Octopus Energy has paid an average of £244.88 to more than 400,000 UK households during a 12-month period boosted by strong solar panel generation. Between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, the energy firm distributed £99,235,326 to 405,233 customers on its export tariff.
Solar exports power a gas plant for a year
Households with solar panels can cut their bills by using the sun's energy to run their homes, and can also export surplus electricity to the National Grid in return for payment. A total of 825GWh was exported by Octopus customers over the period — enough to power an entire gas plant for a year.
The long period of hot sunshine and little rain during the summer helped drive the bumper payments, according to the company.
Surge in solar interest and battery installations
The sunshine also boosted interest in solar panels. Almost 74,000 people enquired about installing solar with Octopus during May, June and July — up 34% on the same period last year. The hottest day of the year so far at the time was also one of the busiest for solar enquiries, with interest that day 50% higher than the monthly average.
Over the same period, battery-only installations from Octopus rose 630% year-on-year, as households increasingly look to store cheap electricity and sell surplus power back to the grid when wholesale prices are higher.
Clean energy's growing role in Britain
Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product and marketing officer at Octopus, said: “Over 400,000 UK households on Octopus tariffs are already generating their own clean energy, and that number just keeps climbing.” She added: “The more we make use of our homegrown green energy sources, the less we rely on fossil fuels, and the more secure our energy system becomes.”
The solar boom comes as clean energy plays an increasingly important role in powering Britain, Octopus Energy said. Rooftop and ground-mount solar generated a record 14.4% of the country's electricity demand this year — helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, cut emissions and build a more energy-secure Britain.
