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Octopus Flux with solar How it works, best settings and is it worth switching?

Octopus Flux charges you cheaply between 02:00 and 05:00, and pays a high rate for electricity you export between 16:00 and 19:00. Paired with solar and battery storage, this three-period tariff is one of the most financially attractive products in the UK market. This guide covers how Flux works, how to configure every major inverter brand, and what can go wrong.
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We were having problems with our inverter, couldn’t get an early response from our installer a stressed conversation between our installer and solar tech support led to a text to us to authorise connection to your company . Ron was a very helpful and knowledgeable man who tried with a bit of difficulty as we are pensioners and very knowledgeable. Spent time on phone without making us feel small.we would recommend this company if you have any problems. Thanks Ron 5 star

Me and the boss · Aug 2026 Trustpilot

I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration. So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.

customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Super support. Delighted I found them. System battery was down for quite a while and no one would try to fix it as GivEnergy out of business. A few hours later and I’m up and running again. Brilliant service!!! Highly recommend them.

Ed Place · Sep 2026 Google

Superb work from Ronald. Cannot recommend highly enough. Figured out my problem late into night, going above and beyond! Many thanks to him

rohit s · Jul 2026 Google

Big thanks to Ron. He was incredibly patient and helpful over the phone, taking the time to walk myself and the installer through every troubleshooting step. Through lots of testing he figured out the issue was definitely a hardware issue, which allows us to consider our next steps. Support fees are clear and they operate a “no fix no fee” policy. It is rare to find that kind of honesty combined with dedicated phone support nowadays. I highly recommend Ron, if you need help with your solar system don’t hesitate to give him a call.

Steve M · Jun 2026 Google

Ron is one of those rare finds - an engineer's engineer. He insightfully and accurately diagnosed the problems with our GivEnergy system, very quickly, which helped get us back on track. We will be using him again!

Geoff Palmer · Sep 2026 Google
How It Works

The three-period Flux day explained

Unlike flat-rate tariffs, Flux charges different prices for electricity at different times of day — and, uniquely among simple consumer tariffs, it also pays a meaningful rate when you export during peak hours. Understanding the three periods is the foundation of everything else.

OFF-PEAK
02:00–05:00

Cheapest import rate of the day. This is when you charge your battery from the grid. Import during this window only — avoid charging at any other time if you can help it.

Cheap import, about 15–17p/kWh (October 2026)
FLUX
Rest of day

Standard Flux rate — higher than the off-peak rate but lower than the peak rate. Solar generation and battery discharge cover household demand during this period to minimise expensive imports.

Standard rate, about 26–28p/kWh (October 2026)
PEAK
16:00–19:00

Most expensive import. But Octopus also pays a high export rate during peak — exporting stored battery energy during this window is where most of the financial benefit comes from.

High import (about 36–39p/kWh) and high export (about 29–32p/kWh), October 2026
Important: Flux rates are variable and differ by region. The figures above are the range across GB regions that Octopus published as of October 2026, and the periods are on UK clock time all year. Always check the current rates in your Octopus account before deciding whether Flux works for your usage pattern. Compare the cheap rate, standard rate, and peak export rate to your current tariff to calculate whether switching is worthwhile.
1
What makes Flux different from Octopus Go

Octopus Go has one cheap overnight import window, 00:30–05:30, and one day rate for everything else, and Octopus says you need an electric car you charge at home to join. Older Go agreements can have different hours, such as the four-hour 00:30–04:30. On Go, export is paid by a separate export tariff, such as Outgoing Octopus at a flat 12p/kWh as of October 2026. Flux adds a third element: a premium export rate during the peak window. This means Flux rewards both the import side (cheap charging) and the export side (selling at peak) — Go only rewards the import side. As of October 2026, Go's cheap rate (9.4p/kWh) was lower than Flux's (about 15–17p), but Go's day rate (about 33–39p) was higher than Flux's standard rate (about 26–28p). Your bill balance depends heavily on how much you can shift to the off-peak and peak windows.

2
What you need before signing up

Octopus's Flux page lists what you need: solar panels, which don't need to have been installed by Octopus, with a home battery also on its eligibility list; a smart meter Octopus can read half-hourly (a SMETS2, or a SMETS1 made by Secure); an export MPAN, which Octopus can apply for; your installation's MCS document; and Octopus import and export tariffs before you switch (new customers start on Flexible Octopus and Outgoing Octopus). Your system must also be allowed to export: with an export limit of zero there is nothing to sell in the peak.

Octopus's Flux page says you need solar panels, and its eligibility list also asks for a home battery, so check with Octopus if you have no battery. Without one you could not use the cheap overnight rate or store energy for the peak export window, and a solar-only home only gains from the peak export rate while panels still generate after 16:00, which is limited in autumn and winter.

3
Flux and the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)

When you are on Octopus Flux, your export earnings are paid through the Flux tariff — Octopus pays the peak export rate for units exported between 16:00 and 19:00 (about 29–32p/kWh as of October 2026), about 11–12p/kWh at standard times and about 5p/kWh in the cheap window. Flux needs your export to be with Octopus as well, so it replaces an export contract with another supplier. If you get Feed-in Tariff payments, Octopus says you must permanently opt out of deemed export payments to join; your generation payments carry on. See the Smart Export Guarantee guide for details on how SEG and Flux interact.

Is It Worth It?

Is Octopus Flux worth it with solar?

The answer depends almost entirely on your battery capacity and how you use it. Here are the three scenarios, from worst to best.

S1
Solar only, no battery — limited benefit

A solar-only household on Flux benefits from the peak export rate when panels are still generating after 16:00 — mainly in summer. In winter, panels rarely produce meaningful output after 15:00 and the peak window yields little export. Meanwhile, the higher standard Flux rate applies for all evening and overnight import. Unless you have a very large east/west-facing array that generates well in the late afternoon, Flux is not compelling for solar-only homes. Octopus Go or a standard fixed-rate tariff with a competitive SEG rate is usually a better fit.

Flux verdict for solar-only: Worth checking in summer, unlikely to outperform Go year-round
S2
Solar + small battery (≤5 kWh) — moderate benefit

A 5 kWh battery can typically charge fully in the 3-hour off-peak window and discharge meaningfully during the 3-hour peak export window. In winter, the battery is likely to reach 100% from the cheap grid charge alone. In summer, solar may fill the battery before 16:00 without any overnight grid charge, leaving the cheap window available for future use. The limiting factor is battery size: a 5 kWh battery exported at a high peak rate generates less income per day than a larger system. Flux is generally worth it with a small battery — just not transformative.

Flux verdict for solar + 5 kWh: Good — meaningful annual saving over flat-rate tariff
S3
Solar + larger battery (10 kWh+) — high benefit

This is the scenario Flux is designed for. A 10 kWh battery charges fully from the grid during the off-peak window. Solar tops it up again during the day at zero cost. The battery then has a full or near-full charge available to export during the peak window. In winter, the cheap overnight charge plus peak export can effectively give you a daily net energy cost close to zero or even positive — the peak export income offsets the overnight charge cost. In summer, solar generation often means no overnight grid charge is needed at all, making the peak export window essentially pure income. A 10 kWh+ system well-configured for Flux is one of the best financial propositions in consumer solar energy.

Flux verdict for solar + 10 kWh+: Excellent — potentially the best available consumer tariff for this setup
Optimal Strategy

The optimal daily Flux strategy for solar + battery

A well-configured Flux setup follows the same daily cycle in winter. Summer shifts the solar contribution forward, often eliminating the need for any grid charge at all on sunny days.

1
02:00–05:00 — charge from grid at cheap rate

The inverter draws power from the grid and charges the battery to 100% SoC. Cost: about £1.40 to £1.55 for 9 kWh (3 hours at a typical 3 kW charge rate, at about 15–17p/kWh as of October 2026), less if the battery was already partially charged from the previous day's solar. This is the only time grid import is financially acceptable on Flux.

2
05:00–16:00 — solar charges battery and powers home

Solar panels generate from sunrise. The inverter prioritises powering the house directly from solar, then re-charges the battery if it was partially discharged, then exports any remaining surplus. During this period, the aim is to keep the battery at a high SoC so it has maximum charge available for the 16:00 peak export window.

In summer, this period may fully recharge the battery without any grid input, making the overnight cheap charge unnecessary. In winter, solar production is lower and the battery likely relies on the overnight grid charge to reach full capacity.

3
16:00–19:00 — export stored energy at peak rate

The inverter discharges the battery at full power through the three-hour peak window. On GivEnergy this is Timed Export mode, at full power or at the set power depending on the inverter generation. The battery output covers the house load first, and the rest goes to the grid. How much you can actually export is capped by whichever runs out first: the usable energy in the battery after the house load, or your export limit across the three hours. Your peak income is that amount at the current Flux export rate, less the cost of the overnight charge. Both figures are specific to your system and your current rates, so check them in your portal and your Octopus account rather than relying on a headline number.

Critical: Your export limit directly caps how fast the battery can push energy to the grid. A single-phase G98 system tops out at 3.68 kW, and a larger G99 system has whatever export limit its DNO approval sets. If your export limit has been reset to zero (on some brands, after a firmware update), you will lose all peak export income even though the inverter appears to be in export mode.
4
19:00–02:00 — battery covers home demand, avoid grid import

After the peak export window closes, the battery switches to powering the house (Timed Discharge or Eco Mode) to cover household demand through the evening. The aim is to avoid paying the standard Flux rate for any avoidable evening imports. Set a minimum SoC reserve of 5–10% to ensure there is always some charge remaining when the off-peak window opens at 02:00. An empty battery at 02:00 charges more slowly and may not reach 100% by 05:00.

Not sure if your system is configured correctly for Flux?

A remote diagnostic session reviews your portal data and schedule settings to confirm whether your charge and export windows are aligned to the Flux periods — and identifies any configuration issues costing you income.

Remote diagnostic
Configuration by Brand

How to configure your inverter for Octopus Flux

The settings are the same across all brands in principle — a charge window from 02:00 to 05:00 and an export window from 16:00 to 19:00 — but the interface, terminology, and mode names differ. Here is what to do for each common UK inverter.

GE
GivEnergy (givenergy.cloud)
Charge slot Settings → Timed Charge → Add slot: Start 02:00, End 05:00, Target SoC 100%. Enable slot toggle and save. If the battery does not fully charge in 3 hours at your inverter's charge rate, extend to 01:30–05:00. Leave Eco mode on: outside the slot the system goes back to Eco.
Export slot Settings → Timed Export → Add slot: Start 16:00, End 19:00, Target SoC 5% (minimum reserve). Enable slot and save. Check the slot shows as enabled, and during the window check the portal shows the battery discharging.
Check also Export limit must be set to your DNO agreement value (often 3,680W on a single-phase supply) — not 0W. Settings → Export Limit. See the GivEnergy charge schedule guide and tariff optimisation page for full walkthrough.
SS
Sunsynk (SunsynkConnect)
Charge slot SunsynkConnect → Settings → Time of Use → Add a charge slot: 02:00–05:00, SoC target 100%, Grid charge enabled. Sunsynk TOU supports individual day configuration — set the same slot for all seven days unless you have specific day-of-week requirements.
Export slot Add a discharge slot: 16:00–19:00, mode set to Export (sell to grid). Set minimum SoC to 5–10%. This tells the inverter to push battery power to the grid rather than just powering the house.
Check also Inverter system time must be correct for your season (BST/GMT). Battery not charging on cheap rate is usually a TOU slot configuration error — see the Sunsynk not charging on cheap rate guide.
SL
Solis (SolisCloud)
Charge slot SolisCloud → Settings → Time of Use. Slot 1: 02:00–05:00, Charge to 100%, Grid charge enabled. On Solis the TOU interface has Time of Use slots that can be set to charge from grid (import) or discharge to grid (export) independently.
Export slot Slot 2: 16:00–19:00, mode Discharge (to grid). Set minimum SoC reserve. Note: Solis requires the storage mode to be set to 'Self-Use' or 'TOU' mode — confirm the active mode before configuring slots.
FX
Fox ESS (Fox Cloud)
Charge slot FoxCloud 2.0 app (version 2.2.0 or later) → Work Mode → Mode Scheduler → Add a Schedule → Forced Charge: 02:00–05:00. Set the charging cut-off SOC (100% for a full charge) and switch on Charge from Grid. If you cannot see Mode Scheduler, update the app. It also needs up-to-date inverter firmware, so ask your installer or Fox ESS's service team if it is still missing. Schedules are set in the FoxCloud 2.0 app, the same service as the Fox Cloud web portal.
Export slot Mode Scheduler → Add a Schedule: 16:00–19:00, then choose Force Discharge. The battery exports what is left after the house load is met, up to the inverter's rating and any export limit. Fox ESS also has a Feed-in Priority work mode, which is a different setting. Set a minimum battery SoC in the Force Discharge settings. Check the exact menu names in your app, because Fox changes them between versions.
Check also Inverter clock must show the correct UK time for the season (BST/GMT). Outside your blocks the system runs its "remaining time" work mode, which is Self-Use unless you change it, so check that too. If the battery still does not charge, see the Fox ESS battery not charging guide and our Fox ESS hub.
After updates Fox ESS's February 2026 FoxCloud 2.0 update (version 2.2.0) moved schedules into Mode Scheduler and removed the old grid-charge settings, so check your schedules after updating the app.
GR
Growatt (ShinePhone / ShineServer)
Charge slot ShineServer → Parameters → Time of Use → Period 1: 02:00–05:00, mode AC Charging, SoC target 100%. On some Growatt models this is under Charge First mode rather than TOU — the inverter-specific configuration differs between MIN, MOD, MAC, and SPH/SPA series.
Export slot Period 2: 16:00–19:00, mode Discharge to Grid (or Export). Growatt's export functionality availability depends on firmware version — check that your firmware supports forced grid export before configuring this slot.
+4
SolaX, Sofar Solar, LuxPower, Hanchu

All four brands use SolarMan or a similar TOU schedule interface. The principle is identical: a charge window 02:00–05:00 (grid charge, SoC target 100%) and a discharge-to-grid window 16:00–19:00 (minimum SoC 5–10%). The key variable between brands is whether grid export is available on your firmware version and whether the brand's portal labels the mode as 'Sell', 'Export', 'Discharge to Grid', or 'Force Discharge'.

SolarMan clock check: SolarMan-based systems are particularly susceptible to the BST/GMT clock issue. When British Summer Time begins in late March, check that your TOU windows are still firing at the correct Flux periods. SolarMan typically displays inverter-local time — if the inverter is set to GMT and the Flux windows are specified in GMT, the windows are already correct and no seasonal adjustment is needed.
API vs Manual

Octopus API integration vs manual schedule configuration

On standard Flux, Octopus says you set the battery schedule yourself. Octopus can run a compatible battery for you on a separate tariff, Intelligent Octopus Flux. That is not the same as manual TOU configuration — and running both simultaneously is a common cause of erratic battery behaviour.

Manual schedule (recommended for most users)

You configure TOU slots directly in your inverter portal. No API connection. You control exactly when the battery charges and exports. Settings persist unless you change them or, on some brands, a firmware update resets them. Compatible with all inverter brands.

✓Works with any brand
✓Predictable, stable behaviour
✓No dependency on Octopus API uptime
✗Does not adapt to Flux rate changes
✗Cannot take advantage of negative rates
Intelligent Octopus Flux (Octopus runs the battery)

Octopus connects through your battery maker's account and schedules charging and discharging itself. It lists GivEnergy, SolarEdge, Enphase and other brands, but Octopus's own pages disagree on the full list, so check with Octopus. In October 2026 Octopus showed this tariff as temporarily unavailable, and open only to customers who bought solar and a battery from Octopus.

✓Automated — no manual schedule management
✓Can adapt to tariff changes automatically
✗Limited brand compatibility
✗Overrides manual TOU settings
✗Conflicts if manual schedules also exist
The conflict rule: If you connect the Octopus API and also have manual TOU slots in your inverter portal, both systems will issue charge and export commands — often conflicting. A common symptom is the battery charging during peak-rate hours or failing to export when expected. Choose one method and disable the other. For most Flux users, manual TOU configuration without API integration is more reliable and easier to diagnose when things go wrong.
Common Problems

Why your Flux setup might not be working correctly

These are reasons a Flux-configured system can fail to perform as expected.

P1
Battery not charging during 02:00–05:00

Check in order: (1) Is the TOU charge slot correctly configured with grid charge enabled? (2) Is the system mode set to allow grid charging (not 'Self-Use only' which may reject grid charge on some brands)? (3) Is the inverter clock showing the correct current time? If the clock is on GMT in summer (BST), the slot fires one hour late and misses the off-peak window. (4) If you have an Octopus API connection, is it conflicting with the manual schedule? (5) Could the CT clamp be the wrong way round? A reversed clamp makes the inverter misread import as export and refuse to charge from the grid. Your installer or an engineer checks this.

See the battery not charging guide for systematic diagnosis steps.

P2
Battery not exporting during 16:00–19:00

Check in order: (1) Is the export limit set to a non-zero value? If the export limit was reset to 0W (on some brands, after a firmware update), no power can reach the grid even in Timed Export mode. (2) Is the TOU export slot correctly configured as 'export to grid' rather than 'discharge to house'? These are different modes — Timed Discharge powers the house from the battery but does not push energy to the grid for export income. (3) Does the battery have sufficient charge at 16:00? If morning solar was poor and the overnight charge was insufficient, the battery may be near its minimum SoC before the export window even opens.

P3
Clock changes: windows fire at the wrong time

Octopus says Flux's periods stay at 02:00–05:00 and 16:00–19:00 UK local time all year, so they move with the clocks. If your inverter clock does not change between GMT and BST, its slots run an hour out of step with Flux for half the year: on GMT in summer, the charge slot runs 03:00–06:00 BST and the export slot 17:00–20:00 BST, an hour late. Your in-home display may also show the wrong times; Octopus says the bill is what counts.

Fix: Keep the inverter clock on UK time (BST in summer, GMT in winter) and leave the slots at 02:00–05:00 and 16:00–19:00. Check the clock after each change, on the last Sunday of March and of October, and correct it if it has not moved. Then compare your charge and export times with your half-hourly data in the Octopus app.
P4
Firmware update reset the charge or export schedule

On some brands, a firmware update to the inverter or battery can reset TOU configuration to factory defaults — deleting or disabling your Flux windows without warning. After any update, immediately check your charge schedule and export slot in the portal to confirm they are still active and correct. See the firmware update risks guide for full details of what to check.

P5
Octopus billing not matching expected export income

If you are exporting during the peak window (confirmed in your monitoring portal) but your Octopus bill does not reflect the expected peak export rate, the issue is usually one of: (1) your smart meter is not correctly registering the half-hourly export data (contact Octopus to investigate); (2) the inverter export is going through a sub-meter that the smart meter cannot see; or (3) your Flux tariff switch is not yet complete and you are still on the previous tariff. Log into the Octopus app, navigate to 'Usage', and check whether half-hourly export data is visible — if the chart is empty or shows estimated reads, the smart meter communication needs investigating.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Octopus Flux is a time-of-use tariff from Octopus Energy with three daily price periods, on UK clock time all year. Off-peak (02:00–05:00) has a cheap import rate for charging your battery from the grid, the standard Flux rate applies during the rest of the day, and peak (16:00–19:00) has a high import rate but also a high export rate. As of October 2026, import was about 15–17p/kWh off-peak and the peak export rate about 29–32p/kWh, depending on region. You need solar panels, a smart meter Octopus can read half-hourly and an export MPAN, and Octopus's eligibility list also asks for a home battery.
For solar-plus-battery households, often yes. The combination of cheap overnight charging, solar self-use during the day, and a high export rate at peak makes it particularly effective for systems with 5–10 kWh of battery capacity and 3–6 kW of solar. As of October 2026, Flux charged about 15–17p/kWh in the cheap window and paid about 29–32p/kWh for peak export, depending on region. Compare those with what your current tariff charges and pays, and with your battery size, before switching.
Octopus's Flux page says you need solar panels, and its eligibility list also asks for a home battery, so check with Octopus if you have no battery. A solar-only home would gain little anyway: in winter, when panels produce little after 16:00, there is no peak export benefit and evening electricity is charged at the peak import rate. Battery storage is what makes Flux work year-round: it stores cheap overnight grid electricity and solar generation, then dispatches it during the peak window regardless of what the panels produce.
Any inverter with a configurable Time of Use (TOU) charge and discharge schedule can be set up for Octopus Flux — this includes GivEnergy, Sunsynk, Solis, Fox ESS, Growatt, SolaX, Sofar, LuxPower, and Hanchu. On standard Flux, Octopus says you set the battery schedule yourself: a charge slot 02:00–05:00 and an export slot 16:00–19:00. Octopus's own battery control is a separate tariff, Intelligent Octopus Flux, which lists GivEnergy, SolarEdge and other brands but was shown as temporarily unavailable in October 2026.
Octopus says Flux's periods stay at 02:00–05:00 and 16:00–19:00 UK local time all year, so they move with the clocks. Keep your inverter clock on UK time, BST in summer and GMT in winter, and leave the slots as they are. If the inverter clock does not change by itself, correct it after each clock change, or the slots run an hour late in summer. Check your half-hourly data in the Octopus app in the first week after each change: your in-home display may show the wrong times, and Octopus says the bill is what counts.
They suit different users. Flux has fixed daily windows, so it is predictable, easy to configure manually and consistent year-round. Agile has half-hourly variable pricing with potential for very cheap or even negative import rates and very high export rates on cold still winter evenings, but it needs home automation (Home Assistant, GivTCP, or similar) to take full advantage. For households with home automation and the time to optimise, Agile often outperforms Flux; for a reliable set-and-forget approach, Flux is usually the stronger choice.
The remote diagnostic is free: it reviews your schedule settings and portal data to find the cause. If a schedule has stopped working, the fix is £125 only if we fix it remotely. First-time tariff setup on a working system is a fixed £45 per session.
Octopus says it generally takes around 14 days to connect to your smart meter, then it emails you to accept the Flux terms, which completes the switch. Keep your existing charge schedule in place until Flux is live, then set the charge and export slots. If the schedule then misbehaves, our remote diagnostic is usually the same day, in one session (30 min).
Get help

Flux not charging or exporting correctly?

If your battery is not charging during the off-peak window, not exporting at peak, or your Flux income looks lower than expected, a remote diagnostic reviews your schedule settings and portal data to find the cause, in one session (30 min).

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  • BST clock and API conflict issues resolved

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