The right energy tariff can add hundreds of pounds a year to what you earn from solar panels — on top of the bill savings you already get from self-consuming your own electricity. Yet most homeowners sign up to whatever their installer suggests and never revisit it. This guide compares the main options in plain English so you know exactly what to ask before you commit to anything.
Why your energy tariff matters as much as your panels
When your panels make more electricity than your home is using, the surplus flows back into the grid. Under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — a government-backed scheme that launched on 1 January 2020 — your energy supplier is required to pay you for that electricity. The catch: SEG rates vary enormously between suppliers, and the scheme's rules only require each rate to be above zero. Ofgem regulates the scheme but does not set the price — that is left to competition between suppliers.
To put numbers on why this matters: a home exporting 2,000 kWh a year earns around £80 on a basic 4p export rate, but around £240–£300 on a good fixed tariff paying 12–15p per kWh. Switch to a time-of-use tariff with a battery and the same export could be worth considerably more. The same solar system, the same roof — a very different financial outcome, purely from tariff choice.
At the same time, your import tariff — what you pay when you draw electricity from the grid — matters too. Choosing a smart import tariff means you can buy electricity cheaply overnight, which reduces your bills on top of whatever you earn from exporting. The two decisions are linked.
The three main routes: SEG fixed rate, Agile, and Flux
Option 1: A competitive fixed SEG rate (the simple choice)
If you have solar panels but no battery, a straightforward fixed-rate SEG tariff is almost certainly your best starting point. As of mid-2026, the top fixed export rates available to most UK homeowners sit between 12p and 16.5p per kWh, depending on the supplier and whether you buy your import electricity from the same company. The highest fixed rates — such as E.ON Next Export Exclusive at 16.5p/kWh or British Gas Export & Earn Plus at 15.1p/kWh — typically require you to take your import from the same supplier, so always compare the full picture, not just the headline export number.
Octopus Energy's Outgoing Fixed tariff pays a flat 12p per kWh. This rate was reduced from 15p in March 2026 but remains one of the more accessible fixed rates from a major supplier, and importantly it is available without bundling your import to Octopus — though you do need to be an Octopus import customer to access the 12p rate.
Who it suits: Solar-only homeowners who want reliable, predictable export income with no time-management required. Set it up once, collect payments monthly.
What to watch: Suppliers can change rates with 30 days' notice. It is worth checking the current rate on the supplier's website before signing up, and reviewing again if your setup changes.
Option 2: Agile Octopus (the half-hourly variable tariff)
Agile Octopus is a time-of-use import tariff where the price you pay for electricity changes every 30 minutes, tracking wholesale market prices. Rates can be very low overnight — sometimes dropping to 2–5p per kWh during windy periods, and occasionally turning negative, meaning the grid effectively pays you to use electricity. On the flip side, rates spike during peak demand windows, typically between 4pm and 7pm.
For solar households, Agile works best on the import side: it lets you buy grid electricity cheaply overnight to top up a battery, then use solar and stored electricity during the expensive peak. On the export side, solar-only homeowners without a battery tend to export most of their electricity around midday when Agile wholesale rates are at their lowest — meaning Agile export often averages out below a good fixed SEG rate. The average Outgoing Agile export rate over the 12 months to April 2026 was around 9.4p/kWh, below the 12p flat Outgoing Fixed rate.
Who it suits: Tech-comfortable homeowners with a compatible battery who can automate or manually schedule when they export. Without a battery, Agile import can still save money on overnight usage, but pair it with a fixed export tariff rather than Outgoing Agile for exports.
What to watch: Agile requires genuine engagement. If you are not willing to shift appliances or automate your battery, a simpler tariff will serve you better.
Option 3: Octopus Flux and Intelligent Flux (the battery-optimised route)
Flux is a combined import and export tariff built specifically for solar-plus-battery homes. It uses three daily rate bands: cheap overnight import (around 2am–5am), standard rates during the day, and a higher export rate during the 4pm–7pm evening peak, where export payments can reach around 30p per kWh. The idea is straightforward: charge your battery cheaply from the grid overnight, top it up with solar during the day, then export during the peak window when rates are highest.
Intelligent Octopus Flux adds automated battery control through Octopus's API, removing the need to manually schedule charge and discharge cycles. Both Flux variants require a compatible home battery — not all batteries qualify, so check the Octopus compatibility list before buying.
It is worth noting that as of mid-2026, both standard Flux and Intelligent Flux are closed to new sign-ups from Octopus. If you are not already on one of these tariffs, check whether Octopus has reopened them or whether an equivalent time-of-use tariff is available before planning around them.
Who it suits: Solar-plus-battery homeowners who want to maximise export income and are happy to use a compatible battery. If you are considering adding a battery, see our guide on whether solar battery storage is actually worth it before deciding.
What to watch: The financial case for Flux only works if the evening peak export rate is genuinely higher than the overnight import cost — and that gap can change. Always model the full import-plus-export picture, not just the peak export headline.
Which tariff suits which homeowner? A quick guide
- Solar panels, no battery, no EV: A competitive fixed SEG rate (12–16.5p/kWh depending on supplier) is your simplest and often best option. Compare the export rate alongside your import tariff — the highest export number is not always the best overall deal.
- Solar panels plus a battery: Investigate time-of-use tariffs that let you export during peak hours. Intelligent Octopus Flux (if available) or an equivalent peak-export tariff can significantly improve your returns compared with a flat SEG rate.
- Solar panels plus an EV: A cheap overnight import tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go (around 7–8p/kWh overnight) combined with a good fixed export tariff is often the strongest combination, letting you fill your car cheaply while also earning from daytime solar exports.
- Solar panels, battery and EV: Intelligent Octopus Flux (when available) or a similar fully automated tariff gives the most complete optimisation — automated overnight battery charging, cheap EV charging, and peak-time export.
The honest truth about export income
Export payments are the bonus, not the main event. The biggest financial return from solar panels still comes from using your own electricity rather than buying it from the grid at the Ofgem price cap rate — currently 26.11p per kWh as of 1 July 2026, according to Ofgem. Every unit you use directly from your panels instead of buying from the grid saves you that import cost. Export income is what you earn on the surplus after that.
That said, the difference between a poor export tariff and a good one is real money. Switching from a 4–5p basic rate to a 12–15p fixed tariff on 1,500 kWh of annual exports represents around £105–£165 a year in additional income for zero extra effort. Over a typical 25-year system life, that compounds considerably — and it is entirely separate from any savings on your import bill.
To understand how export income fits into the full payback picture, our guide on solar panel payback time in 2026 is worth reading alongside this one.
What you need to claim SEG payments
To register for any SEG tariff you need three things: an MCS-certified solar installation (your installer provides the certificate at completion), a smart meter capable of recording half-hourly export data (SMETS2 meters installed since 2018 are suitable, and your supplier can usually upgrade an older meter for free), and an export MPAN — the meter reference number for electricity leaving your property. You can hold your SEG export tariff with a different supplier from your import tariff, which means you can shop around for the best export rate without switching your household energy supplier.
When a smart tariff is NOT worth the effort
Not every homeowner will benefit from moving to a time-of-use tariff. If your household uses most of its electricity in the evenings — when Agile and Flux import rates are at their highest — a smart tariff could cost you more on imports than you gain on exports. If you are not willing to shift appliances, automate a battery, or check your rates regularly, a good fixed SEG tariff with a standard import tariff is a perfectly sensible and profitable choice. The best tariff is the one that fits how you actually live, not the most technically impressive one on paper.
If you are still at the stage of comparing solar quotes, understanding your tariff options is useful context before you speak to installers — some will be able to advise on battery compatibility with specific tariffs as part of the quote conversation. To get free, no-obligation quotes from vetted, MCS-certified local installers, use the FairSolar quote form and ask installers directly which tariffs their recommended batteries support.
Frequently asked questions
Which tariff is best if I have solar panels but no battery?
A competitive fixed-rate SEG tariff paying 12–16.5p per kWh is usually the simplest and most effective choice for solar-only homes. Compare the full package — some higher export rates require you to buy your import electricity from the same supplier, so factor in both rates before switching.
Is Octopus Agile worth it with solar panels?
It depends on your setup. As an import tariff, Agile can save money if you shift appliance use to cheap overnight half-hours or automate a battery to charge when rates are low. As an export tariff (Outgoing Agile), it has averaged around 9.4p/kWh over the past year — below the 12p flat Outgoing Fixed rate — so it mainly pays off for battery owners who can time their exports to hit price spikes.
How do I get paid for the solar electricity I send back to the grid?
You register with a supplier under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). You need an MCS-certified installation, a SMETS2 smart meter capable of recording half-hourly export data, and an export MPAN. You can choose a different SEG supplier from your household import supplier, and there is no penalty for switching SEG providers later.
Do I need a battery to get a good export tariff?
No — a good fixed-rate SEG tariff is available to solar-only homes without a battery. However, a battery allows you to store solar electricity and export it during the high-value 4–7pm peak window, which is where time-of-use tariffs like Flux deliver their biggest advantage over a flat rate.
Can I switch my SEG export tariff without switching my energy supplier?
Yes. Your SEG export tariff and your household import tariff are separate. You can shop around for the best export rate and switch SEG providers independently, without changing who supplies your import electricity — though some tariffs do require both to be with the same supplier, so always check the eligibility conditions.