Solar Panel Grants & Incentives

The Smart Export Guarantee replaced the old Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme in January 2020. Unlike the FiT — which paid a generation tariff on all electricity produced and a separate export tariff — the SEG pays only for electricity you actually export to the grid. This distinction matters significantly for how you size and use your system.

Under the FiT, there was a financial incentive to generate as much electricity as possible regardless of whether you used it. Under the SEG, the economics reward self-consumption: using the electricity you generate directly is worth approximately 2.5x the export rate (24-28p/kWh used vs 10.8p/kWh exported). This means the optimal strategy for maximising financial return is to size your system to match your daytime consumption as closely as possible, run high-consumption appliances during the day, and consider battery storage to capture excess generation for evening use.

To qualify for the SEG, your system must be installed by an MCS certified installer and the panels must be certified under MCS. We handle all SEG registration on your behalf as part of every installation — you simply provide us with your preferred energy supplier and we complete the paperwork. SEG payments are typically made quarterly by your energy supplier directly to your bank account.

One practical note: the SEG rate is not fixed. Suppliers can change their rates, and while 10.8p/kWh is the current leading rate, it can go up or down. The figures in the SEG income table on this page assume the current rate holds — in practice, rates may improve as competition between suppliers increases, or they may decline if grid conditions change. The government is consulting on minimum floor rates to provide greater certainty. For the most current rates, Ofgem publishes a comparison of SEG tariffs at ofgem.gov.uk.

What you earn from export depends on how much your array generates, so it is worth comparing panels before you commit: our best solar panels guide is the place to start.

Switch Together is a group purchasing scheme run by Wiltshire Council in partnership with iChoosr. The principle is straightforward: by aggregating demand from many householders, the scheme negotiates a discounted price with a vetted installer. The scheme has run three times in Wiltshire, with 3,400+ registrations and approximately 8.9 MW of installed capacity across the county.

The scheme works by inviting residents to register interest, collecting demand, tendering to approved installers, and then presenting a fixed price offer to registrants who can accept or decline. There is no obligation to proceed at the registration stage. The prices are typically competitive, though the discount varies between rounds and depends on the volume of registrations.

The main considerations when comparing Switch Together prices with an independent quote are: Switch Together uses a single installer for a given round, meaning less flexibility on system specification; the price includes a group discount but may not account for property-specific complications that emerge at survey; and the customer relationship is mediated by the scheme rather than direct. We offer independent quotes that are consistently competitive with Switch Together pricing, and we have had customers compare both approaches and choose us on the basis of local knowledge, personalised specification, and direct accountability. The best approach is to register your interest in the next Switch Together round while also obtaining an independent quote — the comparison is informative.

Whether you join a group-buying scheme or buy directly, our page on solar panels in Wiltshire shows what a Lumos survey and installation involve.