Octopus Flux, delays with Export

iamcurious

Hi all.

Im an existing Octopus customer, has SMETS2 meters installed in May 2026, solar and battery early June and eventually, paid under Octopus Outgoing from end of June. To maximise saving, I also signed up to Charge Pack.

Recently decided with falling sunlight that I needed to change Octopus tariffs to one with import and export rates \ windows. I decided to change to Octopus Flux, non intelligent because Intelligent Flux is blocked to new and existing customers while Agile really needs a level of automation Im not hooked on.

Anyway, Flux import was enabled straightaway on accepting the T&Cs. I expected export would similarly be enabled for a couple of reasons: Octopus have all my DNO \ installer certification, import & export meter MPANS and have been taking half hour reads since end of June.

However, Octopus sent me a message saying it could take 2 to 4 weeks before Flux export would be enabled as they had to validate my SMETS2 meters etc. I could kind of understand this if I was a new customer or just got solar and was not on an existing solar and battery tariff.

This delay seems to suggest if anyone wants to swap between Octopus' solar \ battery \ ev \ ashp tariffs, they may have an an unacceptable delay (imho).

Although I can now charge my battery at cheap rate, 15ppkwh, Im only getting 12ppkwh export and not the 25p as per Flux export. This means Im losing out unless I export 20% more than I import.

Has anyone else been in a similar position when switching to Flux and Octopus saying it will take weeks, not hours to re validate your meters and their ability to get HH reads?

I've seen a couple of You Tube vids where people have said import was immediate with export enabled 24 /48 hours later. That in my experience, is not the case.

QrizB

Octopus always say it could take weeks to join a smart tariff. This doesn't mean it necessarily will.

How long have you been waiting so far? It's not clear from your post.

Alnat1

It was a few years ago that I was on Flux tariff but I think Octopus backdated the export payments to date the tariff was started for import. It did take around a week for everything to be updated.

NedS

When I moved to Flux back in June, it took Octopus 10 days to enable the Flux export tariff. Initially during that 10 day period my export showed up at my existing export rate, but as soon as Flux export was enabled, my export recalculated at the Flux rate back to the date of my switch.

The two tariffs are inextricably linked, so they cannot charge you for import on Flux and not also pay export at the Flux rates. Your export will be backdated to the date of your switch.

Qyburn

I was on Go and normal Outgoing, and switched onto Intelligent Flux on 1st March. The tariffs came into effect immediately, effective from the previous midnight.

iamcurious

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82138270#Comment_82138270

Thank you.

It took them roughly similar with mine. Until I get my next bill, I don't know whether they have backdated any export rate which is lower on Flux than Outgoing.

debitcardmayhem

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82142819#Comment_82142819

Not if you export between 1600 and 1900 it's more than double

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82142819#Comment_82142819

The moment your online account is showing the correct export tariff at the bottom of the home page, you should be able to look back through your daily data and see that it has also updated any monetary values for export for that day, accordingly.

If there is an under or over charge since the last bill, that amount should be credited to your account. If it's all happened within a single billing period, then the bill should be correct.

I've actually just switched from Flux to Cosy ready for winter, and have the same thing in reverse. My switch to Cosy import happened almost immediately, but I'm still showing as Flux export some days later. I expect my export rates to drop significantly as I've also switched to Outgoing Octopus for export, once the export side catches up, but it's still currently showing £4-5 of export each day where I've been exporting during the evening saving sessions so it's still currently showing that at 29p/kWh rather than the 12p SEG rate I'll ultimately receive once it's sorted out.

iamcurious

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82142962#Comment_82142962

Thanks.

Im actually using the Tim & Kate Green Journey spreadsheet to determine my best Octopus option. I don't have an ev or heat pump so my Octopus tariffs are somewhat limited. The spreadsheet says NI Flux is best for me currently.

Eon Next are beta testing a new solar and battery tariff but, Alpha ESS strangely is not in the list of batteries and inverter able to enrol for it. That's strange because Alpha equipment can enrol in their Next Optimised, I think it's called.

Getting actual unit prices and time periods is also somewhat of a challenge with Eon, imho!