Adjust the page to suit you. Your choices are remembered.
← All tariff guides / Octopus Energy
Octopus Flux is a combined import and export electricity tariff for homes with solar panels and battery storage. It offers cheaper overnight electricity and a higher evening export payment. Unlike Intelligent Octopus Flux, standard Flux does not control the battery. The customer sets charging and discharging schedules through the battery or inverter application. This guide was checked on 10 July 2026.
Flux places imported and exported electricity on the same time structure. There is a cheap period from 2am until 5am, a peak period from 4pm until 7pm, and a standard rate during the remaining eighteen hours. The overnight period is intended for charging the battery from the grid when demand is lower. The evening period is designed for discharging stored energy, supplying the home and exporting any surplus when the electricity system is under greater pressure. Every unit imported or exported is allocated to the period in which it crossed the smart meter. Accurate half hourly readings are therefore essential.
Octopus Flux cannot simply be added to any electricity deal. It combines household import and export in one product. Customers cannot keep another Octopus electricity tariff, apart from the limited Power Pack export exception. A household leaving Intelligent Octopus Go, Agile, Tracker or another specialist product gives that tariff up. Flux should therefore be judged across the whole account, not only by its peak export payment.
Octopus asks customers to enter a postcode before displaying current Flux prices. The day rate, overnight rate, evening peak rate and standing charge vary between electricity regions. A postcode quotation should be saved when comparing Flux with other products, since later price changes can make screenshots or old online examples misleading. The relevant figures are the household's own import rates, export rates and standing charge, all applying from the date shown in the current tariff offer. Flux is variable. Unit rates and the standing charge can rise or fall when underlying flexible prices change. Octopus says customers receive reasonable notice. There is no exit fee or tie in. Customers can move tariff or supplier without a leaving charge, although the switch may not be immediate.
Solar panels often generate most around midday, while national electricity demand rises during early evening. Without storage, surplus solar may be exported before the valuable Flux period. A battery allows the household to retain solar generation and release it between 4pm and 7pm. It can also charge between 2am and 5am when the import rate is lower, then reduce expensive imports later. Octopus requires operational solar panels and a home battery. Standard Flux works with any battery brand because Octopus does not control it, but the owner must create suitable schedules.
The household must use Octopus Energy and have a smart meter sending half hourly import and export readings. Second generation and some compatible first generation meters qualify. An export Meter Point Administration Number is required. This separately identifies exported electricity. Octopus says it can apply for one when the customer lacks it. Applicants need an MCS certificate and the relevant G98 or G99 confirmation from the local network operator, showing that the system was certified and connected appropriately.
A household receiving historic Feed in Tariff payments can usually retain the generation payment after moving to Flux. The export element is different. Customers must permanently leave deemed export payments and receive Flux payments for measured exports instead. Those using another Feed in Tariff supplier may need to stop the old export payment. This deserves careful attention because Octopus states that the customer cannot later return to the previous deemed export terms and rate.
The basic Flux strategy is to charge the battery between 2am and 5am, preserve solar energy during the day, then discharge between 4pm and 7pm. Real homes require a more careful approach. Charging from the grid involves energy losses, and repeated cycling contributes to battery wear. A household should compare the difference between import and export prices with battery efficiency, available capacity and warranty conditions. The battery must also retain enough energy to cover household demand before and during the peak. Exporting aggressively at 4pm can be counterproductive if the home then imports expensive electricity before 7pm.
Flux can behave differently across the year. During summer, solar generation may fill the battery and create substantial evening exports. Overnight grid charging may be unnecessary on bright days. During winter, solar production is lower and household demand is often higher. The battery may rely more heavily on overnight grid energy, while less surplus remains for profitable export. A useful comparison should therefore cover at least twelve months. A few sunny weeks can make the tariff appear more rewarding than its full annual performance.
Outgoing Octopus pays a flat export rate and works with several import tariffs. It may suit homes valuing simple payments or cheap electric vehicle charging. Prime Outgoing Octopus provides a higher payment between 4pm and 7pm while retaining a flat payment at other times. Agile Outgoing follows wholesale prices every thirty minutes and requires closer monitoring. Flux may appeal when the home can exploit both sides of its pricing. It is less convincing when daytime imports outweigh export income, the battery is small, or another import tariff saves more.
The correct calculation matches each half hour of import and export with its Flux price, then combines import charges, export credits and standing charges. Battery capacity, round trip efficiency, reserve settings, solar output and household demand all influence the result. Export revenue should never be considered separately from the cost of replacing that energy. Octopus Flux gives solar and battery owners control over a clear daily pattern. Strong results require careful scheduling, reliable data and enough usable capacity to avoid peak imports while exporting genuine surplus.
Enter your postcode to see live UK tariffs side by side.
Compare Tariffs Now →