback.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

Thanks for your help,

MSE Clare

Coastalwatch

Thanks Clare, sets it all out very clearly in comparison tables.

Interesting to learn that not all company's payout for Export monthly but choose to hang on to it for 3 or even 12 months.

Qyburn

Coverage of Intelligent Octopus Flux needs to be updated now they support several systems in addition to Givenergy.

Reed_Richards

I have just joined the E.on Next Export Exclusive SEG tariff as an E.on Next supply customer.  The statement 

"You can request payment more frequently [than every 12 months], maximum of four payments a year."

applies in my case, although you wouldn't know this if you just read the "Solar export tariffs that require you to be an energy customer" table, as it is  not mentioned there, only on the previous table.  

It's strange; E.on Next wanted me to have an export MPAN so they can read my export reading remotely but they don't seem to actually use that facility.

Incidentally, my understanding is that their SEG payment rate is fixed for 12 months.  There is no indication that it will drop after that but it isn't guaranteed to last any longer.  I imagine the same is true of every other company; their SEG rates might change to reflect changes in the wholesale price of electricity.  

JimmySolar

In your comments re smart tariffs such as Flux & Go, you only talk about charging the batteries up overnight on the cheaper import tariffs, but you don't mention the possibility of charging the batteries back up again from solar the next morning for free which is what we do and we are on the Flux tariff.
Granted, it does depend on how large your solar array is and often there is the gamble on how good the weather forecast is, but generally for us, from March to October, Flux works very well for us.

We force export from our batteries between 4-7pm leaving enough in them to last overnight and into the next morning, when we leave them to recharge solely from solar. They are usually charged between late morning and mid afternoon (depending on the weather)

We've looked at the figures compared to being on other tariffs and the amount we can export at the current 30.5p (Flux for our area) peak 4-7pm period and 10.5p daytime rate, is still more than if we were on the fixed outgoing 15p rate all day.

We recently purchased a 2½ year old EV and have been managing to top that up from excess solar in the afternoons, before the 4pm export period starts.

We've been on Flux for the last 2 winters, but will be switching to Octopus Go around October/November time when the solar drops off. We will be able to benefit from the 8.5p overnight import rate now we have an EV compared to the current 17.1p Flux import rate.
Who knew getting solar and batteries would become soooo complicated. These smart tariffs didn't exist when we had our system installed.

Qyburn

JimmySolar said:

In your comments re smart tariffs such as Flux & Go, you only talk about charging the batteries up overnight on the cheaper import tariffs, but you don't mention the possibility of charging the batteries back up again from solar the next morning for free which is what we do and we are on the Flux tariff.

In our case charging from solar is not free as it reduces the amount exported. 

JimmySolar

I've just read your getting the best out of your SEG payments article and don't agree with a section of your comparison chart.

We have been on the Octopus Flux tariff from within a few months of when it was launched.

In your chart, you state receiving export payment credits is 3 monthly. This is incorrect, we receive the credit at the end of each month. I believe this is also the case for Octopus Intelligent Flux too. Unless this applies to new customers switching to this tariff, but we get credited monthly.

JimmySolar

Qyburn said:

JimmySolar said:

In your comments re smart tariffs such as Flux & Go, you only talk about charging the batteries up overnight on the cheaper import tariffs, but you don't mention the possibility of charging the batteries back up again from solar the next morning for free which is what we do and we are on the Flux tariff.

In our case charging from solar is not free as it reduces the amount exported. 

Qyburn said:

JimmySolar said:

In your comments re smart tariffs such as Flux & Go, you only talk about charging the batteries up overnight on the cheaper import tariffs, but you don't mention the possibility of charging the batteries back up again from solar the next morning for free which is what we do and we are on the Flux tariff.

In our case charging from solar is not free as it reduces the amount exported. 

By "free", I was referring to not having to pay to charge from a cheap rate tariff overnight.

In our case on the Flux tariff, yes, we are sacrificing roughly 15 kWh of possible daytime export @ 10.5p, but we more than make up for this exporting the same 15 kWh between 4-7pm @ 30.5p, plus any additional excess solar during this 3 hour period.

We've compared figures to if we were on the Go tariff with 8.5p import overnight and fixed Outgoing export of 15p and we are currently in the region of £1.50-£2 a day better off on Flux.

Granted, this will change over the winter months after the clocks change and the solar runs out. It's just deciding when best to switch to Go to take advantage of the cheaper overnight charging that we will need.

Tweedy93

Hi looking at your guide and no mention of areas where Smart meters cannot connect for geographical or other reasons (according to supplier).  What’s being done to improve options for those of us who have PV panels, battery storage and heat pump installed but cannot access better tariffs? Supplier offers lowest rate for SEG as they can’t get half hourly readings. They refuse to look at any work around to resolve the issue. I’m sure I’m not the only person in this situation. Thanks. 

Reed_Richards

Tweedy93 said:

Supplier offers lowest rate for SEG as they can’t get half hourly readings. They refuse to look at any work around to resolve the issue. I’m sure I’m not the only person in this situation. Thanks. 

@Tweedy93 I'm only aware of one supplier, Octopus, that makes SEG payments that differ according to the time of day, and that is only for certain SEG plans.  There may be others but the vast majority of SEG providers just use quarterly export readings and you might be able to find one that accepts manual export readings.  I would try E,on Next as they seem to rely on customer supplied export readings at present.