What is Octopus Flux and how does it work?

Octopus Flux is a time-of-use tariff exclusive to Octopus Energy customers with solar panels and battery storage. It pays premium rates (28.60p/kWh) for electricity exported during peak hours (4pm-7pm), much lower rates at off-peak times (9.80p/kWh between 2am-5am), and standard rates for other times. The tariff is designed to allow households to charge batteries during cheap off-peak periods and export electricity during expensive peak periods when grid demand is high, creating a profit opportunity through arbitrage.

How much does Octopus Flux pay for exported solar electricity?

During peak hours (4pm-7pm), Octopus Flux pays 28.60p/kWh for exported electricity. During standard hours (5am-4pm and 7pm-2am), the export rate is approximately 15p/kWh. During off-peak hours (2am-5am), the export rate is 9.80p/kWh. These rates adjust every three months in line with Ofgem's price cap movements. This is significantly higher than standard Smart Export Guarantee rates, which typically pay 12-15p/kWh fixed regardless of time of day.

Do I need a battery for Octopus Flux?

Yes. Octopus Flux requires both solar panels AND battery storage as a condition of joining. This is because the tariff is designed specifically to work with battery systems that can time-shift solar generation to align with peak-rate export windows. Solar-only systems (no battery) cannot meaningfully benefit from the three-tiered rate structure and are not eligible. If you have solar but no battery, you would need to install a battery to qualify for Flux.

Can I join Octopus Flux if I'm not an Octopus Energy customer?

Octopus Flux is available only to Octopus Energy customers. If you're currently on a different supplier, you can switch to Octopus Energy for free, which typically takes 2-3 weeks. Once your switch is complete and your account is active with Octopus, you can apply for Flux or Intelligent Octopus Flux if you have a compatible battery system.

What is Intelligent Octopus Flux?

Intelligent Octopus Flux is an automated version of standard Flux that uses artificial intelligence to optimise when your battery charges and discharges based on weather forecasts, solar generation predictions, grid demand forecasts, and your household's consumption patterns. Rather than manually managing when you import and export electricity, Octopus's systems do this automatically to maximise your earnings. It typically generates 5-15% higher earnings than manual management and is available on compatible battery systems including GivEnergy, Tesla Powerwall 3, and Fox ESS.

How much can I realistically earn on Octopus Flux?

Earnings depend on your solar system size, battery capacity, and how much electricity you can export during peak hours. A typical 4kWp solar system with a 9.5kWh battery can reasonably expect to earn £350-500 per year on Intelligent Octopus Flux, compared to approximately £200-250 on a standard 15p/kWh fixed-rate Smart Export Guarantee tariff. Larger systems can earn more, and smaller systems will earn less.

What are the best batteries for Octopus Flux?

Currently, the best batteries for Intelligent Octopus Flux (full automation) are GivEnergy, Tesla Powerwall 3, Fox ESS H3/H4, Solis E5-EH, and Myenergi Libbi. These have native integration with Octopus's control systems. Other batteries like Puredrive, Sunwoda, and Alpha-E can still be used on standard Flux with manual management or their own app controls, but they don't have the full Intelligent Flux automation. Always check Octopus's compatibility list before purchasing a battery if Intelligent Flux automation is important to you.

Is Octopus Flux better than the standard Smart Export Guarantee?

For battery owners, Octopus Flux is typically better than a standard fixed-rate Smart Export Guarantee. Flux's 28.60p peak rate (more than double a standard 15p rate) delivers approximately £150-300 extra annual earnings for typical systems. However, Flux requires more engagement: you need a battery, a compatible smart meter, an MCS-certified installation, and awareness of peak and off-peak hours to avoid peak-time grid imports. For solar-only homes without batteries, or for households that can't manage consumption around peak hours, a simple fixed-rate tariff may be more suitable despite lower earnings.

Octopus Flux Tariff for 2026 - Earn More From Your Solar Panels

Octopus Flux is a time-of-use electricity tariff designed specifically for households with solar panels and battery storage. It pays 28.60p/kWh for electricity you export during peak demand hours (4pm–7pm) and charges just 9.80p/kWh for electricity you import during off-peak hours (2am–5am) — a spread of 18.80p/kWh that creates meaningful arbitrage income for battery-equipped solar households.

For homeowners with a compatible solar and battery system, Octopus Flux is currently the most financially rewarding export tariff available in the UK. This guide explains how the tariff works, how much you can earn, which battery systems are compatible, and how Flux compares to alternative SEG tariffs.

Key Takeaways

Octopus Flux pays 28.60p/kWh for electricity exported during peak hours (4pm–7pm daily), significantly higher than standard SEG rates of 10–15p/kWh.
The off-peak import rate of 9.80p/kWh (2am–5am) allows households with battery storage to charge cheaply overnight and dispatch that energy at peak rate.
The 18.80p/kWh spread between peak export and off-peak import can generate approximately £350–£450 per year in additional battery arbitrage income for a 9.5–10kWh battery.
Octopus Flux requires a SMETS2 smart meter and a compatible battery system — you don’t need to use Octopus as your solar installer to access it.
Flux is most financially effective for households that can shift significant consumption to off-peak hours and have sufficient battery capacity to capture peak export opportunities.

How Octopus Flux Works

Octopus Flux divides the day into three pricing periods. During off-peak hours (2am–5am), electricity import costs 9.80p/kWh — well below the standard unit rate of around 24–25p/kWh. During peak hours (4pm–7pm), Octopus pays you 28.60p/kWh for any electricity you export to the grid. During the remaining hours (known as “flux” hours), both import and export occur at an intermediate rate.

This three-period structure creates two distinct opportunities for solar and battery households. First, you can charge your battery from the grid at 9.80p/kWh overnight, then discharge it during peak hours when you’d otherwise be importing at the higher intermediate or peak rate — or export the battery charge at 28.60p/kWh if your daytime solar has already met your household consumption. Second, any solar generation during peak hours (late afternoon sunshine in summer) is exported at 28.60p/kWh rather than the 10–15p/kWh of a standard SEG tariff.

How Much Can You Earn With Octopus Flux?

Battery Arbitrage Income

For a household with a 9.5–10kWh battery, the core arbitrage calculation works as follows. Charging 9kWh from the grid at 9.80p/kWh costs 88p per night. Exporting or avoiding import of that 9kWh at peak rate saves or earns at the 18.80p/kWh spread — approximately £1.69 of value. After deducting battery charging efficiency losses (typically 90–95%), the daily profit from pure arbitrage is approximately 90–95p per day when battery cycling is maximised.

In practice, not every day achieves full arbitrage (battery may already be charged from solar, peak window may be partially met by solar generation rather than battery). A realistic annual estimate for additional Flux arbitrage income — over what a standard SEG tariff would earn — is £350–£450 per year for a 9.5–10kWh battery operating in a typical UK home.

Premium Export Rate on Solar Generation

During the 3pm–7pm window in summer, UK solar panels are still generating meaningfully. A 4kWp system in the south of England might produce 4–8kWh during this window on a good summer day. At 28.60p/kWh rather than the 15p/kWh of Outgoing Octopus, that’s an additional 13.60p/kWh — approximately 55–110p of additional export income per good summer day, adding roughly £60–£100 per year on top of the arbitrage benefit.

Total Financial Impact

A Surrey family with a 4kWp solar system and 9.5kWh GivEnergy battery reported switching from Outgoing Octopus (15p fixed rate) to Flux in early 2026. Their total electricity cost comparison over 12 months showed: standard solar savings £620, SEG income on Flux (peak rate, solar) £185, battery arbitrage £390 — total benefit £1,195 versus £780 on their previous Outgoing Octopus tariff. The switch to Flux increased their total financial benefit by approximately £415 per year.

Who Should Use Octopus Flux?

Octopus Flux is most financially rewarding for households that:

Have a battery storage system of at least 5kWh (ideally 9.5kWh or larger)
Can shift significant electricity consumption — dishwasher, washing machine, EV charging — to the 2am–5am off-peak window
Have solar generation capacity of at least 3kWp
Have a SMETS2 smart meter installed
Use a compatible battery management system that integrates with Octopus’s Intelligent platform for automated scheduling

Households without battery storage should consider Outgoing Octopus (15p/kWh fixed) as a simpler high-rate SEG alternative. The pure arbitrage benefit of Flux requires a battery to capture the off-peak cheap import and deploy it at peak rate.

Compatible Battery Systems for Octopus Flux

Octopus Flux works with most major UK battery systems through Octopus’s Intelligent platform, which can automatically optimise charging and discharging schedules around the tariff periods. Compatible systems include GivEnergy (GivEnergy Home 9.5kWh and 13.5kWh), Fox ESS (H3 series), Tesla Powerwall 3, Solis (with compatible inverter-battery combination), and Sonnen (ecolinx series).

Battery management integration works best with systems that support Octopus’s API for automated scheduling. Without integration, you can still benefit from Flux by manually scheduling battery charge/discharge cycles, but the optimisation is less precise and the financial benefit correspondingly lower.

How to Switch to Octopus Flux

You don’t need to use Octopus Energy Solar as your installer to access Flux. Any household with a qualifying solar and battery system, a SMETS2 smart meter, and an electricity supply can switch to Octopus and enrol in the Flux tariff. The process involves switching your electricity supply to Octopus (typically takes 3 weeks), getting your SMETS2 meter communicating with Octopus’s systems, and then enrolling in the Flux tariff through the Octopus app.

Current Flux rates (April 2026): off-peak import 9.80p/kWh (2am–5am), peak export 28.60p/kWh (4pm–7pm), flux rate (all other hours) approximately 22–24p/kWh import and 12–15p/kWh export. Rates are subject to change — check the Octopus website for current figures before switching.

Octopus Flux vs Alternative SEG Tariffs

For households without battery storage, Outgoing Octopus at 15p/kWh offers a simpler and still competitive alternative. OVO Energy’s SEG tariff pays approximately 12p/kWh. E.ON’s offers around 7.5p/kWh. EDF’s pays around 5.5p/kWh. The gap between Flux peak export (28.60p/kWh) and the next-best fixed rate (15p from Outgoing Octopus) is substantial — but only realisable with battery storage to shift generation to the peak window.

Expert Insights From Our Solar Panel Installers About Octopus Flux

“Flux is genuinely the most financially attractive tariff for a solar-plus-battery household right now, and it’s changed the payback calculation quite significantly for battery storage,” says one of our senior solar panel installers with over 14 years of experience. “Before smart tariffs like this, the case for battery storage was borderline for a lot of households — the payback was 12–15 years. With Flux, that can come down to 7–9 years for a household that’s diligent about optimising around the off-peak window. The integration with GivEnergy and Fox ESS for automatic scheduling makes it fairly hands-off once it’s set up.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Octopus Flux?

Octopus Flux is a time-of-use electricity tariff for solar and battery households. It pays 28.60p/kWh for peak-hour electricity exports (4pm–7pm) and charges 9.80p/kWh for off-peak imports (2am–5am), creating an 18.80p/kWh spread that generates battery arbitrage income of approximately £350–£450 per year for a typical 9.5–10kWh battery.

Do I need battery storage for Octopus Flux?

Not strictly — you can use Flux with solar panels only and benefit from the 28.60p/kWh peak export rate on any afternoon solar generation. However, the full benefit of Flux (including battery arbitrage) requires battery storage to capture cheap off-peak imports and deploy them at peak rate.

What are the current Octopus Flux rates?

Current rates (April 2026): off-peak import 9.80p/kWh (2am–5am), peak export 28.60p/kWh (4pm–7pm), flux rate approximately 22–24p/kWh import and 12–15p/kWh export during other hours. Rates are subject to change — check Octopus Energy’s website for up-to-date figures.

Can I use Octopus Flux with any solar installer?

Yes. You don’t need to use Octopus Energy Solar as your installer. Any household with a qualifying solar and battery system and a SMETS2 smart meter can switch their electricity supply to Octopus and enrol in the Flux tariff regardless of who installed the system.

How much extra income does Octopus Flux generate?

Compared to a standard 15p/kWh SEG tariff (Outgoing Octopus), Flux typically generates an additional £350–£450 per year for a household with a 9.5–10kWh battery that can shift consumption to off-peak hours and has adequate solar generation to exploit peak export rates.

Which batteries are compatible with Octopus Flux?

GivEnergy, Fox ESS H3, Tesla Powerwall 3, Solis (compatible configurations), and Sonnen are all compatible with Octopus Flux through the Intelligent platform for automated scheduling. Most major battery systems sold in the UK market will work, though automated optimisation requires API integration.

Is Octopus Flux better than Outgoing Octopus?

For solar-only households without battery storage, Outgoing Octopus at 15p/kWh is simpler and still competitive. For solar-plus-battery households with the capacity to optimise around the off-peak window, Flux is substantially more financially rewarding — the additional annual income typically justifies the added complexity of managing time-of-use periods.

Does Octopus Flux count as a Smart Export Guarantee tariff?

Yes. Octopus Flux meets the requirements of the Smart Export Guarantee — it pays for exported electricity from an MCS-certified solar installation. The peak export rate of 28.60p/kWh significantly exceeds the minimum SEG requirement of a rate above zero.

Summing Up

Octopus Flux is the most financially rewarding export tariff available for UK solar households in 2026, with a peak export rate of 28.60p/kWh and an off-peak import rate of 9.80p/kWh that creates genuine arbitrage income for battery-equipped households. The approximately £350–£450 per year in additional battery income, on top of standard solar savings and SEG income, meaningfully improves the payback period for battery storage.

You don’t need to use Octopus as your solar installer to access the tariff — any MCS-certified system with a compatible battery and SMETS2 meter can enrol. If you’re planning a solar and battery installation, it’s worth factoring Flux income into your financial projections from the outset.

Updated April 2026