Smart energy tariffs
The right tariff can be worth hundreds of pounds a year more from the same system.
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No obligation
The same system can save far more on a tariff that suits it, and we program your kit to make the most of it.
Smart energy tariffs from Newpower
Solar panels, a home battery, a heat pump and an EV charger all change when you use electricity, and the right tariff pays you for that. Export tariffs under the Smart Export Guarantee pay for every unit your panels send to the grid. Time-of-use tariffs make overnight power cheap so a battery or a car can fill up on it. Heat pump tariffs give cheap windows through the day when the pump is working hardest.
Our own team, on your job.
You choose your tariff and sign up with the supplier yourself; we do not sell or supply energy. What we do is make your system ready for it: we register the MCS certificate that export payments need, and we program the battery, charger or heat pump to charge in the cheap windows, cover the expensive ones and export when it pays most. This page explains the main options as they stand in October 2026. Tariff names, rates and eligibility change often, so check the supplier's current terms before you switch.
MCS NAP-75287 · TrustMark 3658638 · RECC 00078420 · REFCOM REF1023574
Brands we work with
What the tariff is worth
The same kit is worth hundreds a year more on the right one
Export rates, off-peak windows and standing charges all differ, and the best tariff for a heat pump is not the best one for a battery and an EV. You choose the tariff and sign up with your supplier; we program your battery, charger or heat pump so it charges, runs and exports at the right times to make the most of it. We are not paid by any supplier.
The tariff is half the saving, and nobody tells you that at the sale.
The same panels and the same battery are worth hundreds a year more on the right tariff than the wrong one. We program your system to take full advantage of the tariff you choose, and we are not paid to recommend any of them.
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What you need to get on a smart tariff.
Compare any other quote against this list.
- A smart meter that sends half-hourly readings (your supplier fits it, usually free)
- An MCS certificate for your solar or battery, which we issue at handover
- An export MPAN, which your supplier creates once the MCS certificate is registered
- A compatible battery, charger or heat pump for the tariffs that control your kit
- The tariff schedule programmed into your battery or charger, which we do at commissioning
Tariffs that work well with the systems we fit
- Smart Export Guarantee (any supplier)
- Octopus Flux (solar + battery)
- Intelligent Octopus Go (EV and battery)
- Cosy Octopus (heat pumps)
- Tesla Energy Plan (Powerwall)
We choose equipment we can get parts and support for locally. If you have a brand in mind, ask; if it is good we will fit it.
How it works.
From enquiry to handover, and who does what.
Step 1 · With your quote
Compare at design
Your design shows the estimated saving on a tariff that suits your kit and habits, not just on a standard tariff, so you can see the difference it makes.
Step 2 · Before install
Smart meter
If you do not have one, we tell you how to request it from your supplier so it is in before the system goes live.
Step 3 · At handover
MCS certificate
We issue the MCS certificate and give you what your supplier needs to create the export MPAN.
Step 4 · At commissioning
Program the kit
Battery charge windows, charger schedules and heat pump settings matched to the tariff windows.
Step 5 · When the system is live
Sign up with your supplier
You switch to the tariff you have chosen, directly with the supplier. If they ask for your MCS certificate or system details, they are in your handover pack.
Typical jobs
Wickersley, RotherhamSolar and battery on an import-export tariffCheap rate in overnight, surplus out at the peak rate
Hillsborough, SheffieldBattery only, shifting the whole day off-peakBill built around the tariff rather than the other way round
Dore, SheffieldSolar, battery and an EV charger on one tariffCar, house and battery all charging on the night rateTypical jobs and typical numbers for the area, not named customers. Photographs from our own library and the manufacturers we fit.
Questions we get asked.
What is the Smart Export Guarantee?
A legal requirement on suppliers with 150,000 or more domestic customers to pay for electricity you export from an MCS certified solar system. Each supplier sets its own rate and changes it often, so compare the export tariffs on offer the week your MCS certificate lands. The best rates usually go to customers who take their import from the same supplier. You need a smart meter and an MCS certificate, which we provide.
Which tariff is best with a battery?
Without solar, a time-of-use tariff with a cheap overnight window, such as Intelligent Octopus Go, lets the battery charge at the night rate. With solar, Octopus Flux pays a high export rate in the evening peak so the battery can sell what you do not need. Your design shows the estimate on both.
Do I have to be with Octopus?
No. Every major supplier offers a Smart Export Guarantee tariff, and several offer time-of-use tariffs. Octopus tariffs come up most because they integrate with the batteries and chargers we fit, but we program your system for whichever tariff you choose.
Can a heat pump go on a smart tariff?
Yes. Cosy Octopus and similar tariffs give cheap windows through the day and evening designed around heat pump running. A heat pump on a standard tariff costs about the same as gas to run; on a heat pump tariff it costs less.
Will my battery switch tariffs automatically?
The battery follows the schedule we program. When you change tariff, the schedule needs updating, which you can do in the app or we can do remotely for Tesla, Duracell and Fox ESS systems.
Do I need a smart meter?
Yes, for any export or time-of-use tariff. Your supplier fits it free. If you do not have one, request it as soon as you book your install so it is in before we commission the system.
Tell us about your home.
We will come and look, talk you through what would actually work and give you a figure. No obligation. We will come straight back to you to arrange a time.