OctoTariffs

Household decision guide

Best Octopus tariff for solar panels: what to compare

Separate import and export decisions for a solar home, including Outgoing, SEG, metering, self-consumption and tariff compatibility.

Edited by Rob Gibbs. Guidance reviewed: .

Methodology · Corrections

Short answer

Solar panels do not determine one best import tariff. First estimate how much generation you use at home and how much reaches the grid; then compare household import costs and export payments as separate contracts, subject to current pairing rules.

Who this is for: Homes with solar generation, with or without a battery, comparing import costs and export payment structures.

Fit check

good fit

Good fit: known import and export profiles

Half-hourly meter history lets you compare the two directions with much less guesswork.

poor fit

Poor fit: choosing from panel capacity alone

Installed kW does not reveal household self-consumption, clipping, seasonal generation or export timing.

verify first

Verify first: export setup

Confirm export MPAN, half-hourly readings, generation evidence and import/export compatibility.

How to compare in practice

  1. Step 1

    Separate the three energy flows

    Measure electricity imported from the grid, solar used in the home and electricity exported. Treating all panel generation as bill savings will overstate the value because exported and self-consumed kWh are paid or avoided at different rates.

  2. Step 2

    Compare imports before export income

    Cost the household import profile under each eligible import tariff across darker and sunnier months. This exposes winter and evening demand that a summer generation estimate can hide.

  3. Step 3

    Value actual export and verify the pairing

    Apply each export structure to the times electricity really reaches the grid, then check that the preferred import and export products can be held together. Compare the combined annual result only after both sides are valid.

Numbers to collect before comparing

Better inputs matter more than a generic winner. Gather these before using a tariff calculator or asking Octopus for an eligibility check.

Half-hourly import and export

Collect a representative year where possible. Monthly totals are useful, but interval data is needed to test time-of-use import or dynamic export accurately.

Generation and self-consumption

Record inverter generation separately from export so you can see what the home used directly. Include seasonal shading or outages that make a model year unrepresentative.

Export account readiness

Check for an export MPAN, working export readings and the evidence Octopus requests for the installation. Note the current import tariff so compatibility can be verified.

Equipment and controls

Generation and self-consumption

Panel size is not enough. Roof direction, season, shading, household load and battery behaviour affect how much electricity is imported, used directly or exported.

Meter requirements

Working half-hourly operation matters

Owning a smart meter is not the same as Octopus being able to communicate with it and receive the readings a tariff needs. Confirm the meter, consent and data flow during signup.

Export metering

Octopus export terms require suitable smart export metering, an export MPAN and half-hourly readings before payments can begin.

Eligibility to verify

Generation evidence and registration

Export applications can require technology and DNO or certification evidence. Confirm the current process and do not assume an import account automatically creates export eligibility.

Import tariff structures to compare

  • Agile Octopus

    Can fit households able to move imports away from expensive periods.

    Watch: Solar output alone does not protect winter or evening imports.

  • Flexible Octopus

    Simple all-day import pricing can be easier to understand.

    Watch: A flat structure does not reward within-day flexibility.

Export choices and pairing

  • Outgoing Octopus

    A flat payment can suit households prioritising predictability.

    Watch: Verify current rate and compatible import tariff.

  • Outgoing Octopus Agile

    Half-hourly export can reward controllable export timing.

    Watch: Uncontrolled midday export may not coincide with the highest rates.

  • Octopus SEG

    The basic SEG family is a useful eligibility reference point.

    Watch: Supplier-specific SEG payment and pairing details still need confirmation.

Import and export are two decisions

Do not subtract a generic export estimate from a generic import bill. Use measured import/export profiles and verify the pair is permitted.

Effort and automation

Solar can be passive; export timing is not

A flat export rate needs little intervention. Dynamic export usually becomes more controllable with a battery, but this site does not model personal dispatch.

Price risk

Seasonality changes the balance

Summer export and winter import can be very different. A short sunny sample is not an annual comparison.

Standing charges

Imports still carry fixed daily cost

Low net annual import can make the standing charge a larger share of what you pay. Export tariffs are payments and should not be described as negative standing charges.

The answer changes when…

  • A battery changes self-consumption and export timing.
  • Your household shifts more use into sunny hours.
  • The permitted import/export pairing changes.
  • Your winter import profile is much larger than summer.

Questions people ask

Do I need Octopus for both import and export?

Not necessarily under SEG rules, but individual Octopus export products can have their own import pairing conditions.

Is the highest export rate always best?

No. The volume and time of your actual export determine the payment, and eligibility and pairing can matter more than a headline rate.

Can this page predict solar earnings?

No. It does not model roof yield, losses, self-consumption, battery dispatch or future rates.

Continue your comparison

Limits of this guide

This guide compares public tariff structures. It is not a switching quote, eligibility decision, bill forecast or equipment-performance guarantee. Verify live rates, standing charges, product terms, device support and meter operation with Octopus before switching.

Primary sources