Octopus Flux is a combined import and export tariff aimed at UK households with solar panels and a home battery. It splits the day into three pricing windows: a cheap early-morning off-peak window, an expensive evening peak window, and a “day” rate that covers everything in between. The same three-window structure applies to both what you pay for electricity you import and what you get paid for electricity you export. That symmetry is the core of the tariff.
The idea is straightforward. Charge your battery cheaply overnight (or from your solar through the day), then discharge it into your home and out to the grid during the late-afternoon peak, when both import costs and export payments are at their highest. In practice, the household has to schedule this manually through the battery or inverter app. Octopus Flux does not include smart battery control.
It sits within a wider range of Octopus solar and export options, including Intelligent Octopus Flux, Outgoing Octopus, Outgoing Agile and the basic Octopus SEG rate. See [Internal link: Best Solar Export Tariffs UK] for the full picture.
Is Octopus Flux still open to new customers?
Important context before going further. As of early 2026, Octopus Flux is paused for new sign-ups. Octopus posted a notice on the tariff page stating that “energy prices are particularly volatile right now, so this tariff is temporarily unavailable” and that they will update the page when it returns. Coverage at the time noted that Octopus has indicated the tariff will likely reopen once wholesale prices settle.
Existing Octopus Flux customers are not affected and continue on the tariff. For new customers researching their options today, treat the information below as a guide to how Flux works (and how it compares) rather than a current sign-up route. Check the Octopus tariff page directly for the latest status before making any decisions.
How does Octopus Flux work?
Octopus Flux splits each 24 hours into three windows, with import and export rates that move together within each window.
Off-peak (02:00 to 05:00). Both import and export rates are at their lowest. This is when most households on Flux charge their battery from the grid. Exporting in this window earns the least, so you generally don’t want to be sending much to the grid here.
Peak (16:00 to 19:00). Both import and export rates are at their highest. The standard play is to run your home from the battery (avoiding expensive imports) and export whatever surplus you can to the grid (earning the premium export rate). For most households this three-hour window is where the tariff earns its keep.
Day rate (everything else). Sits between the off-peak and peak rates, in both directions. Solar generation during daylight hours either gets used in the home, charges the battery, or earns the day-rate export price if there’s surplus.
Two features set Flux apart from a lot of solar tariffs. The first is that import and export rates are symmetrical across the three windows: high together at peak, low together off-peak. The second is that scheduling is manual. You (or your installer, on initial setup) tell the battery when to charge and when to discharge, using whichever app your inverter or battery brand provides. There is no automated optimisation from Octopus.
Rates are also flexible rather than fixed, meaning they move with wholesale prices and Ofgem’s price cap. When the cap changes, your Flux rates will usually change too. Reasonable notice is given, and there are no exit fees.
Current Octopus Flux rates
Specific pence-per-kWh figures vary by region and by price cap period, so a single headline number rarely tells the full story. As a rough shape:
- Peak window (16:00 to 19:00) pays the most for exports and costs the most for imports.
- Off-peak window (02:00 to 05:00) does the opposite. Lowest import cost, lowest export payment.
- Day rate sits in between on both sides.
The Outgoing Octopus flat export rate was cut from 15p/kWh to 12p/kWh on 1 March 2026, its first change since 2022. That matters here because Outgoing Octopus is the simpler alternative many solar-and-battery households compare Flux against, and the gap between the two has narrowed compared to a year earlier.
For your specific postcode, check the Octopus tariff page directly. Don’t rely on a screenshot or a ballpark figure quoted elsewhere; rates have moved several times in the last twelve months.
Who is Octopus Flux good for?
Flux suits a fairly specific household profile.
The clearest fit is a solar-and-battery home where the battery isn’t on the Intelligent Octopus Flux approved list. Flux is much less restrictive about hardware. Any solar battery installed by a Flexi-Orb or MCS-certified installer is eligible, which opens it up to a wide range of brands that the smart-controlled Intelligent version doesn’t currently support.
It also suits households happy to manually schedule their battery. If you (or your installer) are comfortable setting charge and discharge windows in the inverter app, the manual approach gives you full control. Some people prefer that. Others find it tedious.
A third group: households whose evening usage is genuinely high and who can meaningfully discharge during the 16:00-19:00 peak. The tariff’s value is concentrated in that three-hour window. If your evening load is low, you’re leaving a lot of the upside on the table.
Finally, anyone who wants a more rewarding export rate than a basic flat SEG tariff and is comfortable with rates that can move with the market.
Who should avoid Octopus Flux?
Solar-only households without a battery. This is the big one. The whole structure of Flux depends on being able to time-shift energy. Without a battery you can’t charge cheap overnight and discharge at peak. A flat-rate option like Outgoing Octopus or the basic Octopus SEG will usually pay you more for what you export, with none of the complexity.
Households whose battery qualifies for Intelligent Octopus Flux. If your hardware is on the approved list, Intelligent Octopus Flux typically pays higher peak export rates, handles all the scheduling for you, and removes the need to keep an eye on things. Sticking with manual Flux out of habit usually leaves money on the table.
Anyone who would rather have a simple flat export rate. Flux’s three windows reward attention. If you don’t want to think about it, a flat-rate export tariff paired with the right import tariff is less hassle.
Batteries that can’t be scheduled granularly enough to fully exploit the three-period structure. Some older or simpler battery systems can’t take advantage of the off-peak and peak windows cleanly, which limits what you can earn.
Households with a heat pump as well as solar and a battery. A different tariff pairing may earn more overall once you factor in heat pump consumption patterns. Worth checking against Cosy Octopus or a similar heat-pump-friendly setup. See [Internal link: Heat Pumps Explained].
Eligibility and how to switch
To be on Octopus Flux you need:
- An Octopus electricity supply (you have to be, or become, an Octopus customer)
- A solar PV system (it doesn’t have to have been installed by Octopus)
- Battery storage
- A smart meter capable of half-hourly readings (typically SMETS2, or a SMETS1 made by Secure)
- An Export MPAN. If you don’t have one, Octopus can apply for one for you
The switching process is mostly hands-off. If Octopus is connecting to your meter for the first time, there’s usually a waiting period of around two weeks while the remote link is established and half-hourly readings start flowing. Without those readings, Flux can’t bill you correctly.
There are no exit fees or tie-ins on Octopus Flux. If it doesn’t work out, or if you remove or replace your battery and the tariff no longer makes sense, you can switch to another Octopus tariff or supplier without penalty.
This all assumes Flux reopens to new customers. While it remains paused, the switching route is unavailable regardless of eligibility.
Octopus Flux vs other Octopus solar tariffs
| Tariff | Export structure | Peak export rate | Battery required | Battery brand restrictions | Smart control | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Flux | Time-of-use (3 windows) | Highest of the three windows (manual scheduling) | Yes | No | No (manual) | Solar + battery households with non-approved battery brands |
| Intelligent Octopus Flux | Time-of-use (3 windows) | Typically higher than Flux | Yes | Yes (approved list) | Yes (Octopus manages) | Solar + battery households with a compatible battery |
| Outgoing Octopus | Flat rate | 12p/kWh (as of March 2026) | No | No | No | Simpler setups, any Octopus import tariff |
| Octopus SEG | Flat rate | Around 4.1p/kWh | No | No | No | Households importing from a different supplier |
A few notes on the trade-offs.
Intelligent Octopus Flux is the more rewarding option if your battery is on the approved list. It pays higher peak export rates, and Octopus handles charging and discharging automatically based on weather and price forecasts. The catch is the hardware restriction.
Outgoing Octopus is simpler. One rate, no time-of-use windows, no scheduling required. The 1 March 2026 cut from 15p to 12p reduced its headline appeal, but it remains a reasonable choice for households that don’t want to actively manage their battery or who don’t have one at all.
Outgoing Agile offers a half-hourly variable export rate that changes 48 times a day, published the afternoon before. Its average over the year to April 2026 was around 9.4p/kWh, with highs over 30p and occasional zeros. Good for households willing to actively manage exports, or who use battery automation that can track Agile pricing.
Basic Octopus SEG sits at the bottom of the range. Its main use is for solar households that want to keep their existing supplier for import but still get paid for what they export.
The core trade-off with Flux specifically: you get access to peak-window export premiums without battery-brand restrictions, but you have to do the scheduling yourself, and the headline peak rates on Intelligent Octopus Flux are usually higher.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need solar panels for Octopus Flux?
Yes. Octopus Flux requires a solar PV system. They don’t need to have been installed by Octopus, but they do need to exist and to be linked to an Export MPAN. See [Internal link: Solar Panels Explained].
Do I need a battery for Octopus Flux?
Yes. The structure of the tariff only really pays off with battery storage, and Octopus requires one for eligibility. Without a battery you can’t charge during the cheap overnight window or discharge during the peak window, which are the two mechanisms that make Flux worth being on. Solar-only households are better served by a flat-rate export option. See [Internal link: Home Batteries Explained].
What are the peak and off-peak hours on Octopus Flux?
Off-peak runs from 02:00 to 05:00 every day. Peak runs from 16:00 to 19:00 every day. The “day” rate applies at all other times. Both import and export rates follow this same three-window structure.
Are import and export rates the same on Octopus Flux?
They move together across the three windows (both high at peak, both low off-peak) but they aren’t identical figures. The export rate is generally lower than the import rate within the same window. This differs from Intelligent Octopus Flux, where import and export rates are designed to match each other exactly.
Is Octopus Flux fixed or variable?
Variable. Rates are flexible and move with wholesale electricity prices and Ofgem’s price cap. Octopus gives reasonable notice of changes, and the three-window structure stays the same; only the underlying pence-per-kWh figures shift. There are no exit fees.
Does Octopus control my battery on Octopus Flux?
No. On Octopus Flux you schedule the battery manually through your inverter or battery brand’s app. If you want Octopus to handle the scheduling automatically, that’s what Intelligent Octopus Flux is for, but it only works with batteries on the approved hardware list.
Is Octopus Flux better than Intelligent Octopus Flux?
Usually not, if both are available to you. Intelligent Octopus Flux generally pays higher peak export rates and removes the need to schedule anything manually. The main reason to choose standard Flux is if your battery isn’t on the approved list. Flux is more flexible about hardware; Intelligent Flux is more rewarding when you qualify. See [Internal link: Intelligent Octopus Flux].
Can I get Octopus Flux without being an Octopus customer first?
No. Octopus Flux requires you to be on an Octopus electricity supply. If you’re with another supplier, you’d need to switch to Octopus first. The good news is that the switch is straightforward and there are no exit fees on Flux itself. See [Internal link: How to Switch Energy Supplier].
Are there exit fees on Octopus Flux?
No. There are no exit fees and no tie-ins. You can switch to another Octopus tariff or move to a different supplier without penalty at any time.
Is Octopus Flux still open to new customers?
Not at the time of writing. Octopus paused new sign-ups in early 2026, citing volatile wholesale energy prices. The tariff page carries a notice stating it is “temporarily unavailable” and that it will be updated when sign-ups reopen. Octopus has indicated the pause is likely to lift once wholesale prices settle. Existing Flux customers are unaffected. If you’re researching Flux today as a new customer, check the live Octopus tariff page for the current status before assuming you can sign up. While Flux remains paused, Outgoing Octopus, Outgoing Agile and Intelligent Octopus Flux are the main alternatives to look at for solar-and-battery setups. See [Internal link: Outgoing Octopus] and [Internal link: Octopus Agile].