Best Octopus Tariffs for Solar & Battery in 2026

A good tariff can mean cheaper overnight charging, better export payments, and bigger savings across the year.

But the best Octopus tariff for solar and battery isn’t the same for everyone.

It depends on what’s installed in your home, how you use electricity, and whether you also have an EV or heat pump. Some tariffs are built for convenience. Others can deliver more value if you’re happy to time things carefully.

Below, we compare the main Octopus options and help you figure out which tariff is likely to give you the best return.

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Quick answer: Which Octopus tariff is best?

There’s no one-size-fits-all, but here’s a quick shortlist based on real UK households:

• Best for solar + battery + EV - Intelligent Octopus Go (smart overnight charging for both car and battery)

• Best for hands-off smart charging - Intelligent Octopus Flux (automates your battery)

• Best for exporting at peak times - Octopus Flux or Intelligent Octopus Flux

• Best for manual optimisers - Agile Octopus

• Best for heat pump homes - Cosy Octopus (paired with Outgoing export)

• Simplest all-rounder - Octopus Go + fixed Outgoing export

The real winner depends on your setup - more on that below.

Best Octopus tariffs for solar & battery

[1] Intelligent Octopus Go

Intelligent Octopus Go is designed for EV owners, but it can also work very well for homes with solar panels and battery storage.

It offers a cheap overnight electricity window, usually for six hours, and uses smart scheduling to charge your EV and battery when rates are lowest.

• Best for: Homes with solar, battery storage and an EV that want a more hands-off setup.

• Pros: Very low overnight rates, smart automatic charging, and cheap electricity for the whole home during the off-peak window.

• Drawbacks: It’s officially aimed at EV owners, so it may not be the most straightforward fit for battery-only households. Export is also handled separately through Outgoing Octopus rather than being built into the tariff.

• Charging vs exporting: Excellent for cheap overnight battery charging. Export rates can still be decent, but they are fixed rather than tied to peak demand.

[2] Octopus Go

Octopus Go is the simpler alternative to Intelligent Octopus Go.

Instead of smart automation, it gives you a fixed off-peak window each night, usually around five hours, with lower electricity rates for charging your battery.

• Best for: Solar and battery homes that want cheap overnight charging without needing smart integrations or a compatible EV.

• Pros: Simple to understand, easy to use, and reliable for overnight battery charging.

• Drawbacks: The off-peak window is usually shorter, and rates are often a little higher than Intelligent Octopus Go. Export is separate here too.

• Charging vs exporting: A strong option for cheap charging, especially when paired with a fixed export tariff such as Outgoing Octopus.

[3] Octopus Flux

Octopus Flux is built specifically for homes with solar panels and battery storage.

It combines import and export into one tariff and uses different time bands across the day, including a cheap overnight period and higher export rates during the evening peak.

• Best for: Solar and battery households that want to make the most of exporting electricity at high-value times.

• Pros: Strong peak-time export rates, lower overnight import prices, and a structure designed around how solar and batteries actually work.

• Drawbacks: It generally suits households that are happy to manage battery charging and discharging more actively. Peak-time import rates can also be expensive if you need to buy from the grid during those hours.

• Charging vs exporting: One of the strongest all-round options for both charging cheaply and exporting strategically.

For those of you who are ready to take the plunge, visit Octopus Energy's website to check your eligibility and current rates in your area.

[4] Intelligent Octopus Flux

Intelligent Octopus Flux takes the core idea of Flux and adds automation.

With a compatible battery, Octopus can optimise when your system charges, stores and exports electricity, helping you get more value without having to manage it yourself.

• Best for: Solar and battery homes that want strong export performance without the manual effort.

• Pros: Automated optimisation, strong peak export potential, and a more hands-off way to maximise savings.

• Drawbacks: Compatibility is more limited, so it only works with certain battery brands and systems.

• Charging vs exporting: Strong on both fronts, especially for households that want the benefits of Flux without needing to tweak settings themselves.

[5] Agile Octopus

Agile Octopus works differently from the other tariffs here.

Prices change every half hour based on wholesale energy rates, which means electricity can sometimes become very cheap - and occasionally even negative - when supply is high.

• Best for: Confident users with a smart battery who are comfortable monitoring and optimising their energy use.

• Pros: Huge savings potential if you charge when prices are low and avoid expensive periods. It can be one of the most flexible options for advanced users.

• Drawbacks: Prices move constantly, so it is not the easiest tariff to manage. It suits people who are happy to stay engaged rather than those who want a set-and-forget setup.

• Charging vs exporting: Potentially excellent, but only if you are prepared to actively optimise around changing rates.

[6] Cosy Octopus

Cosy Octopus is mainly aimed at homes with heat pumps, offering several cheaper electricity windows spread across the day rather than one overnight block.

That makes it less battery-focused than Go or Flux, but it may still suit certain households with a broader electric heating setup.

• Best for: Homes with solar, battery storage and a heat pump.

• Pros: Multiple cheaper periods each day, which can work well for heating, hot water and general electricity use.

• Drawbacks: It is not as focused on overnight battery charging as Octopus Go or Octopus Flux, so it may be less effective if battery optimisation is your main priority.

• Charging vs exporting: Better suited to heat-pump-heavy households than homes focused mainly on battery arbitrage or solar export.

Comparison table

Rates vary by region and change with the market. Always check your postcode on the Octopus website for the latest figures.

Best tariff by household type

Solar panels + battery only

For most homes with just solar panels and battery storage, Octopus Flux or Intelligent Octopus Flux will usually make the most sense.

Both are built with solar-and-battery households in mind, combining cheap overnight charging with the chance to earn more from exporting electricity during peak evening periods.

Solar + battery + EV

If you’ve got an electric car as well as solar and battery storage, Intelligent Octopus Go is often the strongest all-round option.

Solar + battery + heat pump

Homes with a heat pump may benefit from Cosy Octopus, especially if heating demand is a big part of overall electricity use.

That said, Intelligent Octopus Flux could also be a strong option if you have a compatible battery and want smarter automation alongside better export potential.

Confident users who want to optimise manually

For households happy to be more hands-on, Agile Octopus offers the most flexibility - and potentially the biggest rewards.

Because prices change every half hour, it can work very well for users who are comfortable timing battery charging and electricity use carefully.

Households that want simplicity

If your priority is keeping things straightforward, Octopus Go paired with a fixed export tariff is often one of the easiest routes.

It gives you a predictable cheap-rate window for overnight charging, and once your battery schedule is set up, there is very little to manage day to day.

Octopus Flux vs Intelligent Octopus Go

This is the comparison most homeowners end up making - and with good reason.

Both tariffs can work well with solar and battery storage, but they suit slightly different priorities.

If your main goal is to maximise the value of your solar exports, Octopus Flux or Intelligent Octopus Flux will usually come out on top.

These tariffs are designed with solar-and-battery households in mind, rewarding you more for exporting electricity during peak evening hours when demand is highest.

If, on the other hand, your priority is cheap overnight charging and a more automated setup, Intelligent Octopus Go is often the better fit.

It tends to suit homes with an EV especially well, but it can also work nicely for battery owners who want low off-peak rates without having to think too much about timing.

For some households, the best option can even change through the year.

Flux-style tariffs may look more attractive in summer when solar generation is higher and export potential improves, while Go-style tariffs can make more sense in winter when cheap overnight charging becomes the bigger priority.

One of the advantages with Octopus is that switching between eligible tariffs is relatively straightforward, with no long tie-in to worry about.

For those of you who are ready to take the plunge, visit Octopus Energy's website to check your eligibility and current rates in your area.

Things to check before choosing a tariff

Before picking a tariff, it’s worth checking a few practical details first. The best-looking rate on paper will not help much if it does not suit your setup.

Battery compatibility matters most for the intelligent tariffs, as not every battery system can integrate with Octopus for smart charging and optimisation.

If you are considering Intelligent Octopus Go or Intelligent Octopus Flux, make sure your system is supported first.

You will also need a smart meter, as these tariffs rely on half-hourly data to track when you import and export electricity.

If you want to be paid for exporting solar, you will need the right export setup in place, including an export MPAN. This is usually something your supplier can help arrange if it has not already been sorted.

It is also worth thinking about what else you have in the home. An EV or heat pump can make a big difference to which tariff is most suitable, and in many cases that is what pushes the decision towards Go, Flux or Cosy.

Finally, be realistic about how involved you want to be. Some tariffs are better for people who are happy to tweak settings and optimise charge times, while others are far better suited to a set-and-forget approach.

And before you commit, always check rates for your own area. Regional pricing can vary, so the savings available in one postcode may not look exactly the same in another.

Final verdict

There is no single best Octopus tariff for solar and battery - only the one that best fits your home, your system and the way you use electricity.

For many households with solar, battery storage and an EV, Intelligent Octopus Go is often one of the strongest all-round options thanks to its cheap overnight charging and easy automation.

For homes focused more heavily on solar generation and battery export, Octopus Flux or Intelligent Octopus Flux will often be more appealing, especially if earning more from peak-time exports is the priority.

The good news is that you are not locked into one choice forever.

Octopus makes it relatively easy to switch between eligible tariffs, which means you can adjust as your setup changes or test what works best across different seasons.