I have moved our home electricity away from Octopus and now use EDF for both import and export.
That sounds like a straightforward supplier change. In a home with solar panels, a Tesla Powerwall, two electric cars and Home Assistant automations, it changes rather more than the name on the bill.
The decision came down to our actual pattern of energy use. Our Octopus tariff was ending, its cheap rate was due to increase, and EDF offered an export rate of 24p per kWh rather than the 12p per kWh we had been receiving.
Because we already avoid most peak-rate import, the higher export payment changed the overall calculation.
These rates apply to our own Anglia-region tariff and contract in July 2026. Energy prices, eligibility and regional charges change, so check the terms offered for your own home before switching.
The decision at a glance
| Octopus position before switching | EDF position after switching | |
|---|---|---|
| Export rate | 12p per kWh | 24p per kWh |
| Cheap import | Existing tariff ending | 6.99p per kWh |
| Peak import | Tariff-specific | 30.28p per kWh |
| Smart EV charging | Intelligent Octopus Go | EDF Smart Charging bolt-on |
The important difference was not simply the import rate. It was the value of the entire system when cheap overnight import, daytime solar, battery storage and export were considered together.
Our EDF tariff
For import, we are on EDF Go Electric 12M in the Anglia region.
Our rates at the time of writing are:
- Peak import: 30.28p per kWh, from 6am to 11pm
- Off-peak import: 6.99p per kWh
- Standing charge: 57.10p per day
For export, we use EDF Export Exclusive, which pays:
- Export: 24p per kWh at a flat rate for the first 12 months
Our eligibility for Export Exclusive is linked to importing with EDF and having our solar and battery installation completed through Contact Solar, which is owned by EDF.
We also use the EDF Smart Charging bolt-on with our Hypervolt charger. That allows EDF to schedule eligible EV charging while retaining the cheaper overnight tariff structure.
Why the export rate matters so much
At 12p per kWh, I was usually looking for ways to consume spare solar at home. Could it heat the hot-water cylinder? Could it charge the car? Could more of it be stored in the Powerwall?
At 24p per kWh, that question changes.
If we can export a unit of solar for 24p and later import a unit overnight for 6.99p, forcing every spare unit into immediate household use can be the less valuable option.
That does not mean exporting is always best. It means spare solar is no longer something to use at any cost. It has a clear financial value.
This is particularly relevant to our solar hot-water automation. Using solar to heat water is not free when that electricity could otherwise have been exported at 24p per kWh.
Why EDF suits our home
Our usage pattern is not typical of every household.
The combination of solar and the Powerwall means we use very little peak-rate grid electricity. Most daytime and evening demand comes from current solar generation or stored energy, while the cheaper overnight window handles much of the EV charging and battery charging.
For our setup, the key points were:
- our previous Octopus tariff was ending
- the difference between the cheap import rates was narrowing
- EDF doubled the value of our exported solar from 12p to 24p per kWh
- the Powerwall allows us to avoid most peak-rate import
- our major loads can already be shifted into cheaper periods
A household that imports heavily during peak hours could reach a different conclusion. The strongest tariff for us is not automatically the strongest tariff for somebody without solar, a battery or flexible demand.
What changes for the Powerwall
The Powerwall remains central to the setup, but its job changes slightly.
It can still make sense to:
- charge the battery using cheap overnight electricity
- discharge it during expensive peak periods
- retain enough reserve for outages and unexpected demand
- allow spare daytime solar to export when the export payment is more valuable
The battery should not simply maximise self-consumption. It should respond to the relative value of importing, storing, using and exporting electricity.
You can see the wider installation in our solar and Powerwall article and on the regularly updated Our Setup page.
What still needs to change in Home Assistant
We have not yet rebuilt our Home Assistant automations around EDF.
After switching supplier, we disabled the relevant tariff- and supplier-dependent actions rather than allowing old Octopus logic to keep changing the Powerwall or hot-water system under different economic assumptions.
The work still to do includes:
- replacing old Octopus tariff entities and dispatch triggers where a reliable EDF-aware alternative exists
- confirming the new off-peak period inside every relevant automation
- reviewing Powerwall reserve rules
- deciding when, if ever, a hot-water boost should sacrifice 24p export
- deciding whether EV charging should use cheap import rather than spare solar
- protecting valuable export instead of treating it as wasted energy
- storing the correct import and export values in Home Assistant
An automation can execute perfectly and still make a poor decision if the prices behind it are out of date.
Our original Powerwall protection automation was built around Intelligent Octopus Go, while the solar hot-water automation assumed exported electricity had little or no value. Both articles now explain their original logic and their current disabled status.
The replacement automations do not exist yet. We will publish them as new articles once each one has been redesigned, tested and used in real conditions.
Referral disclosure
I have an EDF referral link. As of today, anyone who switches through it receives £50, and I receive £50 too.
Get an EDF quote using my referral link.
EDF referral terms change from time to time, so it’s worth checking the current offer on EDF’s site before relying on the figure above.
My verdict
The move makes sense because of how our home already behaves.
If we imported substantial amounts of peak-rate electricity, I might have chosen differently. Because our peak usage is low, the larger opportunity is to export more solar at a strong rate and use cheaper overnight electricity for flexible loads.
That is the broader lesson. Once a home has solar, battery storage and EV charging, the best tariff is not necessarily the one with the lowest headline import price. It is the tariff that works best across the entire system.