What is Prime Outgoing Octopus?
Prime Outgoing Octopus is an export tariff that pays a higher rate for electricity sent to the grid between 4pm and 7pm.
It is mainly designed for households with solar panels and a home battery. Instead of exporting excess solar electricity as soon as it is generated, you can store it in the battery and export it during the higher-paying evening period.
Prime Outgoing sits between Octopus’s other main Outgoing tariffs. Standard Outgoing Octopus pays one flat rate throughout the day, while Agile Outgoing uses export prices that change every half hour.
Prime Outgoing gives you a predictable evening rate without requiring you to track changing wholesale prices. It is an export tariff only, so your electricity imports are charged separately through a compatible Octopus import tariff.
Octopus does not automatically control your battery on Prime Outgoing. You need to manage when it charges and discharges through your battery or inverter app.
Prime Outgoing Octopus rates
Prime Outgoing Octopus uses two export rates:
- 4pm to 7pm: 16p per kWh
- All other times: 9p per kWh
The higher rate applies during the early evening, when demand on the electricity grid is usually greater. The lower rate applies during the remaining 21 hours of the day, including the middle of the day when solar panels often generate and export the most electricity.
Prime Outgoing is a 12-month fixed-term tariff. There are no exit fees, so you can leave before the end of the term without paying a charge.
The tariff only determines what Octopus pays for your exports. What you pay for electricity imported from the grid depends on the separate Octopus import tariff you choose.
How does Prime Outgoing Octopus work?
Prime Outgoing measures how much electricity you export during each half-hour period. Octopus then applies either the prime rate or the standard rate, depending on the time the electricity was sent to the grid.
Prime rate: 4pm to 7pm
Electricity exported between 4pm and 7pm receives the higher prime rate.
A solar and battery household could generate electricity during the day, use some of it in the home and store the remainder. The battery could then be scheduled to discharge during the prime period, covering evening household demand and exporting any electricity left over.
This does not necessarily mean you should empty the battery into the grid as soon as 4pm arrives. Electricity stored in your battery can also help you avoid importing from the grid during the evening.
Whether it is better to use or export that electricity will depend on your import rate, the prime export rate and how much energy you expect to need later that evening.
Standard rate: all other times
Electricity exported outside the 4pm to 7pm period receives the lower standard rate.
This includes the middle of the day, when solar generation is often at its highest. Without a battery, much of a household’s excess solar electricity may therefore be exported at the lower rate.
That is why Prime Outgoing is mainly aimed at homes that can store electricity and delay exporting it until the evening.
Manual battery scheduling
Prime Outgoing does not automatically control or optimise your battery.
You need to set when the battery charges and discharges through your battery manufacturer’s app, inverter settings or another compatible energy-management system.
A typical schedule might prevent the battery from discharging during the day, preserve enough energy for evening household use and allow spare electricity to be exported between 4pm and 7pm.
Unlike Intelligent Octopus Flux, Prime Outgoing does not require Octopus to connect directly to a supported battery brand. However, your battery needs to give you enough control over charging and discharging for the tariff to work effectively.
How much needs to be exported between 4pm and 7pm?
Prime Outgoing will not automatically pay more than standard Outgoing Octopus.
Outgoing Octopus currently pays a flat 12p per kWh at any time. Prime Outgoing pays 16p during the prime period but only 9p during the rest of the day.
At these rates, approximately 43% of your total exports would need to take place between 4pm and 7pm for Prime Outgoing to match the 12p flat rate.
For example, if half of your electricity was exported at 16p and the other half at 9p, your average export rate would be 12.5p per kWh.
If only a small proportion of your electricity is exported during the prime period, standard Outgoing Octopus may pay more overall.
This calculation only compares export payments. Your actual result will also depend on your import tariff, evening electricity use, battery capacity, export limit and the electricity lost when charging and discharging the battery.
Who is Prime Outgoing Octopus best for?
Prime Outgoing is most likely to suit households with solar panels and a home battery that can move a meaningful proportion of their exports into the 4pm to 7pm period.
It may work particularly well for:
- Solar and battery homes that can schedule their battery to discharge during the evening
- Households with enough battery capacity to cover their own evening use and still export spare electricity
- People who want predictable export rates without following half-hourly Agile prices
- Battery owners who are comfortable setting a regular charge and discharge schedule
- Homes that regularly have stored solar electricity available at the beginning of the prime period
- Households that want to keep a separate Octopus import tariff rather than move onto a combined import and export tariff
- Battery owners whose equipment is not supported by an automatically managed tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Flux
The strongest fit is a household that can store most of its excess daytime generation and regularly export a large share of it during the prime period.
Prime Outgoing may also be worth considering for EV owners who use a compatible Octopus EV tariff. A cheap overnight import window could be used for EV charging, while stored solar electricity is kept for use or export later in the day.
Import and export tariff compatibility should always be checked before switching.
Who should avoid Prime Outgoing Octopus?
Prime Outgoing is unlikely to suit households that:
- Have solar panels but no practical way to store electricity until the evening
- Export most of their excess solar electricity during the middle of the day
- Cannot control when their battery charges and discharges
- Have a small battery that is normally empty before 4pm
- Use most of their stored electricity in the home during the evening
- Want the same export rate regardless of the time of day
- Do not want to manage a battery schedule
- Prefer to follow wholesale prices and target individual high-paying periods
- Want Octopus to control and optimise their battery automatically
- Use an Octopus import tariff that is not compatible with Prime Outgoing
A solar-only household will usually export most heavily during daylight hours, when Prime Outgoing pays its lower rate. In that situation, the flat-rate Outgoing Octopus tariff may provide a better and more predictable return.
Prime Outgoing may also be less suitable when your battery is mainly used to reduce evening imports. Using stored electricity in the home can sometimes be more valuable than exporting it, particularly when your import rate is higher than the prime export payment.
The comparison should therefore include what you pay to import electricity, not just what you receive for exporting it.
Eligibility
To join Prime Outgoing Octopus, you will need:
- To be an Octopus Energy electricity customer, or switch your import supply to Octopus first
- Solar panels, battery storage or another eligible source of exported electricity
- A smart meter from which Octopus can receive half-hourly export readings
- An export MPAN registered for your property
- Octopus to become your registered export supplier
- The relevant installation and grid connection documents
- An Octopus import tariff that can be paired with Prime Outgoing
Octopus says almost all SMETS2 smart meters and most SMETS1 meters can provide the half-hourly export data needed for Outgoing tariffs. It advises customers to check if they are unsure whether their meter is suitable.
Most applicants will need an MCS or Flexi-Orb certificate and confirmation that the installation has been notified to or approved by the local Distribution Network Operator.
Your solar panels or battery do not need to have been installed by Octopus.
If you do not have MCS or Flexi-Orb certification, Octopus has an alternative application process. This requires an Electrical Installation Certificate, a Building Regulations Certificate of Compliance where applicable and a DNO acceptance letter. Octopus currently charges £250 for this process.
You can only combine Prime Outgoing with certain Octopus import tariffs. Check Octopus’s latest tariff compatibility information before changing either your import or export tariff.
How to switch to Prime Outgoing Octopus
If you’re already with Octopus
If Octopus already supplies your electricity, you can apply for Prime Outgoing once your generation system, smart meter and export documents are ready.
You will usually need to provide:
- Your MCS or Flexi-Orb certificate, or the documents required through the alternative application process
- Confirmation from your Distribution Network Operator
- Details of your solar panels, battery or other generation equipment
- Your existing export MPAN, if you already have one
Octopus will check that it can receive half-hourly export readings from your smart meter and that your import tariff is compatible with Prime Outgoing.
If you already receive export payments from Octopus, your export MPAN and installation documents may already be registered. You may therefore only need to request a move from your existing export tariff to Prime Outgoing.
Once the tariff is active, you can adjust your battery settings around the 4pm to 7pm prime period.
If you’re switching to Octopus
If your electricity import is currently with another supplier, you will normally need to switch your import supply to Octopus before applying for Prime Outgoing.
You will usually join Octopus on an available standard import tariff first. Once your account is active and your smart meter is communicating correctly, you can apply for Prime Outgoing.
Find out more about switching to Octopus Energy and receiving £50 credit.
If you do not have an export MPAN
An export MPAN is a unique number used to identify the electricity you send back to the grid. It is separate from the import MPAN used for the electricity supplied to your home.
If your property does not already have one, Octopus can request an export MPAN from your Distribution Network Operator as part of the application.
Octopus says the initial application is normally processed in around two days. Creating the export MPAN can then take between one and four weeks, followed by around five days for Octopus to enrol it onto your account. Timings can vary depending on the Distribution Network Operator.
Once Octopus is connected to the smart meter and receiving export readings, your export payments can begin.
Prime Outgoing Octopus FAQs
What are the Prime Outgoing Octopus rates?
Prime Outgoing currently pays:
- 16p per kWh from 4pm to 7pm
- 9p per kWh during the rest of the day
The same pricing periods apply every day, including weekends.
Do I need solar panels for Prime Outgoing Octopus?
Prime Outgoing is mainly aimed at households with solar panels and a home battery.
Octopus Outgoing tariffs can also support other eligible forms of renewable generation. The important requirement is that you have eligible electricity to export, a suitable smart meter and the correct installation and grid connection documents.
Do I need a battery for Prime Outgoing Octopus?
Octopus presents Prime Outgoing as a tariff for households with solar panels and a home battery that can shift exports into the evening.
A battery is what allows you to store electricity generated earlier in the day and export it between 4pm and 7pm.
Without storage, most solar households will export more electricity during the day at the lower 9p rate. Standard Outgoing Octopus may therefore provide a better result.
What are the peak hours on Prime Outgoing Octopus?
The prime export period runs from 4pm to 7pm every day.
Electricity exported during those three hours receives the higher rate. Electricity exported during the remaining 21 hours receives the lower rate.
Is Prime Outgoing Octopus fixed or variable?
Prime Outgoing is a 12-month fixed-term export tariff with a locked-in rate formula.
This is different from standard Outgoing Octopus, which is a variable tariff. It is also different from Agile Outgoing, where the export price changes every half hour.
Prime Outgoing currently has no exit fees, so you can leave before the end of the 12-month term without paying a charge.
Does Octopus control my battery on Prime Outgoing?
No. Octopus does not automatically control your battery on Prime Outgoing.
You need to schedule its charging and discharging through your battery or inverter app.
If you want Octopus to control a compatible battery automatically, compare Prime Outgoing with Intelligent Octopus Flux.
Is Prime Outgoing better than Outgoing Octopus?
It depends on when you export electricity.
Outgoing Octopus currently pays 12p per kWh throughout the day. Prime Outgoing pays 16p between 4pm and 7pm and 9p at other times.
At the current rates, more than approximately 43% of your total electricity exports would need to take place during the prime period for Prime Outgoing to beat the 12p flat rate.
Outgoing Octopus may be better if most of your electricity is exported during the day. Prime Outgoing may be better if you have enough battery capacity to shift a large proportion of those exports into the evening.
Is Prime Outgoing better than Agile Outgoing?
Prime Outgoing provides more predictable export prices. The higher rate always applies from 4pm to 7pm, while the lower rate applies during the rest of the day.
Agile Outgoing prices change every half hour according to day-ahead wholesale electricity prices. It may pay more than Prime Outgoing during certain periods, but rates can also be lower.
Prime Outgoing is likely to suit someone who wants to follow the same battery schedule each day. Agile Outgoing may suit someone willing to check prices and adjust their exports regularly.
Is Prime Outgoing better than Octopus Flux?
Prime Outgoing and Octopus Flux are different types of tariff.
Prime Outgoing only covers electricity exported to the grid. It sits alongside a separate compatible Octopus import tariff.
Octopus Flux combines your import and export prices into one tariff. It offers cheaper overnight imports and a higher export rate during the early-evening peak, but it also changes what you pay for electricity from the grid.
Prime Outgoing may suit someone who already has an import tariff that works well for their home, EV or heat pump. Octopus Flux may suit a solar and battery household that wants its import and export pricing built around the same daily schedule.
Can I get Prime Outgoing without being an Octopus customer?
No. Octopus requires customers joining its Outgoing tariffs to have their electricity import supply with Octopus.
If you want Octopus to pay for your exports while another company supplies your imported electricity, Octopus SEG is the relevant option. It currently pays a lower flat rate but does not require you to move your import supply to Octopus.
Can Prime Outgoing be combined with any Octopus import tariff?
No. Prime Outgoing can only be combined with certain Octopus import tariffs.
This is particularly important if you use a specialist tariff for an EV, heat pump or another technology. Check the latest Octopus compatibility table before changing either tariff.
Are there exit fees on Prime Outgoing Octopus?
No. Prime Outgoing currently has no exit fees.
Although it is a 12-month fixed-term tariff, Octopus says customers can leave whenever they like without paying an exit charge.
Does Prime Outgoing Octopus have a standing charge?
Prime Outgoing does not add a separate export standing charge.
The standing charge you pay for your electricity supply comes from your import tariff. Prime Outgoing determines how much Octopus credits you for measured electricity exported to the grid.
Can I keep my Feed-in Tariff payments?
You cannot receive both deemed Feed-in Tariff export payments and Prime Outgoing payments for the same exported electricity.
You can normally keep the generation part of your Feed-in Tariff, but you will need to opt out of deemed export payments before moving onto a measured Octopus export tariff. There may be a gap between your FiT export payments ending and your new export tariff beginning.
Is Prime Outgoing Octopus worth it?
Prime Outgoing could be worthwhile if you can regularly move a large proportion of your exports into the 4pm to 7pm window.
It is less likely to work well when most of your solar electricity is exported during the day at the lower rate. Battery capacity, evening household use, import prices, export limits and battery losses will all affect the result.
Before switching, check your recent half-hourly export data where available. Compare how much you currently export between 4pm and 7pm with your total daily exports.
This will provide a better indication of whether Prime Outgoing could beat a flat-rate tariff for your home than comparing the headline rates alone.