Which tariff should you be on?
Solar and a battery only pay properly if the tariff underneath them is right. Six quick questions and we will tell you which plan fits, and what the whole setup would be worth to your home.
Nothing here is saved and we do not ask for your email to see the answer. Figures are indicative and use the same model our experts quote from.
Solar & battery installers in Bristol
Yes, show me →What each OVO plan does for a solar home
Two numbers matter once you have panels: what you pay to import, and what you are paid to export. Here is how they stack up.
| Plan | What it is | Best for | Exit fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simpler Energy Standard Variable |
Rates track the Ofgem price cap, reviewed every three months. Currently 26.11p per kWh with a 57.19p daily standing charge. | Anyone who wants to stay flexible, or is about to have solar fitted and wants to see real usage first. | None |
| 1 Year Fixed | Your unit rate and standing charge are locked for 12 months, whatever the cap does. | Budgeting certainty, and anyone who thinks prices are heading up. | Yes, except the last 53 days |
| 2 Year Fixed | The same idea over a longer term. | People who would rather not think about it again for a while. | Yes, except the last 53 days |
| Off-peak plans | Cheaper hours overnight and in the afternoon, in exchange for a higher peak rate. | Batteries, heat pumps and electric heating. This is the plan that makes the off-peak charging strategy work. | Varies by plan |
| Charge Anytime Add-on |
14p per kWh for car charging, metered separately, whenever it is plugged in. Sits on top of any pay monthly plan. | Anyone with an EV. It does not touch the rate for the rest of the house. | Add-on, remove any time |
| SEG Install Exclusive Export |
20p per kWh when OVO installs both your solar and your battery. 15p for solar only. OVO's standard SEG rate is 4p. | Everyone reading this page. It is the single biggest number in the calculation. | Not applicable |
Rates correct at July 2026 and subject to change. Off-peak windows and rates vary by plan and region, so confirm your own before relying on them. Charge Anytime needs a smart meter, a compatible car or charger, and direct debit.
We will tell you which export rate your home qualifies for.
Instant prices are a thing of the present
You do not need a salesperson in your front room to find out what solar costs. Answer a few questions and see a number.
Then, if it looks right, here is the whole process:
- We consult and design, on videoYour roof on screen, sized around how you actually use energy. About 45 minutes.
- You get a quote in writingA fixed price from your local expert, on the call, not posted out next week.
- Letter of authority and grid applicationYou sign an LOA so we can handle the grid application for you, and a deposit holds your install slot.
- Technical survey, then installYour local team comes out to confirm everything agreed remotely, then fits it. Usually one to two days.
Tariffs, export and switching
Which OVO tariff is best if I have solar panels and a battery?
It comes down to how you use energy rather than what you have on the roof.
If you heat with electricity, run a heat pump, or use most of your power between 4pm and 9pm, an off-peak plan is usually the one. It lets your battery fill overnight at roughly half the daytime rate and carry the house through the expensive hours.
If you would rather know exactly what you are paying, a 1 or 2 Year Fixed plan locks your rates. If you want to stay free to move, Simpler Energy has no exit fees at all.
Separately from all of that, the SEG Install Exclusive export rate pays 20p per kWh when OVO installs both your solar and your battery. That one applies whichever import plan you land on.
What is the Smart Export Guarantee, and what does OVO pay?
The Smart Export Guarantee is the scheme that pays you for electricity you send back to the grid rather than using yourself. Every large supplier has to offer one, but the rates vary enormously.
OVO's SEG Install Exclusive pays 20p per kWh when OVO installs both your solar panels and your battery, or 15p per kWh for solar only. The standard rate available to any customer, from any supplier, is around 4p.
On a full roof exporting about 3,500 kWh a year, that is roughly £700 against £140. Over 25 years the difference is not a rounding error, it is most of the system.
Do I need to be an OVO energy customer to get solar panels?
No. Anyone who owns a suitable home can have solar and a battery installed through us, whoever supplies your energy today.
You do need to take your energy from OVO to qualify for the 20p export rate, because that rate is a tariff rather than a payment from the installer. Most people switch as part of the install, and switching takes about two to three weeks with no interruption to your supply.
Does OVO have an EV charging tariff?
Yes. Charge Anytime can be added to any pay monthly OVO plan. It charges your car at 14p per kWh whenever it is plugged in, and it meters the car separately so the rest of the house is unaffected.
You need to be an OVO customer paying by direct debit, with a smart meter sending half hourly readings, and a compatible electric car or charger.
If you have an EV and you are getting a battery, the two work well together: the car and the battery both fill during the cheap window, and your solar goes out to the grid at 20p.
Are there exit fees on OVO tariffs?
Simpler Energy, the Standard Variable plan, has no exit fees. You can leave or switch plans at any time without paying anything.
Fixed plans charge an exit fee if you leave before the term ends, and the amount depends on which plan you signed up to. There are no exit fees during the last 53 days of the contract, which gives you a fee free window to choose what comes next.
How long does switching take?
About two to three weeks from start to finish, and your supply is never interrupted at any point.
You give a meter reading on the switch date, or your smart meter sends one automatically. Everything else, including contacting your old supplier, is handled for you.
Does the energy price cap affect me once I have solar?
The cap is the limit Ofgem sets on what suppliers can charge per unit on variable tariffs. It is reviewed every three months, in January, April, July and October.
It applies to what you import, so if you are on Simpler Energy your rates move with it. Fixed plans are not affected for the length of the term.
Your export rate is set by your export tariff, not the cap. That is part of why a 20p fixed export rate is worth having: it is the one number in your bill that price cap reviews cannot move.
Should I fix my tariff before or after the panels go on?
Usually after, and there is a simple reason. Solar and a battery change your import pattern substantially: you buy far less during the day and you can shift most of the rest to cheap hours.
Fixing before means locking a rate against a usage pattern that is about to disappear. Simpler Energy has no exit fees, so starting flexible costs you nothing and lets you fix on real numbers a few months later.
What if I already have solar but no battery?
Adding a battery is usually the single best move available to you. It lifts your export rate from 15p to 20p, which on a typical system is worth about £175 a year on its own.
On top of that it lets you buy cheap off-peak power for the evening peak, which works all year round rather than only when the sun is out. A battery adds around £2,444 to a system.
Still weighing it up?
Have a local OVO expert model it properly for your roof and your usage. Free, 45 minutes, on video, and you keep the numbers either way.