The tariff behind the kit decides half the maths.
The same panels, battery or charger can pay back very differently depending on the tariff behind them. Here is how the main options compared when we checked in September 2026, in plain English, with the conditions stated. Rates change; we confirm the current picture on your free call.
Go straight to your tariff
Full import rates, windows and eligibility for each one, checked directly against the supplier's own page.
Export tariffs: the same unit, very different money
Every larger supplier must offer a Smart Export Guarantee, but each sets its own rate, and the spread is enormous. The strongest rates usually carry conditions, most often that the supplier also provides your electricity, sometimes that specific kit was installed.
| Tariff | Type | Rate as checked | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
 OVO SEG Install Exclusive ovoenergy.com | Export | Up to 20p/kWh (solar + battery), 15p solar-only | OVO supply plus OVO-arranged installation |
OVO SEG Beyond Exclusive ovoenergy.com | Export | 12p/kWh | OVO supply, Beyond membership |
 Outgoing Octopus octopus.energy | Export | 12p/kWh, variable | Octopus supply for the best rates |
Octopus Outgoing, agile octopus.energy | Export | Tracks half-hourly market prices, no single rate | Octopus supply; rewards evening export |
 E.ON Next Optimise export side eonnext.com | Export | Dynamic, updates every 30 minutes | E.ON Next supply, solar + battery, compatible inverter |
Standard SEG (typical) supplier websites | Export | A few pence per kWh; OVO’s standard SEG was 4p | Open regardless of who installs |
SolarSolar + batteryEVHeat pump
Rates and conditions as published on the named suppliers’ websites when checked on 3 September 2026 (E.ON Next Optimise re-checked 28 September 2026). They change, sometimes mid-year. We verify the current rates on your call rather than asking you to trust a table. Supplier names and logos are their owners' trademarks, used here to identify whose published tariffs are described; no endorsement or partnership is implied.
The same exported unit, five very different values. Bars re-draw the table above; the conditions column still applies to every one of them.
We will tell you which export rates your setup could qualify for.
Smart import tariffs: off-peak windows do the heavy lifting
Batteries and EVs turn cheap overnight electricity into daytime power and cheap miles. These were the patterns when checked in September 2026.
| Tariff | Best for | Shape as checked | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Intelligent Octopus Go octopus.energy | EV (and battery) homes | Off-peak from around 8p/kWh, guaranteed 23:30 to 05:30 plus smart-scheduled slots | Compatible EV or charger; Octopus supply |
Octopus Flux family octopus.energy | Solar + battery homes | Cheap and premium windows around a standard rate; the intelligent version automates dispatch | Solar + battery; compatibility list applies; availability has varied |
Octopus Cosy octopus.energy | Heat pump homes | Multiple cheaper windows a day aimed at heat pump schedules | Heat pump; Octopus supply |
E.ON Next Optimise eonnext.com | Solar + battery homes | Import and export track wholesale prices every 30 minutes; automation manages the battery | Solar + battery + compatible inverter (Fox ESS, Alpha, Sigenergy, Tesla Powerwall); no exit fees |
Agile-style dynamic tariffs octopus.energy | Flexible households | Every half hour priced to the market; can be very cheap, can spike | A smart meter and genuine flexibility |
Dynamic tariffs have no single rate by design; we describe the mechanism rather than invent an average. Compatibility lists, availability and windows are the supplier’s, as published when checked in September 2026 (the Octopus tariffs on 25 September, E.ON Next Optimise on 28 September).
Four rules that survive every rate change
Bundled beats standalone
The strongest export rates are reserved for customers who also take their supply, and sometimes their installation, from the same company. Worth it or not is a sum, not a slogan, and it is one we run for your numbers.
A battery widens your options
Solar-plus-battery homes qualify for tariffs that solar-only homes do not, on top of the off-peak arbitrage the battery does anyway.
Dynamic needs flexibility
Wholesale-tracking tariffs reward homes that can shift usage and punish homes that cannot. Automation, a battery, or honest habits: one of the three is required.
Never plan on a screenshot
Rates on this page were checked in September 2026 and will move. Suppliers can change SEG rates on notice, and mid-year cuts happen. Decisions deserve current numbers, which is what the call is for.
Tariff questions, answered
Do I have to switch supplier to get a good export rate?
Not always, but the strongest rates checked in September 2026 were reserved for each supplier’s own customers. The standard Smart Export Guarantee is open to everyone and pays much less. Whether switching is worth it is arithmetic on your own numbers.
Why do you not just tell me the best tariff?
Because it genuinely depends on your setup: what is on your roof, whether you have a battery, what you drive, when you are home. The tables above give the honest shape; your free call turns them into a recommendation for your house.
Are these rates guaranteed?
No. They are the suppliers’ published rates when we checked in September 2026, named so you can verify them. Suppliers change rates and eligibility, which is why every figure here carries its date.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is factual guidance on published tariffs and how home energy kit interacts with them. Decisions about supply contracts are yours, and we would always rather explain a number than pick one for you.
Get my free quote
Takes about two minutes. We call or text within one working day to book your free 30-minute video design call at a time that suits you. We design it around your roof and your numbers, and our MCS-certified, fully insured installation teams install it.