Octopus Flux: Charge for Cheaper, Export at Peak Rates

Octopus Flux is an electricity tariff designed specifically for homes with solar panels and battery storage.

It combines your electricity import and export into one tariff, with three different pricing periods throughout the day.

The basic strategy is simple:

Charge your battery between 2am and 5am when import electricity is cheapest, then discharge surplus electricity between 4pm and 7pm when export rates are highest.

Unlike Intelligent Octopus Flux, you remain in control of your battery schedule. Octopus provides the time-of-use rates, but it’s up to you to decide when your battery charges and discharges.

What you need to know about Octopus Flux

Flux is a variable tariff, so its import, export and standing charge rates can change. The exact prices also vary by electricity region, so you should check the current rates for your postcode before switching.

How does Octopus Flux work?

Octopus Flux splits the day into three pricing periods.

The tariff is designed around a fairly simple battery routine:

2am–5am → charge your battery

Top up your battery cheaply from the grid if you expect to need extra electricity later in the day.

During the day → use solar

Solar panels power your home and charge the battery where possible.

4pm–7pm → discharge

Use stored electricity to avoid expensive peak imports and, where you have surplus energy available, export it back to the grid at the higher Flux export rate.

Octopus provides the pricing structure, but it doesn’t automatically control your battery.

You normally set the charging and discharging times through your battery manufacturer’s app.

Octopus Flux rates

Flux rates vary depending on your electricity region and can change because Flux is a variable tariff.

The 2am–5am import price is the cheapest, while the 4pm–7pm import and export prices are the highest.

As a recent illustration of how the structure looks, published September 2026 rates for different regions showed standard import prices around the mid-20p/kWh range, cheaper overnight rates around the mid-teens and peak import rates in the mid-30s. Peak export rates were significantly higher than daytime export rates. Exact figures varied by region.

Because these prices change, I wouldn’t base a long-term decision on one set of quoted figures.

Check your postcode-specific Flux rates immediately before switching.

How should I schedule my battery on Octopus Flux?

A typical starting point is:

2am–5am: charge

Schedule your battery to charge during the three-hour Flux period.

How much you charge depends on factors including:

• the following day’s solar forecast;
• your expected household consumption;
• battery capacity;
• battery state of charge;
• the time of year.

In winter, you may want to charge much more heavily overnight because there is less solar generation expected the following day.

During summer, filling the battery completely from the grid could leave no space for free solar energy the next morning.

Daytime: prioritise solar

During daylight hours, your solar panels can supply your home and recharge your battery.

If the battery fills completely, any additional surplus can be exported.

4pm–7pm: discharge

This is the expensive peak period.

A battery can first help reduce the amount of expensive grid electricity your home imports.

If you have enough stored electricity remaining, you can also export surplus electricity back to the grid at the higher Flux export rate.

You may therefore want to avoid running unnecessary high-consumption appliances between 4pm and 7pm.

Should I fully charge my battery every night on Flux?

Not necessarily.

This is one of the biggest advantages of controlling Flux yourself.

Imagine it’s July and tomorrow is forecast to be sunny.

If you completely charge your battery between 2am and 5am, you could wake up with very little spare battery capacity.

Your solar panels then generate electricity during the morning, but instead of storing it in the battery, more of it may have to be exported at the lower daytime export rate.

In that situation, it could make more sense to leave some battery capacity empty for solar.

In winter, the opposite may be true.

If tomorrow is expected to be cloudy, filling the battery cheaply between 2am and 5am may reduce how much expensive electricity you need to buy later.

There is therefore no single perfect Flux battery schedule all year round.

A useful rule is:

Do more overnight charging in winter. Leave more room for solar in summer.

Octopus Flux vs Intelligent Octopus Flux

Both tariffs are designed specifically around solar panels and battery storage, but they take very different approaches.

Standard Flux is therefore likely to appeal more if you enjoy optimising your own setup or your battery isn’t compatible with Intelligent Flux.

Intelligent Octopus Flux instead connects Octopus directly to a supported battery and automatically manages its charging and discharging.

As of 20 September 2026, Intelligent Octopus Flux is temporarily unavailable to new customers, while standard Flux remains available.

Octopus Flux vs Outgoing Octopus

Outgoing Octopus is much simpler.

It currently pays:

12p/kWh whenever you export.

There are no export time bands to optimise.

Flux instead gives you different import and export prices depending on the time of day.

That means Flux gives a battery owner more opportunities to shift electricity between cheaper and more valuable periods, but it also requires more management.

Outgoing can therefore make more sense if you:

• don’t have a battery;
• don’t want to schedule one;
• want a predictable export rate;
• use another Octopus import tariff such as an EV tariff.

Flux is more specialised around the combination of solar + battery storage.

Octopus Flux vs Prime Outgoing

Prime Outgoing is an export tariff rather than a combined solar-and-battery import/export tariff.

Prime currently pays:

16p/kWh between 4pm and 7pm

and

9p/kWh at other times.

Flux also rewards export between 4pm and 7pm, but combines that export arrangement with special import prices throughout the day.

Prime can therefore be useful if you want to keep a different Octopus import tariff while targeting an evening export window.

Flux is more of an all-in-one solar and battery tariff.

Octopus Flux vs Agile Outgoing

Agile Outgoing has export rates that can change every half hour based on day-ahead wholesale electricity prices.

Flux is much easier to plan around.

Its pricing periods stay in the same places every day:

2am–5am

4pm–7pm

and the standard periods in between.

Agile potentially gives a sophisticated battery owner more opportunities to react to market prices, while Flux gives you a much simpler repeating schedule.

Who is Octopus Flux best for?

Flux is specifically aimed at homes with:

solar panels + battery storage.

It is particularly worth investigating if:

• you are comfortable scheduling your battery yourself;
• your battery can charge significantly during the 2am–5am window;
• you can discharge stored electricity between 4pm and 7pm;
• you want one tariff covering both import and export;
• you want to keep control rather than letting Octopus operate your battery;
• your battery isn’t supported by Intelligent Flux.

Octopus itself describes Flux as best suited to people who like more control and are happy to schedule battery operation themselves.

Do you need solar panels for Octopus Flux?

Yes.

Octopus requires solar panels to join Flux.

They do not need to have been installed by Octopus.

You’ll also need a home battery because the tariff is designed around storing electricity and moving it between its different pricing periods.

Which batteries work with Octopus Flux?

One of the advantages of standard Flux is that it is not restricted to a small list of integrated battery brands.

Octopus says Flux works with all solar and battery systems.

You normally manage the battery yourself through the manufacturer’s app rather than connecting it directly to Octopus.

That makes Flux considerably less restrictive than Intelligent Octopus Flux.

Your battery still needs to be installed and configured correctly for grid charging and export where applicable.

Do I need a smart meter?

Yes.

Octopus needs half-hourly meter readings to work out how much electricity you imported and exported during each Flux pricing period.

Octopus says it can connect to SMETS2 meters and compatible SMETS1 smart meters.

If you’re switching to Octopus from another supplier, it can take some time for Octopus to establish communication with your smart meter before Flux can be activated.

Can I use Octopus Flux if I have an EV?

Yes, but there’s an important trade-off.

Octopus says EV owners are allowed to join Flux. However, Flux is itself your electricity import tariff.

Because it is a combined import and export tariff, you cannot simultaneously use another Octopus electricity tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go or Octopus Go.

That means an EV owner should compare:

Flux + its 2am–5am cheap period

against something like:

Intelligent Octopus Go + Outgoing Octopus

before deciding.

The second setup gives you an EV-focused import tariff and a separate export tariff instead.

If you have:

EV + solar + battery

the best overall tariff structure can therefore be different from a household with solar and a battery but no EV.

What happens to Feed-in Tariff payments?

Moving to Flux does not necessarily mean losing your FiT generation payments.

Octopus says your FiT generation payment can continue.

However, you must permanently opt out of the deemed export part of the Feed-in Tariff.

Your export will instead be measured by your smart meter and paid according to the Flux export tariff.

If another supplier currently pays your FiT export payments, Octopus will tell you when you need to contact them as part of the switching process.

Check your individual FiT arrangement carefully before changing anything.

How do I get paid for exported electricity?

Electricity exported under Flux is recorded by your smart meter using half-hourly readings.

Your export earnings are then applied to your Octopus account as credit through your monthly billing. Octopus’s export terms state that payments are based on the electricity recorded by your smart meter, while Flux customers are billed using half-hourly data.

That credit can help offset what you’ve spent importing electricity.

You can:

• use it towards your ongoing energy bills;
• allow credit to build during sunnier months for winter;
• or request a refund if your Octopus account has sufficient credit.

Flux therefore combines both sides of the equation on the same energy account:

electricity you buy from Octopus

minus

credit earned from electricity you export.

Does Octopus Flux have an exit fee?

No.

Flux has no exit fees or tie-ins.

Because it is a variable tariff, the prices can rise or fall as energy prices change, but you’re free to switch tariff or supplier without a Flux exit penalty.

Is Octopus Flux worth it?

Flux makes the most sense when you can actually take advantage of its two important windows.

That means:

charging cheaply between 2am and 5am

and

avoiding imports or exporting electricity between 4pm and 7pm.

A battery that simply charges whenever solar is available and discharges whenever your home needs electricity may not make full use of the tariff.

Your result depends on several factors:

• battery size;
• battery charge/discharge power;
• battery efficiency;
• solar generation;
• household usage;
• your electricity region;
• how much electricity you export;
• and how well you schedule the battery.

The important point is that Flux rewards active battery management.

If you want Octopus to manage everything automatically, Intelligent Octopus Flux is the best way to go.

If you’d rather keep complete control over how your battery behaves, standard Flux is much more flexible.

How do I switch to Octopus Flux?

To join Flux, you’ll need to:

1. Be an Octopus Energy electricity customer
2. Have solar panels and a home battery
3. Have a compatible smart meter
4. Allow Octopus to collect half-hourly readings
5. Have both your electricity import and export with Octopus
6. Have an export MPAN

If you’re not already with Octopus, you’ll need to switch your electricity supply to Octopus Energy before you can move onto Flux.

You’ll also need an export MPAN. If you don’t already have one, Octopus can arrange this for you.

Once your smart meter is connected and Octopus is receiving the required half-hourly readings, you can accept the Flux terms and complete the switch.

Octopus Flux FAQs

What time is cheap electricity on Octopus Flux?

The cheapest Flux import period runs from 2am to 5am every day.

What time is the Octopus Flux peak period?

The peak period runs from 4pm to 7pm. This is when Flux’s import price is highest and its export price is most valuable.

Is Octopus Flux a fixed tariff?

No. Flux is a variable tariff, so prices can rise and fall.

Does Octopus control my battery?

No. On standard Flux, you are responsible for scheduling your battery.

If you want Octopus to automate charging and discharging, see Intelligent Octopus Flux.

Do I need solar panels?

Yes. Solar panels are required to join Octopus Flux.

Do I need a battery?

Yes. Octopus lists a solar system and home battery as eligibility requirements for Flux.

Which batteries are compatible?

Standard Flux works with all home battery systems because Octopus doesn’t need to directly control the battery.

Do I need a smart meter?

Yes. Octopus needs half-hourly smart meter readings to calculate your Flux import charges and export payments.

Can I have Octopus Flux and Intelligent Octopus Go?

No. Flux is a combined import and export tariff, so you cannot also use Intelligent Octopus Go as your import tariff.

Does Flux have an exit fee?

No. Octopus currently states that Flux has no exit fees or tie-ins.

Is Octopus Flux better than Intelligent Flux?

They serve slightly different users. Flux gives you control over your own battery schedule, while Intelligent Flux allows Octopus to manage a compatible battery automatically.

Tariff rates, eligibility and terms can change. Always check the prices and tariff terms shown by Octopus Energy before switching.

Last checked: September 2026