Octopus Energy offers several tariffs for homes with solar panels, battery storage or both.
Some simply pay you for surplus electricity you export to the grid. Others combine your electricity import and export rates, rewarding you for charging a battery when electricity is cheaper and exporting stored energy when it is more valuable.
The main options are Outgoing Octopus, Agile Outgoing, Prime Outgoing, Octopus Flux and Intelligent Octopus Flux.
Which one makes most sense depends on your solar generation, whether you have a battery, how much control you want over it and when you can export electricity.
Compare Octopus solar export tariffs
The easiest way to understand the options is to separate them into two groups.
Outgoing Octopus, Agile Outgoing and Prime Outgoing are export tariffs. They determine what Octopus pays you for electricity sent back to the grid while you keep a separate compatible import tariff.
Octopus Flux and Intelligent Octopus Flux combine your electricity import and export into one tariff designed around homes with solar panels and battery storage.
| Tariff | How export is paid | Battery needed? | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outgoing Octopus | Flat 12p/kWh | No | Simple, predictable solar export |
| Agile Outgoing | Changes every 30 minutes with wholesale prices | No, but useful | Flexible exporters who can target higher-price periods |
| Prime Outgoing | 16p/kWh from 4pm–7pm, 9p/kWh at other times | Not required, but particularly useful | Battery homes able to move export into the evening peak |
| Octopus Flux | Time-of-use import and export rates | Battery strongly suited | Solar + battery homes wanting to control their own schedule |
| Intelligent Octopus Flux | Octopus automatically manages charging and export around its tariff rates | Compatible battery required | Solar + battery homes wanting automatic optimisation |
Intelligent Octopus Flux is currently temporarily unavailable to new customers. Existing customers can continue using the tariff.
Outgoing Octopus
A simple flat rate for exported electricity
Outgoing Octopus is the simplest of Octopus Energy’s main export tariffs.
It currently pays 12p/kWh for every unit of electricity you export, regardless of the time of day.
There are no peak periods to target and no changing half-hourly rates to monitor.
If your solar panels generate more electricity than your home needs, the surplus can simply flow back to the grid and receive the same export rate whenever it happens.
Outgoing Octopus could suit you if:
- you have solar panels without a battery
- you want predictable export payments
- you don’t want to manage when electricity is exported
- most of your export naturally happens during daylight hours
- you want to pair your export tariff with a separate compatible import tariff
A battery can still be used with Outgoing Octopus, but it isn’t required.
For many straightforward solar-only homes, this is likely to be the easiest Octopus export tariff to understand.
Agile Outgoing Octopus
Half-hourly export prices linked to the wholesale market
Agile Outgoing takes a very different approach.
Instead of paying one export rate throughout the day, the amount you receive can change every 30 minutes.
Prices follow day-ahead wholesale electricity prices, so some periods can pay considerably more than others.
This creates an opportunity for households that can control when electricity leaves their property.
A battery could, for example, store surplus solar generation while export prices are relatively low and discharge it later when prices become more attractive.
But there is a trade-off.
Agile Outgoing doesn’t guarantee that a particular time of day will always provide a high export rate. Prices move with the market, so getting the most from the tariff can involve following or automating around its half-hourly prices.
Agile Outgoing could suit you if:
- you’re comfortable with changing export prices
- you have a battery or another way to control export timing
- you want your export payments linked more closely to wholesale prices
- you’re willing to monitor or automate your battery
- predictable export income isn’t your main priority
You don’t need a home battery to use Agile Outgoing, but having one gives you considerably more control over when you sell electricity back to the grid.
Prime Outgoing Octopus
Higher export payments from 4pm to 7pm
Prime Outgoing Octopus sits somewhere between the simplicity of Outgoing Octopus and the dynamic pricing of Agile Outgoing.
It currently pays:
| Time | Export rate |
|---|---|
| 4pm–7pm | 16p/kWh |
| All other times | 9p/kWh |
That gives you a predictable target every day.
The challenge is that solar panels naturally produce most of their electricity before the 4pm–7pm peak.
A home battery changes that.
Instead of immediately exporting excess solar generation during the day, you may be able to store it and then discharge some of that electricity between 4pm and 7pm to receive the higher export rate.
Prime Outgoing could suit you if:
- you have solar panels and a home battery
- you can schedule battery discharge between 4pm and 7pm
- you want predictable time-of-use export pricing
- you don’t want to follow Agile’s changing half-hourly prices
- you can move a meaningful proportion of your export into the peak period
The important comparison is with the flat 12p/kWh Outgoing tariff.
Prime pays more during its three-hour peak but less throughout the other 21 hours, so it isn’t automatically better simply because its headline rate is higher.
Explore Prime Outgoing Octopus →
Octopus Flux
An import and export tariff for solar + battery homes
Octopus Flux goes further than the three Outgoing tariffs.
Instead of only determining what you’re paid for exported electricity, Flux combines your electricity import and export into one time-of-use tariff.
There are three main pricing periods:
| Period | How it works |
|---|---|
| 2am–5am | Lower import period — useful for charging a battery |
| 4pm–7pm | Higher import and export period |
| All other times | Standard Flux rates |
The basic strategy is to charge your battery when electricity is cheaper, use solar generation during the day and then make stored energy available during the more valuable 4pm–7pm period.
Unlike Intelligent Octopus Flux, you control the battery schedule yourself.
Octopus Flux could suit you if:
- you have solar panels and battery storage
- you want your import and export tariffs designed to work together
- your battery can be scheduled around different time periods
- you’re happy to control charging and discharging yourself
- you can avoid large amounts of grid consumption during the 4pm–7pm peak
Flux can therefore work particularly well for somebody who enjoys actively managing their solar and battery system but wants predictable daily time bands rather than constantly changing prices.
Intelligent Octopus Flux
Let Octopus manage your battery automatically
Intelligent Octopus Flux is designed around a similar solar-and-battery principle to standard Flux, but removes much of the manual scheduling.
You connect a compatible home battery to Octopus and allow it to automatically control when the battery charges and discharges.
Octopus can charge the battery when appropriate and export stored electricity during the more valuable 4pm–7pm period.
The result is a more hands-off approach:
Octopus Flux: you optimise the battery.
Intelligent Octopus Flux: Octopus optimises it for you.
Intelligent Octopus Flux could suit you if:
- you have solar panels
- you have a compatible home battery
- you want automatic battery optimisation
- you’re comfortable allowing Octopus to control charging and discharging
- you don’t want to manually manage battery schedules
There is one important issue at the moment: Intelligent Octopus Flux is temporarily unavailable to new customers.
Octopus currently points solar-and-battery customers towards other options, including standard Octopus Flux, while applications are closed.
Explore Intelligent Octopus Flux →
Which Octopus solar or export tariff should I choose?
There isn’t one Octopus solar tariff that will work best for every home.
Your starting point should be the equipment you have and how much control you have over when electricity is exported.
I have solar panels without a battery
Start by comparing Outgoing Octopus and Agile Outgoing.
Outgoing Octopus is the simpler choice because every exported unit currently receives the same 12p/kWh rate.
Agile Outgoing exposes you to changing half-hourly prices but gives you less control without a battery because your export will largely happen whenever your panels generate more electricity than your home needs.
I have solar panels and a battery
You have considerably more options because the battery allows you to control when electricity is imported, stored, used and exported.
It may be worth comparing:
- Prime Outgoing if you want predictable higher export payments from 4pm–7pm
- Agile Outgoing if you want to target changing wholesale-linked export prices
- Octopus Flux if you want your import and export pricing combined and are happy to schedule the battery yourself
- Intelligent Octopus Flux if it becomes available again, your battery is compatible and you want Octopus to automate the process
The best result isn’t necessarily produced by the tariff with the highest headline export rate.
You also need to consider what you pay to import electricity, how much solar you use directly, battery losses and how much energy is actually available to export.
I have solar panels, a battery and an EV
Look at the whole home rather than choosing your export tariff in isolation.
A dedicated EV import tariff may significantly reduce the cost of charging your car and could also create opportunities to charge your home battery cheaply.
You can then compare which compatible export tariff works alongside it.
For this type of household, the right combination of import tariff + export tariff can matter more than maximising either tariff individually.
How do Octopus export tariffs work?
When your solar panels generate electricity, that energy can first be used within your home.
If you’re generating more than you’re consuming, the surplus can either:
- charge a home battery, if you have one
- or be exported back to the electricity grid
An export tariff determines how much you’re paid for that exported electricity.
Your smart meter records electricity flowing in both directions.
Import:
Grid → your home
Export:
Your home → grid
The electricity you export isn’t simply deducted from the electricity you’ve imported.
Instead, the two are measured separately and you’re charged for imported electricity and credited for exported electricity according to the tariffs you’re on.
Do I need a battery for an Octopus export tariff?
No.
A battery isn’t required for every Octopus export tariff.
If you simply have solar panels, Outgoing Octopus provides a straightforward way to be paid for surplus generation.
Agile Outgoing can also be used without a battery.
The difference is that a battery gives you far greater control.
Instead of exporting electricity immediately when your solar panels generate it, you can potentially store that electricity and decide later whether to:
- use it in your home
- export it during a higher-paying period
- retain it to avoid expensive grid imports
That extra flexibility is what makes tariffs such as Prime Outgoing and Flux particularly relevant to battery owners.
Do I need a smart meter for an Octopus export tariff?
For Octopus’s smart export tariffs, you’ll generally need a compatible smart meter capable of measuring exported electricity and providing the required half-hourly data.
You’ll also need an export MPAN.
This is the unique identifier used for the electricity export supply from your property.
If you don’t already have an export MPAN, Octopus can normally apply to the Distribution Network Operator for one as part of setting up your export.
Your solar or battery installation will also need the appropriate installation and grid-connection documentation.
Can I combine an Octopus export tariff with another tariff?
It depends on the combination.
Outgoing Octopus, Agile Outgoing and Prime Outgoing sit alongside a separate compatible electricity import tariff.
That can make them useful if your import tariff has been chosen around something else in your home, such as an electric vehicle.
Flux and Intelligent Flux are different because they combine import and export into the tariff itself.
Compatibility rules can change, so always check that your intended import and export tariffs can be used together before switching either side.
This is particularly important if you use a specialist smart tariff for an EV, heat pump or another connected device.
What about the Octopus Smart Export Guarantee tariff?
Octopus also offers a basic Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff, which pays 4.1p/kWh.
This is different from the five main options compared above.
SEG can be useful where Octopus handles your exported electricity but another energy supplier provides the electricity you import.
The SEG export rate is generally much simpler and lower than Octopus’s more specialised smart export options.
If you’re already an Octopus electricity customer, it therefore makes sense to compare the dedicated Outgoing and solar-and-battery tariffs available to you rather than looking at the SEG rate alone.
How do I switch to an Octopus solar or export tariff?
If you’re already with Octopus Energy
First decide whether you need an export-only tariff or a combined import + export tariff.
You’ll generally need a suitable smart meter and export setup before payments can begin.
If you’re applying for Outgoing Octopus, Agile Outgoing or Prime Outgoing, you can choose the appropriate export tariff alongside a compatible Octopus import tariff.
Flux customers move both the import and export side onto the Flux arrangement.
If you’re not currently with Octopus Energy
Most of Octopus’s main smart export options are designed around customers who also have their electricity supply with Octopus.
You’ll therefore normally need to switch your electricity supply first and then complete the export application after your Octopus account has been created.
Once your electricity supply, smart meter and export details are set up, you can apply for the appropriate solar or export tariff.
Octopus solar export tariff FAQs
What solar tariffs does Octopus Energy offer?
The main options covered here are Outgoing Octopus, Agile Outgoing, Prime Outgoing, Octopus Flux and Intelligent Octopus Flux.
Octopus also offers a basic Smart Export Guarantee option.
Which Octopus export tariff is simplest?
Outgoing Octopus is the simplest of the main options because it currently pays a flat 12p/kWh regardless of when electricity is exported.
Which Octopus export tariff pays the most?
There isn’t one tariff that always pays the highest amount.
Prime Outgoing pays 16p/kWh between 4pm and 7pm but 9p/kWh outside that period, while Agile Outgoing changes every half hour.
Your total export earnings therefore depend on both the tariff and when you export.
What is the difference between Outgoing Octopus and Agile Outgoing?
Outgoing Octopus currently pays one flat rate of 12p/kWh.
Agile Outgoing uses changing half-hourly rates linked to day-ahead wholesale electricity prices.
What is Prime Outgoing?
Prime Outgoing is a time-of-use export tariff that currently pays 16p/kWh between 4pm and 7pm and 9p/kWh at all other times.
It’s particularly suited to households able to store electricity and move a significant amount of export into the evening peak.
What is the difference between Octopus Flux and Outgoing Octopus?
Outgoing Octopus is an export tariff that sits alongside a separate import tariff.
Octopus Flux combines both your electricity import and export into one time-of-use arrangement designed around solar panels and battery storage.
What’s the difference between Flux and Intelligent Flux?
With standard Octopus Flux, you schedule your own battery around the tariff’s cheaper and more expensive periods.
Intelligent Octopus Flux connects to a compatible battery and lets Octopus manage charging and discharging automatically.
Is Intelligent Octopus Flux available?
Not to new customers at the moment.
Intelligent Octopus Flux is currently temporarily unavailable while Octopus reviews the tariff amid volatile energy prices. Existing customers can continue using it.
Do I need solar panels for an Octopus export tariff?
You need an eligible source of exported electricity.
For most households this will be solar panels, although battery-stored electricity can also form part of an eligible export setup.
Flux and Intelligent Flux are specifically designed around solar-and-battery households.
Do I need a home battery?
Not for Outgoing Octopus or Agile Outgoing.
A battery becomes much more useful for tariffs where the timing of your export matters, such as Prime Outgoing, and is central to how the Flux tariffs are designed to work.
Can I have an Octopus EV tariff and solar export tariff?
Yes, some Octopus EV tariffs can be paired with compatible export tariffs.
Check the current compatibility rules before choosing a combination, particularly if you also have battery storage.
Do I need to switch to Octopus Energy first?
For Octopus’s main Outgoing and Flux options, you’ll generally need your electricity supply with Octopus.
The basic Smart Export Guarantee tariff is the main exception for customers keeping their electricity import with another supplier.
Tariff rates, eligibility and terms can change. Always check the prices and tariff terms shown by Octopus Energy before switching.
Last checked: September 2026