Wed, 28 Oct 2026
Charging Octopus EV tariffs · Solar, batteries and V2G

EV and solar panels: the best Octopus tariff combination

Pair an EV import tariff with an export tariff, decide whether Flux beats it, and get more of your own solar into the car.

EV Compared
Published 28 October 2026 2 min read
EV and solar panels: the best Octopus tariff combination

Tariff facts, checked 28 October 2026

Intelligent Octopus Go EV tariff with smart charging
Cheap rate From 7.9p/kWh (Octopus's advertised smart charging rate)
Times 23:30 to 05:30 for the whole home, plus up to 6 hours of scheduled car charging in any 24 hours
You need A compatible car or charger, a smart meter sending half-hourly readings and the Octopus app
Outgoing Octopus Export tariff
Cheap rate 12p/kWh for every unit exported
Times Prime Outgoing pays 16p/kWh from 4pm to 7pm and 9p/kWh the rest of the day
You need Solar or other generation, an export MPAN and a smart meter sending half-hourly export data

Quick answers

  • With solar, you have two tariffs: one for electricity you buy (import) and one for electricity you sell (export).
  • Octopus says Outgoing Octopus and Smart Export Guarantee tariffs both work with Intelligent Octopus Go, and Outgoing now works with Octopus Go.
  • Not every import tariff pairs with every export tariff; Octopus lists the allowed combinations.
  • With an EV in the mix, Octopus says Intelligent Octopus Go usually works out better than Flux even for solar and battery homes.

Solar panels and an electric car work well together, but on Octopus they involve two tariffs, and getting the pair right matters as much as choosing either one.

Import and export

  • Import tariff: what you pay for electricity from the grid. For EV drivers this is usually Intelligent Octopus Go or Octopus Go.
  • Export tariff: what Octopus pays you for surplus solar you send to the grid. Octopus’s main option is Outgoing Octopus, with flat, Prime and Agile versions.

Octopus says Outgoing Octopus and Smart Export Guarantee tariffs both work with Intelligent Octopus Go, and that Outgoing now works with Octopus Go. It also says you can only pair each tariff with certain others, so check the combination before applying.

Solar in the car, or overnight charging?

It is tempting to charge the car from solar whenever the sun is out, but on an EV tariff that is not always cheapest. The question is simple:

  • If your export rate is higher than your cheap night rate, a unit exported earns more than it would cost to buy back overnight. Export by day, charge by night.
  • If your export rate is lower, putting solar straight into the car saves more.

With a flat Outgoing rate above the EV tariff’s off-peak rate, many households come out ahead exporting by day and charging overnight. Run the numbers for your rates.

What about Octopus Flux?

Octopus Flux is an import and export tariff built for solar and battery homes, with a cheap early-morning rate and a high export rate in the 4pm to 7pm peak. Octopus’s own guidance is that with an EV as well, Intelligent Octopus Go usually works out better, though it depends on how much you drive.

Getting set up

  1. Join Octopus for import.
  2. Apply for Outgoing Octopus. Octopus requests an export MPAN from your network operator, which takes from one to four weeks.
  3. Once your smart meter is sending half-hourly export data, payments start automatically.
  4. Move your import to an EV tariff when Octopus can read your meter.

If you have batteries as well, read Flux vs Intelligent Octopus Go next.

How we test and where our numbers come from

Tariff times, rules and rates come from Octopus Energy's own tariff pages and its public price API on the date shown. Off-peak rates quoted are national; day rates and standing charges vary by region, so check your postcode. EV Compared earns a referral reward if you switch through our Octopus links; it does not change what we write. Last checked 28 October 2026. How we work out our own figures.

Frequently asked questions

Should I charge my EV from solar or from the cheap night rate?

Compare what you lose and save. Every unit of solar you put in the car is a unit you do not export. If your export rate is higher than your cheap import rate, it can be cheaper to export the solar and charge overnight. If you are on a low export rate, using solar in the car saves more.

Do I need an MCS certificate to export?

Octopus asks for your installation's MCS certificate for some solar tariffs such as Flux. You also need an export MPAN, which Octopus applies for on your behalf.

Will I lose my Feed-in Tariff?

Octopus says your generation payments stay the same if you move to its export tariffs, but you give up deemed export payments. Octopus also says that if your FiT payments started in the last 12 months, FiT rules stop you switching to Outgoing Octopus yet.

Sources and further reading

EV Compared

The EV Compared editorial team tracks the UK electric vehicle market full time: new model launches, list prices, WLTP and real-world range, public charging tariffs and the tax rules that decide what an EV actually costs to run. Every guide is checked against manufacturer specifications and official GOV.UK figures, and updated whenever the numbers move.

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