The best time-of-use tariff for your Juicy battery [2026]

Written: 26th February 2026

Rates note: All tariff rates in this guide are correct as of 26 February 2026. Time-of-use tariff rates can change, fixed tariffs typically update quarterly or annually, while dynamic tariffs like Agile Octopus and EDF FreePhase Dynamic change daily. Always check directly with the supplier for the latest rates before switching.

Here's how time-of-use tariffs work, which ones are available in the UK right now, and which will save you the most money with a Juicy battery.

Time-of-use tariffs for home batteries: at a glance

⚡ The right tariff is where most of your saving happens - without one, a home battery saves you very little

💷 Agile Octopus is the best tariff for most Juicy customers without an EV — a dynamic overnight rate that typically averages 5–15p/kWh, with no EV required required

🚗 If you have an EV, E.ON Next Drive Smart or So EV will likely save you more — with fixed overnight rates as low as 6.5p/kWh

📉 The standard variable rate is 27.7p/kWh (Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026) - a time-of-use tariff cuts what you pay to charge your battery to around a quarter of that

🤖 Juicy's software handles everything automatically - it reads your tariff daily, charges your battery overnight, and discharges during peak hours without any input from you

🔄 Switching tariff is free, quick, and Juicy will help guide you - it takes a few minutes

Why does your tariff matter so much?

Electricity doesn't cost the same all day. Prices spike in the evening when millions of households cook, heat, and watch TV at the same time. They fall overnight when demand drops and renewable generation,  wind in particular, tends to be at its highest.

On a standard flat-rate tariff, none of that variation reaches you. You pay an average rate regardless of when you use electricity. A time-of-use (TOU) tariff passes the price differences directly on to you, and a home battery exploits them automatically.

Your Juicy battery charges when electricity is at its cheapest, typically overnight, and powers your home during peak hours when the grid rate is highest. The saving on every unit of electricity shifted comes from the gap between those two prices.

On the best available off-peak rate,  around 6.5p/kWh on E.ON Next Drive Smart or So EV (only available if you have an electric vehicle), you're paying roughly a quarter of the 27.7p/kWh you'd otherwise spend at peak. Across 8–10kWh of electricity shifted per day, that gap adds up to hundreds of pounds every year.

Which tariff saves you the most?

⚠️ Important: EV requirement. The majority of the cheapest time-of-use tariffs require you to own an electric vehicle (and in some cases a compatible home charger) to be eligible. This is noted clearly in the table and each tariff section below. If you don't have an EV, your options are Agile Octopus, Good Energy EV Charge, EDF FreePhase, and So Unique — all of which are accessible without one.

The table below shows how the main time-of-use tariffs available in the UK compare for a standalone home battery, based on a typical household using 8–10kWh per day with a 10kWh Juicy battery.

If you don't have an EV, Agile Octopus remains the strongest option for a standalone battery. There's no EV requirement, Juicy's software optimises your charging around daily price movements, and on good nights rates can fall well below 10p/kWh. Good Energy EV Charge (no EV needed despite its name) is a strong fixed-rate alternative at 8.5p/kWh.

If you already have a compatible electric vehicle and charger, Intelligent Octopus Go gives you an even longer cheap window at the same 7.5p/kWh rate, and is likely to edge ahead in annual saving.

If you do have an EV, E.ON Next Drive Smart or So EV deliver the best fixed overnight rates, both at 6.5p/kWh. Intelligent Octopus Go at 7p/kWh is also excellent and adds smart scheduling — it typically edges ahead of Octopus Go (now 8.5p) thanks to its lower rate and longer window.

The tariffs explained

Please note that prices displayed in the tables below are representative, since they vary regionally. Check the supplier's website to get the latest and accurate pricing for your location.

E.ON Next Drive Smart — the joint-cheapest off-peak rate, for compatible EV owners

E.ON Next Drive Smart offers one of the lowest fixed overnight rates in the UK at 6.5p/kWh, available every night from midnight to 6am. Unlike the standard Drive tariff, it requires a compatible electric vehicle and a smart charger connected to the E.ON Next Home app. The app then controls when your car charges, and during any scheduled charging session, at any time of day, the off-peak rate applies to your whole home. This means the effective cheap window can extend beyond the overnight hours, which is particularly useful for battery owners.

For a Juicy battery, the 6-hour overnight window is more than enough to fully charge a 10kWh system at minimal cost. At 6.5p/kWh you're paying around 21p less per unit than at the standard variable rate. Across 8kWh shifted per day, that's a saving of roughly £1.68 every single day.

So EV — the joint-cheapest fixed rate, for EV owners with a home charger

So EV is So Energy's dedicated tariff for electric vehicle owners, with an overnight rate of 6.5p/kWh, which is the joint-lowest fixed off-peak rate available in the UK. It applies to your entire home's electricity use between midnight and 5am, not just EV charging, which means your Juicy battery charges at the same low rate during that window.

To be eligible, you need an EV registered in the UK and a home charger. You don't need a specific smart charger model. The daytime rate runs slightly below the Ofgem price cap, which is a small added benefit over some rivals.

So EV was launched in July 2025, so it lacks the long track record of more established tariffs. Early signs are positive, but it's worth being aware of that.

Intelligent Octopus Go — the best option if you have a compatible EV

Intelligent Octopus Go offers a fixed off-peak rate of 7p/kWh with a minimum 6-hour window running from 11:30pm to 5:30am. Additional cheap slots are often added on nights when the grid has excess renewable energy. The smart scheduling feature means you tell the Octopus app when you need your car ready, and it handles the rest.

For Juicy customers, the longer and flexible window makes it easier to fully charge overnight, and the 7p rate is the lowest among the Octopus range. Eligibility requires a compatible EV or smart charger.

E.ON Next Drive (standard) 

The standard E.ON Next Drive Fixed tariff offers 7.5p/kWh overnight from midnight to 6am, a 6-hour window that's longer than most competitors. 

The peak rate is in line with the standard variable tariff at around 27.7–29.9p/kWh depending on region. No exit fees apply.

Scottish Power EV Saver — a solid option for existing Scottish Power customers with an EV

Scottish Power's EV Saver offers a fixed overnight rate of 9.5p/kWh between midnight and 5am for EV owners. Eligibility requires being a Scottish Power electricity customer, owning an EV and home charger, and having a single-rate smart meter sending half-hourly readings. New customers can join Scottish Power's standard variable tariff first, then switch to EV Saver through the online account.

The off-peak rate is higher than the best on the market, but for households already with Scottish Power who have an EV, it's a straightforward switch with no exit fees and 100% green electricity.

Octopus Go — a reliable option for any EV owner

Octopus Go is the more widely accessible of Octopus's two EV tariffs, available to anyone with an electric vehicle and charger. You don’t need a specific smart charger integration or car model to access Octopus Go. The off-peak rate has increased to 8.5p/kWh (from 00:30 to 05:30), which now puts it at the same level as Good Energy EV Charge. For EV owners who want simplicity and a predictable fixed window, it remains a reliable choice. For those with compatible EVs, Intelligent Octopus Go offers a lower rate.

Good Energy EV Charge — a strong fixed-rate option for customers without an EV

Good Energy EV Charge offers an overnight rate of 8.5p/kWh between midnight and 5am, and despite its name, no EV is required to sign up. This makes it one of the most accessible fixed-rate TOU tariffs on the market for a standalone battery customer.

You do need to be a Good Energy customer (or switch to their standard tariff first) and have a smart meter with half-hourly readings. Good Energy is the UK's only B Corp-certified home energy supplier, and its tariff is backed by 100% renewable electricity. The peak rate is slightly higher than the price cap average at around 32.7p/kWh, but with a Juicy battery running on stored overnight electricity during peak hours, you're largely shielded from that rate.

There is a £75 exit fee if you leave within the fixed term, so be sure you're ready to commit.

Agile Octopus — the best option for most Juicy customers without an EV ⭐

Agile Octopus tracks the wholesale electricity market, updating its price every 30 minutes. Rather than a fixed overnight window, the rates you pay each day reflect the actual cost of generating and delivering electricity at that moment. Tomorrow's prices are published around 4pm, giving you and Juicy's software advance notice each evening.

For a battery owner without an EV, this is the most powerful tariff available. There's no EV requirement, and Juicy reads the next day's Agile prices each afternoon and schedules your battery to charge in the cheapest available half-hour slots overnight. On nights with high wind generation and low demand, those rates can drop below 10p/kWh, and occasionally into negative pricing, where Octopus pays you to use electricity.

The downside is variability. In recent periods, overnight rates have averaged around 11–13p/kWh, which is higher than the best fixed EV tariffs, though with the potential to drop much lower on good nights. For EV owners who can access Drive Smart or So EV, those fixed rates will deliver a more consistent saving. But for the majority of Juicy customers who don't have an EV, Agile is the clear first choice.

One thing worth knowing about the 100p/kWh cap: because your Juicy battery charges overnight and powers your home during peak hours, high daytime rates don't affect you. You're running on stored cheap electricity, not drawing from the grid when prices spike.

EDF FreePhase Dynamic — a simpler take on dynamic pricing

FreePhase Dynamic is EDF's answer to Agile. Rather than 48 separate half-hourly prices, it uses three daily rate bands; Green (night), Amber (off-peak day), and Red (peak).  Rates are updated each day based on the same wholesale market data that feeds Agile. It's a gentler introduction to dynamic pricing for households who want the benefits of wholesale-linked rates without tracking 48 prices a day.

The Green (night) rate sits at around 15–16p/kWh which is roughly double the best fixed EV tariffs and higher than Agile on most nights. If you're not already with EDF and switching suppliers is straightforward, Agile Octopus (without an EV) or the E.ON/So EV options (with one) will deliver a higher annual saving. EDF does offer one additional benefit: when wholesale prices go negative, the Green rate drops to 0p/kWh.

EDF FreePhase Static — predictable pricing, lower saving

FreePhase Static uses the same three-band structure as FreePhase Dynamic; Green, Amber, Red, but with rates fixed for 12 months. If you prefer to know exactly what you'll pay to charge your battery each night, without checking daily prices, this is the more stable option. The Green (night) rate sits at around 18p/kWh which is a meaningful saving compared to the 27.7p standard rate, but significantly less than what's available on the better options above.

British Gas Charge Power — the dedicated battery tariff from a major supplier

Charge Power is British Gas's dedicated tariff for home battery owners. Between midnight and 5am every night, you receive a 50% discount on your underlying fixed tariff unit rate, working out at around 13–15p/kWh at current Q1 2026 price cap levels. To be eligible you need both a home battery and an electric vehicle.  It is not available to standalone battery customers without an EV.

The off-peak rate is higher than most alternatives, but Charge Power offers one advantage: customers already with British Gas can add it without switching supplier. It's a straightforward fixed discount, predictable and easy to plan around. Exit fees apply if switching to another supplier.

So Unique — personalised TOU pricing, currently running a waiting list

So Unique is So Energy's personalised time-of-use tariff. It analyses your smart meter data and generates Peak, Off-peak, and Super Off-peak rates based on how your household actually uses electricity. The concept is genuinely novel and the logic is sound. The honest caveat is that it's currently in early access (waiting list only), and savings estimates are less reliable than fixed-rate alternatives. So Energy's own modelling suggests up to £200 per year versus its standard variable tariff. One to watch rather than switch to immediately.

Standard variable - not worth it for a battery

A standard variable tariff charges you the same unit rate at all hours of the day, currently around 27.7p/kWh under the Ofgem price cap for Q1 2026. Without a price difference between overnight and peak periods, there's no gap for your battery to exploit. The savings would be minimal and unlikely to justify the investment.

If you're currently on a standard variable tariff, Juicy will recommend the right TOU tariff for your home and help you switch before installation.

How does Juicy manage your tariff for you?

Once your battery is installed and set up, Juicy's software handles everything. There's no need to monitor prices, set timers, or adjust settings.

For fixed-window tariffs like Octopus Go, the software knows exactly when electricity is cheap each night and schedules your battery to charge in that window. For dynamic tariffs like Agile, it reads the next day's prices each afternoon and identifies the cheapest half-hour slots for charging, adapting every single day to whatever the market is doing.

During the day and evening, your home draws from the battery instead of the grid during peak periods, avoiding the expensive rate entirely. When the battery is depleted, it switches back to grid power seamlessly, you won't notice a thing.

If tariff rates change, quarterly, annually, or daily depending on which tariff you're on, the software updates automatically. And if a better tariff comes to market, Juicy will flag it.

Do you have to switch tariff to get a Juicy battery?

You don't have to, but the honest answer is that you'll want to. On a standard flat-rate tariff, a battery saves you very little. The entire financial case rests on exploiting the price difference between cheap overnight electricity and expensive peak electricity. That difference only exists on a time-of-use tariff.

If you're already on a suitable time-of-use tariff, your Juicy battery will start working as soon as it's installed. If you're on another tariff where you’re not getting the best savings from your battery, Juicy will recommend the right option for your home and recommend that you switch before installation. It's free, takes a few minutes, and is where most of the saving comes from.

Summary

The right time-of-use tariff makes a significant difference to what a home battery saves you each year. 

Without an EV, the best options are Agile Octopus (the highest ceiling, best for variable wholesale prices) and Good Energy EV Charge (a strong, simple fixed rate at 8.5p/kWh)

With an EV, E.ON Next Drive Smart and So EV now lead the market with joint-lowest fixed rates of 6.5p/kWh. Intelligent Octopus Go at 7p/kWh is excellent for compatible EVs and adds smart scheduling. Octopus Go has risen to 8.5p/kWh and is best suited to EV owners who can't access the smarter alternatives.

The EDF FreePhase options are solid but carry higher night rates than the best alternatives. British Gas Charge Power is straightforward for eligible customers already with that supplier, but its savings are more modest. Scottish Power EV Saver suits customers already with that supplier.

Whichever tariff you end up on, Juicy's software manages the charging and discharging schedule automatically. The saving happens without you having to think about it.

Calculate your savings →

Sources

1. Ofgem, Changes to energy price cap between 1 January and 31 March 2026, December 2025. Average electricity unit rate under the standard variable tariff is 27.69p/kWh. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-january-and-31-march-2026

   
   

2. Octopus Energy, Intelligent Octopus Go, February 2026. Off-peak rate of 7.5p/kWh, overnight window 11:30pm–5:30am. https://octopus.energy/smart/intelligent-octopus-go/

   
   

3. Energy Stats UK, Intelligent Octopus Go rates, setup guide and FAQ, February 2026. Off-peak rate ~7.5p/kWh, peak rate ~32p/kWh. https://energy-stats.uk/intelligent-octopus-go/

   
   

4. EDF Energy, EDF launches first-of-its-kind three-rate tariff with free electricity hours, November 2025. FreePhase Dynamic off-peak rates up to 30% cheaper than SVT; night rates up to 44% cheaper. https://www.edfenergy.com/media-centre/edf-launches-first-its-kind-three-rate-tariff-free-electricity-hours

Savings estimates are based on a typical household shifting 8–10kWh per day from peak to off-peak on a 10kWh Juicy battery. Actual savings depend on your consumption profile, tariff, region, and battery configuration. Rates are indicative as of Q1 2026. Agile Octopus rates are variable and shown as indicative averages only. Payback periods are calculated using mid-range annual saving figures at the £3,499 Buy price. Subscribe option available from £199 upfront + £25/month - see juicy.energy/subscription for details.