The tariff you're on matters as much as the kit you buy. An 800W plug-in solar system on a standard tariff saves you around £156/year. The same system paired with Octopus Agile can save £200–£250/year, because you're displacing expensive evening electricity rather than cheap midday electricity.
Why Octopus is the best choice for solar owners
Octopus offers more smart tariffs designed specifically for energy technology owners than any other UK supplier. Whether you have solar, a battery, an EV, or a heat pump, there's a tariff designed to maximise your savings. No other supplier comes close on breadth.
Switch to Octopus — Get £50 Credit →
Octopus Agile — Best for solar + battery owners
Half-hourly pricing that tracks day-ahead wholesale electricity rates. Rates vary from negative (you get paid to use electricity) to over 30p/kWh during peak demand. If you can charge a battery overnight at 5p/kWh and discharge during the 30p evening peak, that's where the real money is.
Best for: solar + battery owners, flexible households, Home Assistant users
Annual saving vs standard tariff: £200–£400 for a 3,500kWh household
Octopus Tracker — Best for price-aware households
Daily pricing that tracks wholesale gas and electricity prices with a one-day delay. More predictable than Agile (you know the rate by 11pm the night before) but still offers savings when wholesale prices drop. Good for households who want to benefit from cheap days without the half-hourly complexity.
Best for: households who want wholesale price exposure without half-hourly management
Octopus Go — Best for EV owners
A simple two-rate tariff: cheap electricity overnight (typically 7.5p/kWh from 12:30am–5:30am) and a standard daytime rate. Designed for EV owners who charge overnight.
Best for: EV owners who can charge overnight
Octopus Flux — Best for solar + battery exporters
A three-rate tariff for solar and battery owners. Higher export rates during peak demand, cheaper import during off-peak. Your battery charges from solar during the day, exports during the evening peak at premium rates, and imports cheaply overnight.
Best for: homeowners with rooftop solar + battery who want maximum export value
Cosy Octopus — Best for heat pump owners
Cheaper rates during the hours when heat pumps typically run — early morning and late afternoon. Can reduce heat pump running costs by 15–25% compared to a flat-rate tariff.
Quick comparison
| Tariff | Best for | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|
| Agile | Solar + battery, flexible households | £200–£400/year vs standard |
| Tracker | Price-aware households | £100–£250/year vs standard |
| Go | EV owners | £150–£300/year on charging costs |
| Flux | Solar + battery exporters | £200–£500/year with optimised export |
| Cosy | Heat pump owners | 15–25% reduction in HP running costs |
The bottom line
If you have or are getting solar, switch to Octopus. The referral link gives you £50 credit, and once your smart meter is installed you can move to whichever smart tariff suits your setup. There is no good reason to stay on a standard tariff if you have solar generation or a home battery.