Octopus Flux vs Intelligent Octopus Go for solar, battery and EV homes
Two good tariffs for well-equipped homes: how Flux's three price bands compare with Intelligent Octopus Go's cheap night, and which usually wins with an EV.
Tariff facts, checked 28 October 2026
| Octopus Flux | Import and export tariff for solar and battery homes |
|---|---|
| Cheap rate | Cheapest import 02:00 to 05:00, best export 16:00 to 19:00 |
| Times | Three price periods a day |
| You need | Solar panels and a home battery, an export MPAN and the MCS certificate |
| 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 |
Quick answers
- Flux is a combined import and export tariff with three bands: cheap 02:00 to 05:00, peak 16:00 to 19:00, and a middle rate the rest of the day.
- Flux pays a high export rate in the 4pm to 7pm peak, rewarding batteries that discharge to the grid in the evening.
- Intelligent Octopus Go gives a lower import rate for six hours a night, which can fill both the car and the battery.
- Octopus says Intelligent Octopus Go usually makes more sense when you have solar, a battery and an EV, depending on mileage.
If you have solar panels, a home battery and an electric car, two Octopus tariffs are worth comparing: Octopus Flux, built for solar and battery homes, and Intelligent Octopus Go, built for EVs.
How Flux works
Flux combines import and export in one tariff with three price bands every day:
| Time | Import | Export |
|---|---|---|
| 02:00 to 05:00 | Cheapest | Lowest |
| 16:00 to 19:00 | Highest | Highest |
| All other times | Middle | Middle |
The idea: fill the battery cheaply in the early morning, use solar by day, and discharge the battery to the house and grid in the evening peak, when export pays most. You need solar panels, a battery, an export MPAN and your MCS certificate. Flux is a flexible tariff with no exit fee.
How Intelligent Octopus Go compares
Intelligent Octopus Go gives a lower import rate for six hours every night (23:30 to 05:30) for the whole home, plus up to six hours of scheduled car charging. In a solar and battery home that means:
- the car charges at the cheap rate,
- the battery can also fill up overnight at the cheap rate, then power the house through the day and evening,
- surplus solar is paid through a separate export tariff such as Outgoing Octopus.
Which usually wins
Octopus’s own guidance is that with solar, a battery and an EV, Intelligent Octopus Go usually makes more sense than Flux, although it depends on how much you drive. The reason is the car: charging tens of kilowatt-hours a week at Intelligent Octopus Go’s low rate tends to outweigh Flux’s better evening export price.
Flux can win for low-mileage drivers with large batteries who export a lot in the evening peak, especially in summer.
How to decide
- Estimate your annual car charging in kWh (miles divided by your car’s miles per kWh).
- Look at last year’s export and how much your battery could shift into 4pm to 7pm.
- Get quotes for both tariffs for your postcode and price your real usage on each.
If your car or charger is not compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, Flux becomes more attractive, because Octopus Go’s night rate is higher.
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
Can I have an EV on Flux?
Yes. Octopus welcomes EV drivers on Flux. The question is whether you would save more on an EV tariff, and Octopus's own guidance is that with an EV, Intelligent Octopus Go usually does.
Does Intelligent Octopus Go let me export?
Yes. Pair it with Outgoing Octopus or a Smart Export Guarantee tariff. Your export is paid at that tariff's rate.
What about Intelligent Octopus Flux?
Octopus also sells Intelligent Octopus Flux, where Octopus controls a compatible home battery. It is a separate product with its own eligibility; check Octopus's page if your battery is supported.
Sources and further reading
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: Octopus FluxCheap 02:00 to 05:00, peak 16:00 to 19:00; solar and battery required; export MPAN; flexible, no exit fee; EV drivers welcome; checked 28 October 2026
- api.octopus.energyOctopus price API: Flux import and exportThree-rate import and export bands on 28 October 2026
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: EV tariff FAQsUsually more sense to choose Intelligent Octopus Go rather than Flux with solar, battery and EV
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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