Octopus Energy Export Rates for Solar Panel Owners
Octopus is the UK's largest energy supplier and the clear leader on solar export. Its Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff pays the highest export prices on the market during the 4pm to 7pm peak, but needs a battery and an Octopus import account. For a simple flat rate, Outgoing Octopus pays 12p/kWh to import customers, while the standalone Octopus SEG pays 4.1p to anyone, whoever supplies your import. Export credit is paid monthly, the fastest cadence we track.
Last verified 6 June 2026
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
Quick Answer
Octopus Energy's best Smart Export Guarantee rate is Up to 12p/kWh flat, though that time-of-use rate requires switching your import electricity to Octopus Energy. The rate anyone can take, with no need to switch your import supplier, is 4.1p/kWh. For a typical home exporting around 2,000 kWh a year, the open rate is worth about £82.
Octopus Energy SEG Export Tariffs
Like most large UK suppliers, Octopus Energy publishes more than one Smart Export Guarantee rate. The higher rates come with strings attached, usually that you take Octopus Energy for your import electricity too, and sometimes that they installed your system. Here is every published tier.
| Tariff | Export rate | Type | Who can get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Octopus Flux | Time-of-use | Time-of-use | Octopus Energy import customers |
| Outgoing Octopus (fixed) | 12p/kWh | Variable | Octopus Energy import customers |
| Octopus SEG | 4.1p/kWh | Variable | Anyone (any import supplier) |
- Intelligent Octopus Flux: Time-of-use export, peaking in the 4pm to 7pm window (the highest export prices on the UK market). Needs a home battery and an Octopus import tariff, so the headline peak rate is not a flat figure everyone gets.
- Outgoing Octopus (fixed): Flat 12p/kWh for Octopus import customers. Cut from 15p on 1 March 2026.
- Octopus SEG: Flat 4.1p/kWh standalone SEG, open to anyone regardless of who supplies your import electricity.
Octopus Energy Import Prices for Solar Homes
Your export rate is only half the story. What you pay to import electricity at night and on dull days matters just as much, and in the UK you can choose to keep your current import supplier and take an export tariff elsewhere. Octopus Energy's standard variable import prices track the Ofgem price cap. Here is the cap level for 1 July to 30 September 2026 alongside an estimated annual import cost at typical usage (2,500 kWh).
| Import unit rate | 26.11p/kWh |
| Standing charge | 57.19p/day |
| Est. annual import cost | £861 at 2,500 kWh/yr |
Ofgem price cap, GB national average, direct debit, incl. VAT, for 1 July to 30 September 2026. Actual prices vary by region and payment method. Before solar self-consumption and export credit.
What Octopus Energy Export Pays You
Annual export earnings depend on system size and how much of your generation you self-consume. These figures use Octopus Energy's best rate that does not require buying an install from them.
| System size | Typical annual export | Octopus Energy earnings (12p/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 kWp (8 panels) | 1,600 kWh | £192 |
| 4.5 kWp (10-11 panels) | 2,000 kWh | £240 |
| 5.4 kWp (12-13 panels) | 2,400 kWh | £288 |
| 6.4 kWp (14-15 panels) | 2,900 kWh | £348 |
| 5.4 kWp + battery | 1,400 kWh | £168 |
A battery cuts your export volume because you self-consume more, but raises the share of your bill you avoid at the much higher import rate. See our battery storage guide for the trade-off.
How SEG Payments Work with Octopus Energy
- Your system is MCS-certified. SEG payments require an MCS (or equivalent) certificate for the install and installer. Octopus Energy cannot pay SEG without it.
- You have a smart meter recording exports. SEG pays for measured half-hourly exports, so you need a smart meter with an export reading set up.
- You apply to Octopus Energy for SEG with your MCS certificate, MPAN and bank details. You can do this even if Octopus Energy is not your import supplier.
- Export credit is paid monthly bill credit as a bill credit or bank payment.
- Payments continue automatically unless you switch export supplier or move home.
Switching Your Export to or from Octopus Energy
Switching export to Octopus Energy
- You can take Octopus Energy for export while keeping your current import supplier
- The higher tiers need you to switch import to Octopus Energy too
- Apply with your MCS certificate, MPAN and bank details
- First payment lands at the next Octopus Energy payment cycle
Switching export away from Octopus Energy
- Check for any fixed-term tie-in on your export tariff
- Outstanding export credit clears on your final statement
- Re-apply for SEG with your new export supplier
- SEG is not portable, so there is a short gap during the switch
Octopus Energy vs Other Suppliers for Solar Export
| Supplier | Best rate | Open to all | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVO Energy | 20p/kWh | 4p/kWh | Octopus Energy vs OVO Energy |
| British Gas | 12p/kWh | 3p/kWh | Octopus Energy vs British Gas |
| EDF Energy | 18p/kWh | 3p/kWh | Octopus Energy vs EDF Energy |
| Scottish Power | 15p/kWh | 6p/kWh | Octopus Energy vs Scottish Power |
See every supplier ranked on our SEG rate comparison page, or read the Smart Export Guarantee guide for how the scheme works.
Agile Outgoing, Flux & how the Octopus tariffs differ
Octopus runs more export tariffs than any other UK supplier, and picking the right one depends on whether you have a battery and how hands-on you want to be.
| Tariff | How it pays | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus SEG | Flat 4.1p/kWh | Anyone, no need to switch import to Octopus |
| Outgoing Octopus (fixed) | Flat 12p/kWh | Octopus import customers wanting a simple flat rate |
| Agile Outgoing | Half-hourly, tracks the wholesale price | Hands-on exporters who can shift exports to high-price half-hours |
| Intelligent Octopus Flux | Time-of-use, peaks 4pm to 7pm | Battery owners on Octopus import, the highest peak prices on the market |
Agile Outgoing tracks the day-ahead wholesale price in half-hourly slots, so it can pay more than 12p at peak demand but less overnight. It rewards households that can time exports (usually with a battery), and is variable rather than fixed, so the headline rate changes every day. For most passive exporters the flat Outgoing rate is steadier; for battery owners, Intelligent Flux usually beats Agile because it automates the peak-window export.
Octopus “free electricity”, Power-ups & saving sessions
Octopus is known for its free and cheap electricity offers, which are separate from the SEG export rate but worth knowing if you take Octopus for import as well as export:
- Power-ups: occasional free-electricity windows in regions and at times when the grid has surplus renewable power. Use them to run high-draw appliances or charge a battery or EV for nothing.
- Saving Sessions: Octopus pays you to cut or shift usage during peak-demand events. Solar-plus-battery homes are well-placed to take part by discharging the battery instead of importing.
- Octoplus: the rewards programme that bundles Saving Sessions, occasional free-electricity sessions and partner perks for Octopus customers.
None of these change your SEG export rate, but for a solar-and-battery household on Octopus import they stack on top of it, which is part of why Octopus suits battery owners best.
Thinking of buying panels from Octopus?
This page is about Octopus export rates. If you are weighing up an Octopus solar panel installation itself (costs, packages and whether independent MCS installers beat them on price), see our Octopus Energy solar panels review.
Octopus Energy Review: Good for Solar Export?
Octopus is the UK's largest supplier and the clear leader on solar export. Its Intelligent Octopus Flux time-of-use tariff pays the highest peak export prices on the market, but only if you have a battery and take Octopus for import. For owners who want a simple flat rate, Outgoing Octopus pays 12p to import customers, while the standalone SEG at 4.1p is open to anyone. The monthly bill credit is also the fastest payment cadence we track.
Octopus Energy ranks 7th of 10 on best export rate. Whether it suits you depends on whether you want to switch your import supplier and on your full annual bill, not the export rate alone, which we weigh below.
Pros
- Mid-table best rate of Up to 12p/kWh flat (ranked 7th of 10), competitive without leading.
- Offers a time-of-use export tariff that pays a premium for exporting at peak times, ideal with a battery.
- Pays export credit monthly, the fastest cadence available.
Cons
- The best rate requires switching your import electricity to this supplier too.
Bottom line: Octopus Energy is a reasonable option, best value if you are happy to take it for both import and export. Run your own numbers against the full ranking first.
Octopus Energy SEG FAQ
What is the Octopus Energy SEG export rate in 2026?
Octopus Energy's best published Smart Export Guarantee rate is Up to 12p/kWh flat. The rate open to anyone, with no need to switch your import supplier, is 4.1p/kWh. Rates are set by the supplier and can change, so confirm the live rate before applying.
Do I have to switch to Octopus Energy for import to get their export rate?
Not for the 4.1p/kWh rate, which is open to customers of any import supplier. But Octopus Energy's higher rates do require taking Octopus Energy for your import electricity.
When does Octopus Energy pay SEG?
Octopus Energy pays export credit monthly bill credit.
Can I get Octopus Energy SEG with any installer?
Yes, as long as your system is MCS-certified. Octopus Energy's open SEG rate does not require buying your install from them.
Who owns Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy is part of Octopus Energy Group (UK-owned).
Is SEG income taxable?
For a typical household, SEG income is not taxable, provided you are not generating significantly more than you use. The £1,000 trading allowance also covers most solar owners. If your SEG and other side income exceed £1,000 in a tax year, check whether you need to declare it.
Is Octopus Energy the best supplier for solar export?
Octopus Energy's best rate of Up to 12p/kWh flat ranks 7th of 10 on headline rate among the suppliers we track. The 'best' supplier depends on whether you are willing to switch your import account, and on your total bill rather than the export rate alone. See our hub page for the full ranking.
Sources
- Octopus Energy, octopus.energy
- Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee, ofgem.gov.uk
Last verified: 6 June 2026
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
John Rooney is the founder of Solar Info and has been covering the UK solar energy market since 2023. He researches every battery and inverter brand against manufacturer datasheets, MCS and Ofgem data, and feedback from the MCS-certified installers in our directory before publishing.
Compare Every SEG Rate
The gap between the best and worst SEG rates is worth £100 to £400 a year on a typical system. See how every UK supplier ranks on our full Smart Export Guarantee comparison.