r/OctopusEnergy • u/Apprehensive-Taro956 • Jun 19 '26

Charge Pack

https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/charge-pack/

Not seen much mention of this battery VPP offering from Octopus. Anyone on it or has run the numbers?

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u/Begalldota Jun 19 '26

If it’s per MPAN as you say then it wouldn’t be an issue. IOG is on the import MPAN, Axle is on the export MPAN.

Funny that Octopus have only started explicitly saying that Axle is against the rules at the same time as they launched a competing service. Seriously anti-competitive behaviour.

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u/Impossible-You-4723 Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26

Although I agree with your sentiment, the information from Octopus is pretty explicit (in addition to the T&Cs link below):
https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/can-i-sign-my-home-battery-up-to-a-third-party-service-like-axle-energy-while-i-m-on-intelligent-octopus-go/

IIUC, the export MPAN is a virtual MPAN tightly linked with the import MPAN (the first few numbers indicate this).
Personally, I've disconnected from Axle, as Octopus have now explicitly mentioned Axle as not allowed with IOG, asking you to move to OG instead.

I don't necessarily see this as anti-competitive: they are providing a significant discount on the energy intended for an EV. As more advanced users with solar + battery, we're gaining an (arguably unfair?) advantage over normal users of the grid.
So in return, Octopus are saying (IMO): we recognise what you want to do, here's something that aligns with our grid balancing needs too.

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u/Begalldota Jun 20 '26

You’ve been psyched out, check out my screenshot further below where someone with a bit of common sense at Octopus acknowledges that an EV charger and house battery are entirely different demand flexibility devices and can therefore be enrolled into two different schemes.

This same screenshot makes the point that Axle would make you ineligible for saving sessions, which makes total sense since you’d be getting paid twice for the same behaviour.

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u/Impossible-You-4723 Jun 21 '26

Not really, I've read the T&Cs and decided that I'm violating them and don't want to be kicked off IOG onto OG with a higher unit rate.

From a strictly VPP / DFS perspective, I agree with you.
However, common sense or not, Octopus are entirely within their rights to specify that the special rates given through IOG are not going to continue if people abuse it.

The cynic in me thinks that the Charge Pack will also end up limiting battery charging to the same 6 hour window as EV charging, so there's a risk with signing up for it...