⚡Flux vs Intelligent Flux — What's the Difference?
Both tariffs are designed for solar and battery owners, but they differ significantly in how your battery is managed and which hardware is supported.
Verdict: Intelligent Flux is generally the better financial choice for compatible battery owners — the automatic management and matched import/export rates consistently outperform manual Flux. Choose standard Flux if your battery brand isn't on the compatibility list, or if you prefer manual control.
☀️What Is Octopus Flux?
Octopus Flux is a specialist import/export tariff designed for households with solar panels and battery storage. Unlike standard export tariffs that pay a flat rate for everything you send back to the grid, Flux optimises when you import and export electricity to maximise financial returns.
The concept: import (buy) electricity when it's cheap — typically overnight during periods of high renewable generation — and export (sell) it back when demand and prices are highest. Your home battery acts as the buffer, charging from cheap grid electricity and your solar panels, then discharging to the grid at peak periods.
Intelligent Octopus Flux takes this further by automating all battery scheduling using forecasts of solar generation, grid demand, and wholesale prices — no manual setup required. The top 12% of Flux users earn £314+ per year in net export profit, and many more achieve significant bill reductions. Combined with solar self-consumption, households can reduce energy bills by up to 90%.
📊Export Rate Comparison
Octopus Energy offers several export options for solar owners. Here's how they compare:
For solar owners with a compatible battery, the Flux tariffs generally earn the most by optimising when you import and export. Without a battery, Outgoing Octopus at 12p/kWh flat is nearly 3x the standard SEG rate — one of the best simple export deals available. See our full export tariffs guide for a detailed comparison.
🔋Octopus Solar Panels & Battery Storage
Octopus Energy installs 450W all-black solar panels backed by 25-year warranties. System prices range from £6,163 to £9,691 depending on the number of panels and configuration. For battery storage, the Tesla Powerwall 3 offers 13.5kWh of capacity — enough to store surplus solar generation for evening use or overnight grid charging for morning export.
The typical payback period for a solar panel system on Flux is 9–11 years, after which the system generates pure savings for its remaining lifespan. With panels warranted for 25 years, that's 14–16 years of essentially free electricity plus export income.
🔄How Flux Works With Your Battery
Flux intelligently manages your battery's charge and discharge cycles throughout the day to maximise your financial return:
- Overnight (cheap import) — your battery charges from the grid at low overnight rates
- Morning (peak export) — the battery exports stored electricity back to the grid when prices are highest
- Daytime (solar charging) — your solar panels recharge the battery and power your home directly
- Evening (peak export or self-use) — battery discharges to the grid during evening peak, or powers your home to avoid importing at peak rates
This cycle repeats daily, with Octopus's system automatically managing the timing based on predicted solar generation, your usage patterns, and grid prices. The more solar and battery capacity you have, the more you can earn.
💷Earning Potential
The top 12% of Flux users earn £314 or more per year in net profit from their export payments — meaning they earn more from exporting than they spend on imports. Their electricity bills effectively go negative. These top earners typically have larger solar arrays (4kW+) and higher-capacity batteries.
Even average users see significant bill reductions. Combined with solar self-consumption, households can reduce their energy bills by up to 90%. Octopus has paid 100,000+ solar homeowners for their exported electricity, demonstrating the scale of their commitment to distributed energy.
Ready to maximise your solar investment? Check out our solar and battery guide for detailed tips, or compare all Octopus tariff options.