Last Updated on September, 2024
Having solar panels installed in your home can save you from paying hundreds of pounds a year on electricity bills, but that’s not all it has to offer.
With solar tariffs, you can get paid for any excess energy your solar panels generate that will not be used.
Octopus Flux, in particular, is the best tariff on the market for earning money by selling your energy at peak times. It has varying import and export rates.
If you want to get to know Octopus Flux, this is the guide for you! We’ll be discussing how Octopus Flux works, its benefits, and how it can be used with batteries and solar panels.
We will also give you some insight into Intelligent Octopus Flux and how it differs from regular Octopus Flux.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Quick Summary
- Octopus Flux is an electricity tariff offered by Octopus Energy that has varying import and export rates, allowing customers to save money and help the environment by reducing their reliance on fossil fuels during peak times.
- By integrating real-time weather forecasts with the Octopus Flux tariff rates, the Tesla Powerwall battery can optimize its operations and save on energy costs.
- The Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff offers automated battery controls and allows customers to earn money by supplying solar electricity to the grid, making it a better choice for those with smart batteries.
What is Octopus Flux?
Octopus Flux is an electricity tariff offered by the award-winning energy supplier Octopus Energy.
Instead of a constant rate for electricity usage, the cost fluctuates based on the time of day, with higher prices during peak periods of the day and super cheap rates at night when the demand for electricity drops.
What sets Octopus Flux apart from other tariffs is its variable rates for both import and export electricity. During late-night hours, the import costs for electricity are actually less than the export rates during peak evening times.
This allows you to charge your electric vehicle or any batteries you have when prices are low and discharge them during peak times, which can make you some cash.
This approach not only saves you money, but also helps you make the most of your battery. It also benefits the UK’s electricity grid by reducing the need for fossil-fuel power during peak times which is good for the environment!
With the Octopus Flux tariff, you save money and help the planet at the same time!
How Does Octopus Flux Work?
The Octopus Flux tariff comes with three price ranges depending on the time of day:
- 02:00-05:00 – cheaper rates.
- 05:00-16:00 – normal rates.
- 16:00-19:00 – peak rate.
- 19:00-02:00 – normal rates.
Keep in mind that the prices are subject to change, so it’s essential to refer to the latest rates. For example, during the peak period, the export rates exceed the import rates compared to the cheaper rate time.
Benefits of Using Octopus Flux
The Octopus Flux tariff, developed in collaboration with Fox Energy Storage System batteries, offers many advantages for households equipped with solar panels and solar battery storage.
This innovative tariff aims to empower consumers with solar and battery setups to optimise their energy generation and usage and cut costs through intelligent import and export tariffs.
It offers customers the ability to maximise energy consumption and minimise expenses, resulting in a more sustainable and cost-effective energy management solution.
Benefits of the Octopus export tariff include:
- Optimises import and export tariffs, enabling consumers to maximise their solar energy generation and battery storage capacity.
- It takes into consideration higher energy usage and selling periods, ensuring consumers receive the best rates for both.
- Aligns energy consumption with the most favourable tariff periods, leading to a significant reduction in electricity bills.
- Contributes to a more efficient and balanced energy grid while promoting sustainable energy practices.
Using Octopus Flux With the Tesla Powerwall
The synergy between the Octopus Energy Flux tariff and the Tesla Powerwall is remarkable, thanks to the intelligent algorithms governing its charging and discharging cycles.
By integrating real-time weather forecasts with the Octopus Flux tariff rates, the Tesla Powerwall optimises its operations throughout the day, ensuring efficient energy management.
Here’s how this optimised operation differs from conventional home battery usage:
- Beginning around midday, solar energy primarily powers household appliances with any surplus stored in the solar battery.
- By the onset of the peak rate at 16:00, the battery is near full capacity. During the peak time from 16:00 to 19:00, the battery supplies the home’s energy needs and also exports excess energy to the grid to capitalise on high export tariffs.
- The battery retains a reserve to sustain household operations during the evening and early night until 02:00, accounting for potential power outages.
- At 02:00, the battery replenishes its charge from the grid at the off-peak nighttime rate. However, it doesn’t fully charge as it prioritises using solar energy from the roof, which is essentially free.
- The extent of charging depends on weather forecasts; if sunny weather is anticipated, minimal topping-up occurs to preserve space for the next day’s solar generation, whereas cloudier forecasts prompt more charging. These decisions are informed by local weather data and the household’s typical energy usage patterns.
Using Octopus Flux With Other Batteries
While Octopus Flux is compatible with non-Tesla batteries, they lack Tesla’s predictive capabilities for tomorrow’s energy generation.
Therefore, some manual configuration is necessary, which some customers prefer as it grants them greater control over their energy management.
To optimise the battery’s performance, you must set a discharge time and a limit, instructing it to discharge during peak times and off-peak import electricity when the rates are cheap.
Seasonal adjustments are necessary to prevent overcharging the battery overnight during the summer.
Though this approach may require a bit more effort on your part, it’s a great cost-effective method if executed perfectly.
The export rate during the day remains higher than the import costs at night, ensuring you make a profit even if excess electricity is returned to the grid during daylight hours.
Using Octopus Flux With Solar Panels
While it is possible to use the Octopus Flux tariff solely with solar power, having a battery significantly enhances its benefits.
When used only with solar without a battery, you’ll receive a standard export tariff during the day but a higher export rate between 16:00 and 19:00, which is particularly advantageous during summer when extended daylight allows for continued energy generation and profit making.
However, it is essential to acknowledge the potential downside to using Octopus Flux with solar panels but without a battery. In winter, evening energy generation from solar panels is limited, exposing households to higher import prices during the peak price period.
Moreover, Octopus Flux, with only solar power, favours homes that face the west as it optimises energy generation during peak tariff periods.
What is Intelligent Octopus Flux?
Intelligent Octopus Flux is one of the best smart tariffs on the market for buying and selling electricity. It is designed for a home with solar panels and an eligible battery, and it has different rates for peak and off-peak times.
The rates for exporting and importing electricity are higher between 16:00 and 19:00 compared to other times, but they are always equal to each other.
This allows car charging for an electric vehicle or charging a battery when rates are low– about 10% cheaper than the Octopus Flux tariff– and then selling electricity back to the grid at higher prices.
Rather than just using your battery to store excess solar energy, Intelligent Octopus Flux helps you maximise your earnings.
This tariff also eliminates the common issue present in any other export tariff, where buying electricity costs more than selling it or when it comes to the same amount.
It encourages customers to use less energy during times when the price is higher, reducing the strain on the grid.
How Does it Differ From Octopus Flux?
Intelligent Octopus Flux offers automated battery controls, compared to Octopus Flux, which requires manual setting of import and export times for batteries (unless you own a Tesla Powerwall).
This means you need a smart battery, which narrows your options compared to Octopus Flux. Currently, Intelligent Octopus Flux is compatible only with GivEnergy batteries.
Despite this limitation, smart controls are beneficial. They optimise your earnings and provide access to Intelligent Octopus Flux’s matching import and export rates, a feature not available with Octopus Flux.
Additionally, all export rates under Octopus Flux are lower than those of Intelligent Octopus Flux, meaning you’ll earn less when you sell your excess solar power with Octopus Flux.
Octopus Flux is a good choice for those who already own a solar battery or don’t wish to purchase a GivEnergy battery.
How Does it Work?
Octopus Energy will manage your battery for you, ensuring it charges fully during off-peak hours and discharges to your home and the grid during higher price hours from 16:00 to 19:00.
They use advanced smart controls, incorporating weather forecasts to predict how much electricity your solar panels generate daily and your home consumption, maximising your savings.
Your battery will supplement the remaining needed electricity from the grid, ensuring it’s fully charged by 16:00.
This guarantees that you always buy electricity at low rates and sell it at high rates, regardless of your solar panels’ output.
Any other export tariff on the market lacks designated peak and off-peak times, which prevents them from optimising battery use to buy and sell electricity efficiently. With those tariffs, you can only sell your excess solar power at a unit rate and only when your battery is full.
Intelligent Octopus Flux allows you to earn money by supplying solar electricity to the grid and owning a battery.
How Do I Sign Up for Octopus Flux and Intelligent Octopus Flux?
To be eligible for the Octopus Energy Flux tariff, you:
- Need solar panels installed.
- Must have a smart metre.
- Must be enrolled in the Octopus Energy Smart Export Guarantee (Octopus SEG), which is the program responsible for compensating you for the exported electricity.
To be eligible for the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff, you:
- Need to have solar panels.
- Must have a smart metre.
- Must be enrolled in the Octopus Energy Smart Export Guarantee (Octopus SEG).
- Need A GivEnergy battery.
- An iOS or Android phone or tablet, in order to manage the smart charging through the app.
You can start by signing up for either Octopus Outgoing or Octopus Flux through the respective online forms.
For either tariff, you’ll need your system’s MCS or Flexi-Orb certificate, your G98 or G99 application, and approval from your Distribution Network Operator (DNO), which manages the electricity system in your area.
Octopus will process your application in about two days and then apply to your DNO for an export MPAN (Metre Point Administration Number). This unique code identifies your smart metre.
Your DNO will issue your export MPAN within one to four weeks. This will be added to your Octopus account, and you’ll need to provide an initial smart metre reading.
After this, you will be connected to your smart metre, and you’ll begin earning money for your exports. For Intelligent Octopus Flux, you can download the Octopus app on your phone, where you can register your battery and switch to Intelligent Octopus Flux.
Other useful guides:
FAQs
Conclusion
Octopus Flux is the best tariff available on the market for those looking to profit from their excess solar energy while spending less on electricity. Plus, it’s eco-friendly too, so you’re not just making a quick buck–you’re also playing your part in saving the planet!
