Octopus is the energy supplier with its own plug-in kit. It is also the only seller we found that links a kit to a way of being paid for spare power. Here is what is in the bundle, what it saves, and what the export deal is really worth.
What do you get in the box?
Octopus sells a single-panel bundle and a two-panel bundle. Each panel is a 460 W JA Solar bifacial panel, which means it can catch light on both sides. The microinverter is made by Fox ESS. Octopus does not state its output on the product page. The page says two panels is the most you can use for plug-in solar, because of the 800 W home limit. It includes a wall or ground mount, and a 5 m cable with a standard UK three-pin plug. Octopus says not to use extension leads. We have not tested the kit. This is what the seller says.
How much does it cost?
The single-panel bundle is £450 and the two-panel bundle is £650. Octopus calls these launch prices, and says they include delivery. Price checked 12 October 2026. The price includes 20% VAT, because a kit you fit yourself is standard-rated. On 12 October the Octopus page said plug-in solar was "sold out (for now!)". Octopus said on 1 October that it sold out in a fortnight. So check stock and delivery dates before you plan around it.
How much will it save a year?
The government says 800 W of panels saves about £70 to £110 a year. That is for a home that uses power in the day. The one-panel kit is 460 W, so we scale the saving down: 460 ÷ 800 × £70 to £110 comes to about £40 to £65 a year. The two-panel kit has 920 W of panels, but the inverter caps output at 800 VA, so it gets the full £70 to £110. These are our estimates, scaled from the government's 800 W figures. Your roof or wall could do better or worse.
How long does it take to pay for itself?
Divide the price by the yearly saving. Single panel: £450 ÷ £65 = about 7 years, and £450 ÷ £40 = about 11 years. Two panels: £650 ÷ £110 = about 6 years, and £650 ÷ £70 = about 9.5 years. Per pound spent, the two-panel bundle pays back sooner, because the second panel costs only £200. Our guide to whether plug-in solar is worth it shows the same sums for other kits.
Can you get paid for spare power with an Octopus kit?
Yes, but only if you buy the kit from Octopus. Octopus says buyers can join an export tariff and get Outgoing Prime. It pays 16p per kWh from 4pm to 7pm and 9p per kWh the rest of the day. Octopus says a kit bought elsewhere cannot join. Here is our sum. The government's south-facing case makes 690 kWh and a home uses 428, so about 260 kWh is spare. Most spare power goes out at midday at 9p: about £25 a year for two panels (260 kWh × 9p) and about £15 for one panel (150 kWh × 9p), our estimate. It is a bonus, not a reason to buy. Octopus says Outgoing tariffs pair only with certain import tariffs and need a smart meter. We have not seen how Octopus measures kit export, so ask first.
Is it on the ENA register?
The Octopus product page we read does not mention the ENA register. It links a spec sheet instead. Do not take our word, or the page's, for it. Before you buy, search the exact model on the ENA register yourself. You also have to tell your network operator about the kit. Our DNO notification guide explains how.
Where can you put it?
Octopus includes a wall mount or a ground mount. That covers a garden, or a brick or metal wall. Not a wooden shed or fence. Panels face the sun best when they point south, tilted up. A panel flat on an east or west wall makes about half as much. The certified kits guide explains what to check about the register and the box.
Does the warranty outlast the payback?
Octopus lists 25 years for the panels and 25 years for the inverter. Our rule is that the warranty should be longer than the payback. Payback is 6 to 11 years, so 25 years clears it with plenty to spare. A warranty only helps if the company is still around to honour it. Octopus is a large supplier.
Who is it for, and who should skip it?
It suits people who like a big, known name, and who might use the export deal. If you can get a ground or wall spot facing south, the two-panel bundle is the better value. Skip it if you are not an Octopus customer and do not want to become one, because the export deal is the main thing that sets it apart. Skip it too if the stock is gone and you are in a hurry. Another kit may reach you sooner.
The quick version
- Octopus sells one 460 W panel for £450 and two for £650.
- We estimate payback at about 7 to 11 years for one panel, 6 to 9.5 for two.
- Only Octopus-bought kits can earn export pay, about £15 to £25 a year by our sums.