Agile Outgoing Prices

How to use the Agile Outgoing price dashboard

The dashboard shows the latest Agile Outgoing export prices for your region, including every half-hourly rate throughout the day.

Enter your postcode to select the correct pricing region. You can then see:

• today’s average Agile Outgoing rate
• the highest and lowest export rates today
• the average export rate during the 4pm–7pm peak period
• all 48 half-hourly export prices
• tomorrow’s export prices when available
• historical Agile Outgoing price trends
• how Agile Outgoing compares with the standard Outgoing Octopus rate

If you want to understand how the tariff itself works, including eligibility, smart meter requirements and whether it could suit your solar or battery setup, read our complete guide to Agile Outgoing Octopus.

What do today’s Agile Outgoing prices mean?

Agile Outgoing does not pay one fixed export rate throughout the day.

Instead, there are 48 different export prices every day, with a different rate applying to each 30-minute period.

The dashboard summarises those prices using:

Average today
The average of all 48 Agile Outgoing export rates for the day.

Best export
The highest-paying half-hourly export period available today.

Lowest today
The lowest export rate during the day.

Peak (4–7pm)
The average Agile Outgoing rate during the early-evening peak period.

Your own average export payment will depend on when you actually send electricity to the grid.

If most of your electricity is exported during higher-priced periods, your effective export rate could be much higher than the simple daily average.

When are tomorrow’s Agile Outgoing prices published?

Tomorrow’s Agile Outgoing prices are normally published during the late afternoon or early evening.

Once available, the dashboard will show all 48 half-hourly export rates for the following day.

This gives you time to identify the most valuable periods to export electricity.

If you have a home battery, you could use tomorrow’s prices to decide when to:

• store surplus solar electricity
• keep electricity in your battery rather than exporting immediately
• discharge your battery back to the grid
• avoid exporting during lower-paying periods

If tomorrow’s rates have not yet been published, the dashboard will show that they are not currently available.

When is the best time to export on Agile Outgoing?

There is no permanently fixed best time.

Agile Outgoing follows changing wholesale electricity prices, so the highest-paying half hours can be different every day.

Export rates are often stronger when electricity demand is higher, particularly during the early evening, but this should not be treated as a guaranteed daily pattern.

The best approach is to look at the individual half-hourly prices and identify the highest-paying periods for that particular day.

If you have a battery, this can give you more control over when your electricity reaches the grid.

Why are Agile Outgoing prices often higher from 4pm to 7pm?

The early evening is typically a period of relatively high electricity demand.

At the same time, solar generation is often falling as daylight levels reduce.

This can make exported electricity more valuable during parts of the 4pm–7pm period than it was earlier in the day.

That is why the dashboard highlights the 4pm–7pm average export rate separately.

However, Agile Outgoing is dynamic, so you should still check the individual half-hourly prices rather than assuming 4pm–7pm will always contain the highest rate.

How does Agile Outgoing compare with the standard Outgoing tariff?

The standard Outgoing Octopus tariff pays the same export rate regardless of when you send electricity to the grid.

Agile Outgoing works differently because the export payment changes every 30 minutes.

The dashboard includes the standard Outgoing rate as a reference so you can see which Agile periods are paying more or less than the flat-rate alternative.

However, simply looking at the highest Agile Outgoing price does not tell you which tariff would pay you more overall.

What matters is the average rate you actually receive for the electricity you export.

For example, if the best Agile rate is very high but most of your solar electricity leaves your home during lower-paying periods, your overall average export rate could still be relatively low.

Why your actual average export rate matters

The daily average shown by the dashboard is the average of all 48 Agile Outgoing prices.

It is not necessarily the average rate you personally receive.

Imagine that most of your solar generation is exported around the middle of the day, when Agile Outgoing rates happen to be relatively low.

Your own average export payment could therefore be below the dashboard’s simple daily average.

Alternatively, if you have battery storage and deliberately export more electricity during higher-paying periods, your effective export rate could be higher.

When comparing Agile Outgoing with a flat export tariff, the most useful figure is therefore:

total export earnings ÷ total electricity exported

That tells you the average pence per kWh you actually received.

Can a battery help with Agile Outgoing?

Yes. Battery storage can give you much more control over when you export electricity.

Without a battery, surplus solar electricity will usually be exported when your panels are generating more electricity than your home is using.

That commonly happens during daylight hours, regardless of whether Agile Outgoing is paying a particularly strong rate at the time.

With a battery, you may be able to:

generate → store → wait → export

For example, instead of exporting surplus solar immediately during a lower-priced period, you could store some of it and discharge the battery later if the export rate rises.

Whether doing this is worthwhile will depend on the size of the price difference, battery efficiency, battery wear and how much of the stored electricity you need for your own home.

Can Agile Outgoing prices fall to zero?

Yes.

Because Agile Outgoing follows wholesale electricity prices, export rates can occasionally become very low.

If wholesale prices fall below zero, Octopus does not normally charge you for exporting electricity. Instead, the Agile Outgoing export rate stops around zero rather than becoming a negative payment to you.

That means there may be periods where exporting earns little or nothing.

If you have battery storage, those periods may be worth avoiding where practical if a higher export price is expected later.

Why do Agile Outgoing prices vary by region?

There is no single Agile Outgoing price that applies everywhere in Great Britain.

Some of the costs and benefits included in the tariff’s pricing formula vary depending on the electricity region.

That means two households in different parts of the country can see slightly different Agile Outgoing rates for the same half-hour period.

This is why the dashboard asks for your postcode before displaying prices.

Your postcode is used to determine the correct electricity pricing region for your home.

What does the Agile Outgoing price history show?

The historical chart shows how the daily average Agile Outgoing export rate has changed over time.

You can view:

• 30 days
• 3 months
• 6 months
• 12 months

Each point represents the average of that day’s 48 half-hourly export prices.

The standard Outgoing tariff is also shown as a flat reference line.

This can help you see how Agile Outgoing’s average rates have moved relative to the flat export alternative.

However, remember that the historical daily average does not tell you exactly what an individual household would have earned.

Your actual return depends on how much electricity you exported during each half-hour period.

Which version of Agile Outgoing does this dashboard show?

Octopus has released different versions of Agile Outgoing over time.

The dashboard shows the current Agile Outgoing version displayed at the top of the tool for today’s and tomorrow’s prices.

The historical chart can use previous tariff versions to provide a continuous view of Agile Outgoing price history.

If you are already an Agile Outgoing customer, check the tariff details in your Octopus account to confirm which version applies to you.

For your own export payments, the tariff and rates shown in your Octopus Energy account should always be treated as definitive.

Agile Outgoing price FAQs

How often do Agile Outgoing prices change?

Agile Outgoing export rates change every 30 minutes, giving you 48 different export prices each day.

Does the dashboard show tomorrow’s Agile Outgoing prices?

Yes.

Once the following day’s rates have been published, the dashboard will show tomorrow’s complete set of half-hourly export prices.

Why can’t I see tomorrow’s prices yet?

Tomorrow’s Agile Outgoing prices may simply not have been published yet.

They are normally made available during the late afternoon or early evening.

What does “best export” mean?

Best export is the highest Agile Outgoing rate available during the day.

It shows the half-hour period in which each kWh exported would receive the highest payment.

Is 4pm–7pm always the best time to export?

No.

Export rates are often stronger during periods of higher demand, including parts of the early evening, but Agile Outgoing prices change every day.

Always check the individual half-hourly rates.

Does Agile Outgoing have a standing charge?

No. Export tariffs do not have a daily standing charge in the same way as electricity import tariffs.

Are Agile Outgoing prices the same throughout Great Britain?

No.

Rates can vary by electricity pricing region. Enter your postcode to make sure the dashboard is showing the appropriate prices for your area.

Can Agile Outgoing rates go negative?

You should not normally be charged for exporting electricity.

When wholesale prices become negative, the Agile Outgoing payment can fall towards zero rather than becoming a negative export payment.

Do I need a battery to use Agile Outgoing?

No.

However, a battery can give you greater control over when your electricity is exported, making it easier to target higher-paying half-hour periods.

Can I see historical Agile Outgoing prices?

Yes. Use the 30 days, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months controls on the historical chart.