Battery 7 min readUpdated 11 October 2026
Battery storage tariffs: E.ON Next Optimise and the alternatives
A home battery does more than keep spare solar power for the evening. With the right electricity tariff, it can charge when energy is cheaper and help you avoid buying power at expensive times. E.ON Next now advertises two solar-and-battery plans: Next Optimise and Next Solar Storage Steady. Here is how they work, what to check, and which other suppliers offer something similar.
E.ON Next Optimise: prices that move with the market
Next Optimise combines electricity import and export rates linked to wholesale market prices. Unit rates update every 30 minutes, while the standing charge is fixed for the term. The app shows predicted prices on a rolling 12-hour basis; predictions are not guaranteed final prices.
With compatible equipment, its SmartShift automation plans when to charge, power your home or export, using price, solar generation and household-use forecasts. You can choose automatic or manual control. E.ON describes it as a beta product and advertises no exit fees.
The early-bird offer is a boost, not a 3p tariff
E.ON advertises a 12-month booster for its first 1,000 eligible customers: 3p/kWh off imports from 00:00 to 06:00 and an extra 3p/kWh on exports from 16:00 to 19:00. Those are adjustments to the underlying changing rates, not a promise that electricity costs 3p. Places are limited and E.ON can amend or suspend the offer; check whether it is still available when you apply.
Will it work with your battery?
The inverter and its connection matter as much as the battery brand. E.ON’s Next Optimise page currently lists:
- GivEnergy: all inverters and batteries.
- Fox ESS: H1-G2, KH and H3 Smart ranges; H1-G1 is not compatible with Next Optimise.
- Alpha: inverters beginning AL.
- Sigenergy: systems including a Sigen Gateway or Sigen Sensor.
- Tesla: Powerwall 2 and Powerwall 3.
E.ON also advertises a “self-optimise” option for batteries it cannot automatically control. You get the dynamic rates but manage charging and discharging in the manufacturer’s app yourself. That is a different experience from full automation, and E.ON warns another tariff may suit you better if you cannot shift imports out of expensive periods.
Do not rely on a brand name alone. Ask E.ON to confirm your exact inverter, battery, firmware, metering and solar setup before switching. Compatibility lists can change.
Next Solar Storage Steady: a more predictable option
If moving wholesale prices are not for you, E.ON’s other new plan has fixed import and export rates in set windows, with automatic battery control. It is advertised as a 12-month tariff with no exit fees and is currently a beta offer for existing E.ON Next customers.
- Overnight
- 23:30–05:30
- Off-peak
- 05:30–16:00 and 19:00–23:30
- Peak
- 16:00–19:00
E.ON does not publish one universal set of unit rates on this page: you need a personalised quote. The joining requirements include solar panels, a compatible inverter, a smart meter sending half-hourly readings, a suitable smartphone and an existing E.ON Next SEG tariff. On joining, the combined import/export tariff replaces those separate SEG payments.
Steady has its own supported-inverter list, including ranges from SolaX, Fox ESS, SolarEdge, Huawei, Solis, GoodWe, Fronius, Sungrow and Hoymiles. It is not the same list as Next Optimise. E.ON says it will confirm the precise model during quoting, and the inverter needs current firmware.
Source: Next Solar Storage Steady rates, eligibility and FAQs.
Do other companies offer something similar?
Yes. Octopus has both automated and self-managed solar-and-battery tariffs, while EDF advertises fixed import tariffs with an overnight battery-charging discount. They are not all wholesale-linked products, and their joining conditions differ.
Automated time-of-use
Intelligent Octopus Flux
Octopus controls a compatible battery’s charging and discharging, with a peak period from 16:00–19:00. Import and export unit rates match within each window. It is a variable time-of-use tariff, not Next Optimise’s half-hourly wholesale pricing.
You need solar, a smart meter sending half-hourly readings, both import and export with Octopus, and a supported system. Its current FAQ lists GivEnergy, Enphase, SolarEdge and Tesla integrations. You give Octopus control of the connected battery; prolonged disconnection can affect eligibility. There are no exit fees.
Self-managed time-of-use
Octopus Flux
Standard Flux leaves battery scheduling to you. Its cheaper charging window is 02:00–05:00, with peak import and export rates from 16:00–19:00. Octopus advertises it as working with all solar-and-battery systems rather than requiring an automatic-control integration.
It still requires solar, a connected smart meter and the relevant export paperwork. Your panels do not need to have been installed by Octopus. Check postcode-specific rates and set the battery schedule yourself.
Fixed import tariff
EDF Empower Fixed
EDF advertises Empower Fixed for homes with existing solar panels or a battery, with fixed rates, a 10p/kWh overnight discount and no exit fees. That is a discount from the applicable rate, not electricity at 10p/kWh. It is an import tariff, not a like-for-like automated wholesale import/export plan; check the charging window and separate export terms in your quote.
The separate Empower Fixed Exclusive 12m offer advertises no standing charge for a year, but is tied to purchasing eligible solar or battery equipment through EDF. Do not assume an existing independently installed system qualifies for that exclusive benefit.
None is automatically the cheapest for every home. Get current rates for your postcode and compare them against your actual consumption and exports.
What about a battery without solar panels?
Battery-only homes can still use suitable time-of-use import tariffs to charge cheaply and use stored electricity later. But E.ON’s two plans above are marketed for homes with solar and a battery; the self-optimise option is not a blanket promise that battery-only homes qualify.
For battery-only storage, ask the supplier about its import tariff and any charging restrictions. An EV-branded tariff may require an eligible car or charger, even if its overnight price looks attractive. See our time-of-use tariff guide for the wider principle.
How to compare the real cost
A high export rate is only one part of the calculation. Compare a full year of imports and exports, the standing charge, battery losses and any fees. Cheap charging is not automatically profitable: some electricity is lost in the battery, and extra cycling uses part of its warranty allowance.
Dynamic prices can rise as well as fall. Automatic control is not a savings guarantee, and a battery does not necessarily provide backup power during a cut. Check reserve settings, your equipment’s backup capability and what happens if its internet connection is lost.
For the export side, our Smart Export Guarantee guide explains the paperwork and what to ask before switching.
Check before you switch
- Will the supplier support my exact battery and inverter, or will I have to schedule it myself?
- Do I need solar panels, an export agreement or a particular import tariff?
- What are all the import rates, export rates and standing charges for my postcode?
- Are prices fixed, time-of-use or wholesale-linked, and when does any introductory offer end?
- Will my export limit, battery losses, reserve setting and warranty affect the benefit?
- What happens if automation stops, and can I leave without an exit fee?
Supplier pages checked on 11 October 2026. This is an independent overview, not an E.ON, Octopus or EDF offer, recommendation or guarantee of savings. Beta access, supported equipment, prices and terms can change. Confirm eligibility and your written quote directly with the supplier before switching.