Octopus Taps EVs to Power Homes and Wallets

A new bundle lets British drivers earn £620 a year by exporting car battery power back to the grid.

27 Jun 2025

On June 23rd, Octopus Energy and Chinese carmaker BYD launched Britain’s first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bundle. The “Power Pack Bundle” combines a leased electric vehicle, a bidirectional home charger and a smart energy tariff. This package allows drivers to sell electricity from their cars back to the grid during peak demand, turning parked vehicles into miniature power stations.

The idea is not new. EV batteries have long been seen as a possible tool for balancing electricity demand. Yet adoption has been sluggish, hampered by complex tariffs and expensive kit. Octopus hopes its simplified approach will encourage more drivers to plug in and cash out. Greg Jackson, Octopus Energy’s boss, called it a “game-changer”, claiming that early users are saving more than £620 a year by exporting stored energy at opportune times.

Bundling the car, charger and tariff into one deal aims to overcome common obstacles such as high upfront costs and technical confusion. Analysts believe this approach could set a model for cooperation between carmakers and energy suppliers as the UK grid grows greener but more volatile.

Challenges remain. Many homes will require upgrades to install the chargers, and connecting thousands of small batteries to the grid creates logistical headaches. Nevertheless, early trials in both cities and suburbs suggest strong demand. Octopus has already opened reservations.

Britain’s drive towards net-zero emissions relies on flexible energy sources to balance increasing amounts of wind and solar power. Turning idle EVs into grid assets may help cut energy costs while keeping lights on. The success of the Octopus-BYD scheme will show if drivers are willing to let their cars do the heavy lifting.