The Best Energy Tariffs for Solar and Battery Owners (Octopus Flux and More)
The right tariff can be worth as much as the battery itself. Here's how the main types work, from Octopus Flux to EV and battery bundles, who can get them, and how to choose one for your home.
On this page
- With a battery, a time-of-use tariff lets you charge cheaply, avoid buying at the evening peak and, on some tariffs, export when prices are highest.
- Octopus Flux has a cheap window from 2am to 5am and a peak from 4pm to 7pm, when both import and export prices are highest. It needs solar panels and a battery.
- If you have an electric car, an EV tariff with a long overnight window, paired with a separate export tariff, is often the better fit.
- Rates change every few months and vary by region, so check prices for your postcode before you switch.
Why Your Tariff Matters
Solar panels make most of their electricity in the middle of the day. Most homes use most of theirs in the evening. A battery bridges the gap, and the tariff decides how much that's worth.
On a single flat rate, a battery saves you the price of the solar you store instead of exporting. On a time-of-use tariff it can do more: top up overnight at a low price in winter, when solar is weak, and avoid the dearest hours altogether. Some tariffs also pay more for electricity you export at peak times. Our payback guide shows how much the export rate alone changes payback.
The Main Types of Tariff
Most tariffs for solar and battery owners fall into one of five groups.
| Type | How it works | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Import and export time-of-use | Cheap overnight window, dear evening peak, and a higher export price at the peak | Octopus Flux |
| Dynamic (half-hourly) | Prices change every half hour with the wholesale market, occasionally going negative | Octopus Agile |
| EV tariffs | A long, very cheap overnight window, usually only for electric car owners | Intelligent Octopus Go, EDF GoElectric, E.ON Next Drive |
| Battery bundles | A tariff sold with a specific battery, where the supplier controls when it charges | British Gas Store & Save (with a Hinen battery through Sunsave) |
| Export-only | Pays for the electricity you send to the grid, alongside any import tariff | Outgoing Octopus, other Smart Export Guarantee tariffs |
Tariff names and structures checked on suppliers' websites on 14 November 2026. Eligibility rules differ: always read the supplier's terms.
Octopus Flux Explained
Octopus Flux is built for homes with solar panels and a battery. It sets three prices for both import and export.
| Time | Importing | Exporting |
|---|---|---|
| 2am to 5am | Cheapest | Lowest |
| 4pm to 7pm | Dearest | Highest |
| All other times | Day rate | Day rate |
A typical way to use it: charge the battery in the 2am to 5am window, run the house on solar and battery through the day, and keep enough in the battery to avoid importing, or to export, between 4pm and 7pm. As an illustration of the pattern, Octopus's published rates for Yorkshire from April 2025 were about 16p per kWh off-peak, 26p in the day and 37p at peak for import, and paid about 27p per kWh for export at peak (Octopus Flux rates, April 2025). Rates have changed since, so check today's for your postcode.
Who can get it. Octopus says you need solar panels, a home battery, a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings and your MCS certificate, and you need to be on its import and export tariffs (Octopus Energy, Flux). It isn't available for a battery without solar. The automated version, Intelligent Octopus Flux, was listed as temporarily unavailable in November 2026.
How to Choose
Start with what you have, then compare the total cost over a year, not one headline rate.
- Solar and a battery, no electric car: an import and export time-of-use tariff such as Flux, or a dynamic tariff if you're happy to manage it. Compare with a flat import tariff plus a good export tariff.
- Solar, battery and an electric car: an EV tariff's long cheap window often wins for import. Pair it with a separate export tariff where the supplier allows.
- A battery without solar: you need a tariff with a cheap window that's open to battery-only homes, or a battery bundle. See our battery-without-solar guide.
- Not sure yet: run a few weeks on your current tariff with the battery's app, then look at when you import and export before switching.
Check exit fees and how long a fixed rate lasts before you switch. Export tariffs need your MCS certificate, which we send after your install. Our export guide covers the Smart Export Guarantee.
What Your Battery Needs
To make the most of a time-of-use tariff, the battery has to be able to charge from the grid and run on a schedule.
Most modern batteries can be set to charge in a cheap window and hold charge for the peak. Some tariffs that control the battery for you only work with certain brands, so check the supplier's list first. Our battery guide explains sizing.
Where This Information Comes From
We checked each supplier's website on 14 November 2026.
Sources: Octopus Flux, Octopus Agile, Outgoing Octopus, EDF GoElectric, E.ON Next smart tariffs and Centrica (British Gas Store & Save). Spark isn't paid by any energy supplier and doesn't sell energy tariffs. Tariffs change often; we review this page every quarter.
Your Questions, Answered.
What is the best tariff for solar panels and a battery?
It depends on what you have. With solar and a battery, an import and export time-of-use tariff such as Octopus Flux often suits. With an electric car too, an EV tariff's long cheap window paired with an export tariff is often better. Compare the yearly cost for your postcode.
What are the Octopus Flux times?
Off-peak is 2am to 5am and peak is 4pm to 7pm, with a day rate at other times. Import and export prices are both highest at the peak.
Can I get Octopus Flux without solar panels?
No. Octopus says Flux needs solar panels and a home battery, a smart meter and your MCS certificate.
Can a battery charge from the grid at night?
Yes. Most modern batteries can be scheduled to charge in a cheap overnight window and power your home at peak times.
Do I need a smart meter for these tariffs?
Yes. Time-of-use and export tariffs need a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings.
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