Best Energy Tariffs for Solar, Battery, EV and Heat Pump owners (Updated August 2026)
- Ian Mach
- Aug 7
- 5 min read
Last updated: 7th August 2026
Choosing the right electricity tariff is no longer a simple matter of comparing unit rates. For households and businesses with solar panels, battery storage, electric vehicles or heat pumps, energy pricing has become a strategic decision.
The structure of your tariff — not just the headline price — can materially influence whether your system delivers modest savings or exceptional returns.
In this guide we will cover the key considerations when choosing an electricity tariff, and looking at the best strategies depending on your situation.
1) Why tariffs matter once you have renewables
If you’re on a standard single-rate tariff, you mostly pay whatever the fixed rate is whenever you use electricity.
Once you add solar, battery storage, an EV, or a heat pump, you can start using time-of-use tariffs. These feature:
Import rates
Off-peak windows (cheap electricity, typically overnight, sometimes midday)
Peak windows (expensive electricity, often 4–7pm)
Export payments for energy you send back to the grid (Smart Export Guarantee-type arrangements)
Using the right tariff, and the adequate usage and charging strategy is essential to make the most of your kit.
2) Which scenario are you in?
Scenario A — Solar only (no battery)
Best tariff type:
A strong fixed export rate + a competitive standard import tariff
Why
Without a battery, you can’t choose when to export excess solar exports when it happens.
A strong export rate is therefore one of the biggest levers for solar-only households.
Time-of-use import tariffs can still work, but without storage you’re less able to avoid expensive peak windows if your usage lands there.
Tariffs to look at:
Octopus Outgoing providing an export rate of 12p/kWh paired with a compatible Octopus import tariff
Scenario B — Solar + battery (no EV)
Best tariff types:
Solar + battery specific tariffs (often with different import/export rates by time)
Dynamic/import tariffs if your battery is “intelligent” and can respond to prices
Pair with either:
Fixed export (simple, predictable), or
Time-based export (better if you can export at peak)
Why
Your battery can:
Store excess solar for later (self-consumption)
Charge from the grid when cheap (especially in winter)
Potentially export at higher rates during peak windows
Tariffs to look:
EDF Empower Fixed with EDF Export 12m
100green Tide Smart with 100green Export Tariff
Fuse Energy Single Rate Variable with EDF Empower Fixed
Octopus Flux
Tip:
Whilst households with just solar and battery could use EV tariffs with a super cheap off-peak overnight window in the past, like Octopus Go and E. On Drive, these companies have now clarified in their terms and conditions that this is no longer allowed and they now require proving ownership of an EV before being able to sign up.
Scenario C — Battery storage only (no solar)
Best tariff type:
The time of use tariffs with the lowest night rate
Why
This is classic arbitrage: charge the battery during cheap windows and discharge during expensive periods.
Your goal is to avoid buying electricity at peak prices.
Tariffs to look at (source sunsave energy):
Good Energy Heat Pump
British Gas Charge Power
Octopus Agile
Scenario D — Solar + battery + EV
Best tariff type:
An EV tariff that allows whole-home off-peak (and ideally works with your battery charging too), plus a strong export option.
Why this can be the “holy grail”
Most suppliers provide the best off-peak import rates if you have an EV which allows you to also charge the battery at these super cheap rates
What decides the winner for you:
Do you drive more (EV import savings dominate) or export more (export rate dominates)?
How often do you run out of battery before 4–7pm in winter?
Can your system charge quickly enough in the available cheap window?
Tariffs to look at:
E ON's Next Flex Export + Next Drive
Octopus Go
Octopus Intelligent Go
Scenario E — Heat pump + solar + battery (no EV)
You’re balancing two things:
Heat pumps can be energy-hungry in cold spells
Time-of-use tariffs can reduce the cost if you can shift consumption or use storage
Best tariff type:
A heat pump tariff, or
A battery-friendly time-of-use tariff, depending on your usage pattern.
Off-peak windows options:
Daytime cheap window tariff can suit people at home during the day (e.g., retirees), because they can heat when it’s cheaper.
Multiple off-peak windows are powerful if you have battery storage and can “top up” several times per day to avoid peak.
Tariffs to look at:
Tip:
Pre-heat during cheap windows, then reduce setpoint during peak (4–7pm). The building’s thermal mass can carry you through the expensive period, reducing peak imports.
Scenario F — EV only
You usually want an EV tariff with an overnight cheap window.
Two EV tariff “types”
Non-intelligent EV tariffs: Fixed cheap window (e.g., midnight–5am). No smart scheduling.
Intelligent EV tariffs: Your EV or charger connects to the supplier, which can schedule charging when it’s cheapest, often with better pricing.
Best tariff
If your EV/charger supports it, intelligent EV tariffs are typically best value because the supplier can shift your charging around and rewards you for the flexibility.
Tariffs to look at (source Sunsave Energy):
Utility Warehouse EV Double Gold
Utility Warehouse EV Gold
Ecotricity Smart 1 Year Fixed Green Electricity EV v25.1
Scenario G — Solar + battery + EV + heat pump (everything)
This is where the “best tariff” is genuinely scenario-specific.
Two common outcomes:
If EV mileage is high, an EV tariff plus battery can outperform heat-pump tariffs because overnight cheap energy can feed both the house and heating.
If heating demand dominates and you need multiple daily cheap windows, a heat pump tariff with several off-peak blocks plus battery can win.
Tariffs to look at:
Contact us
3) Tariff Comparison Tool
While the scenarios above provide a solid rule of thumb, every household uses energy differently.
If you would like to choose your tariff based on your exact energy data or would like to dig deeper into your strategy, we highly recommend using the Tim and Kat Greenwalk Tariff Comparison Tool. Simply enter your system details (solar output, battery size, EV mileage, heat pump use), and it estimates what each tariff would cost you over a year.
Get in touch and further resources
If you would like a personal advice on choosing your tariff do get in touch with the Ulex Energy team.
To maximise your savings, we recommend you also read our article on Top Tips for Maximising Your Solar Savings.
Update history:
August 2026 - General overall update using Sunsave as source, removing overall table and including reference to the excellent Comparing EV, Solar & storage, Heat Pump and TOU Tariffs UK | Facebook
March 2026 – Added tariff table and included additional suppliers including 100 Green, EDF and British Gas which have become popular.
February 2026 – Original guide.
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