Which tariffs work with a home battery?
Short answer
For most EV tariffs, yes. Octopus Go, Intelligent Octopus Go, EDF GoElectric, E.ON Next Drive and British Gas EV Power need an EV; Octopus's terms (v2.6, 16 Feb 2026) say a smart charger alone does not make you eligible for Intelligent Octopus Go. OVO Charge Anytime's rate covers only car charging. Battery-only homes can use Agile Octopus, British Gas Charge Power, and Cosy if they have a heat pump. Flux needs solar too.
Last checked 24 September 2026 · 9 sources
What should I know before deciding?
Octopus Go: 'Have an electric car that you charge at home'. Intelligent Octopus Go: page says 'Compatible EV or smart charger', but the Smart Tariff T&Cs v2.6 (16 Feb 2026) limit it to customers with a battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle that charges primarily at home; the charger is an integration route for cars Octopus cannot control directly. No active integration for 30+ days means a move to a standard tariff. It gives 6 whole-home off-peak hours (23:30-05:30) plus smart-charge slots. EDF GoElectric: 'exclusively available to drivers of an electric vehicle'. Off-peak 23:00-06:00 whole home. E.ON Next Drive: must own an eligible vehicle. Next Drive Smart needs a compatible EV and charger. Both give whole-home 00:00-06:00. British Gas: EV Power is for EV-only homes. EV + battery → Charge Power, and battery-only → Charge Power (half-price midnight-5am).
Can I get a cheap overnight EV tariff if I only have a battery?
Mostly not, by the terms. Octopus Go and Intelligent Go, E.ON Next Drive, EDF GoElectric and British Gas's EV tariff all require an electric car. Octopus Flux and Intelligent Flux need solar and a battery; Cosy needs a heat pump. Agile and Tracker only need a smart meter. Some battery-only households have been moved off EV tariffs.
Octopus Go T&C v1.6 (10 Apr 2025): for customers who own or long-term lease a BEV or PHEV; otherwise Octopus may move you to a more appropriate tariff. Intelligent Octopus Go v2.6 (16 Feb 2026): for customers with a BEV/PHEV charging primarily at home; register the device in the app within 7 days; max 6 hours of managed charging per 24h. Octopus Flux v2.9 and Intelligent Flux v2.6: solar PV and a home battery (Intelligent Flux: battery of a type approved by Octopus).
Can I join Intelligent Octopus Go with just a smart charger and no car?
Not under Octopus's terms. Intelligent Octopus Go is for customers with a battery-electric or plug-in hybrid car charging mainly at home, and you must register the car or charger in the app. Octopus can move customers who do not meet the terms to a standard tariff. A smart charger alone does not make you eligible.
IOG T&C v2.6 (16 Feb 2026) quoted: 'for customers with a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid vehicle that charges primarily at the home'. Some compatible chargers can be onboarded technically, and guides note enforcement is not at hardware level - but that is a breach risk, not eligibility. OVO Charge Anytime does accept a compatible charger instead of a compatible car, but only EV charging gets the discount.
What is the best way to run a battery in winter?
Fill it on the cheapest overnight rate and let it carry the house through the day and the 4-7pm peak. With a 6-hour window at 7-9p and a battery sized to most of your daily use, you can avoid most peak-rate imports. Make sure the charge window, clock and target percentage match your tariff.
Checked overnight rates (24 Sep 2026, existing tariff rows): Octopus Go 8.63p 00:30-05:30; Intelligent Octopus Go ~8p 23:30-05:30; EDF GoElectric 6.99p 23:00-06:00; E.ON Next Drive 6.7p 00:00-07:00 (Mar 2026); British Gas ~7.9-9p 00:00-05:00. Most need an EV. Typical owner pattern reported by installers: full by 6am, 70-80% through the day, ~50% by evening, empty around midnight. Check charge power: a 3 kW charger fills only ~15-18 kWh in a 5-6 hour window.
What to do next
Use your own half-hourly electricity data where possible. Compare usable kWh, kW, tariff rules and warranty terms before buying.
Use the battery calculator to test the numbers against your household.
Sources
- Octopus Energy — octopus.energy/smart/go/
- Octopus Energy — octopus.energy/smart/intelligent-octopus-go/
- British Gas — www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/home-battery-tariff.html
- Octopus Energy — octopus.energy/blog/battery-only-installation/
- Octopus Energy — octopus.energy/smart/intelligent-octopus-flux/
- ovoenergy.com — www.ovoenergy.com/electric-cars/charge-anytime
- Octopus Energy — octopus.energy/policies/smart-tariffs-terms-and-condition/
- forums.moneysavingexpert.com — forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6635208/eon-next-have-removed-next-driv…
- ovoenergy.com — www.ovoenergy.com/terms/charge-anytime/add-on-plan-details
Last checked: 24 September 2026