April Solar Generation and Export Numbers
Wow, if we look at our solar statistics side-by-side, we have to say that this month has been a massive improvement over last month! The biggest difference, of course, is our solar generation. We generated a fantastic 610 kWh this month, which is a huge leap compared to the 342 kWh we saw the month before. This boost in generation has dramatically changed our relationship with the grid.
This month we hit an incredible 12 days where our solar output exceeded our home's usage, and we reached a staggering 91% coverage of our total house consumption from the sun!
This increase in self-sufficiency meant we were far more independent of the grid, which was also reflected in our usage habits. We used far fewer charging slots—just 21 compared to 183—and we were able to suspend the battery significantly more often, using 300 suspension slots versus only 167 the month prior. This suggests we are managing our energy storage much more efficiently now.
When it comes to the money side of things, the difference is striking. Our overall electricity bill from Octopus was significantly lower this month (£36.80) compared to the £80.36 we paid last month. Not only did we save money, but our savings compared to the price cap were also much higher, totaling £143.41 this month versus £110.55 last month.
Furthermore, we exported a much higher amount of excess power this month (99.30 kWh) compared to last month (44.00 kWh), which helped us achieve greater savings through our export tariff. Overall, the numbers paint a picture of a far more robust and efficient solar system running this month, proving that our solar investment is working harder and smarter than ever before!
This month the new price cap came into effect. Government policy meant a lower price cap and rates for all. We changed the charging from 4am-7pm to 4am to 6am. On the 6th April we stopped the grid charging and moved to battery suspension only. We did this all month. Around the 9th we got to a position where the battery wasn’t fully charged during the day. Instead of charging from the grid, we just suspended the batteries from 1pm to 4pm and hoped that a good day would come along and top them up. It was back to 100% on the 13th. The West/North facing panels are making more and more of a contribution to the generation. This was our best April ever in the 4 years we have had solar panels.
We had a phenomenal month! For the first time this year, we generated more solar than the house consumed on 12 days, and we were entirely self-sufficient from the grid on a whopping 27 days.
Solar Generation
Looking at the numbers, we generated a fantastic 610.00 kWh this month. While this is only a slight increase of 10.10 kWh compared to last year, it’s a huge jump from March and meant that solar production covered an impressive 91% of our house consumption.
Battery Performance
Our battery management was key this month. We only needed 21 charging slots, down from previous months, and we managed 300 suspended battery slots. This shows how efficiently the system managed to suspend discharging as the generation increased, saving us from unnecessary grid top-ups.
We charged the battery a total of 222.00 kWh this month, and discharged 216.80 kWh. The successful suspension strategy allowed us to maintain a high level of battery health and operational efficiency.
Grid Usage
Grid Import this month was 256.20 kWh. The cost from the grid on our Cosy tariff was £36.80, while the Standard Tariff house consumption cost this month would have been £165.31.
Our Standing Charge was 52.19p. The current price cap per kWh was 24.67p. The average grid slot cost this month was 14.36p. The cheapest grid charging slot this month was 13.09p, while the most expensive grid charging slot this month was 26.67p.
Our average unit cost for the year is 14.89p, and the average price cap for the year is 26.94p. The cheapest day was 7/4/2026, costing us only £0.16.
Cost Savings Summary
Despite the changes in government policy and the fluctuating charging schedules, we continued to find incredible value in our solar setup. We achieved savings compared to imported kWh this month of £41.30. Even more importantly, we found massive savings compared to house consumption kWh of £143.41. Our exported (kWh) this month was 99.30 kWh, giving us Exported Savings this month of £14.90.
We hope you enjoyed reading our April update. Staying informed about these changes helps us manage our energy use better and keeps us on track for a sustainable future. Stay tuned for our next generation report!
According to the Octo-Aid app, this was the breakdown of our usage per rate.
Grid Usage by Rate (High, Mid and Low)
As solar panels output declines over the years I have added the previous years generation to the table at the bottom. Of course weather comes into it as well, but I thought it would be interesting to track. I have added this post that shows each year as a graph.
Octopus Energy bill
Octopus Watch Tariff Comparison Report. This does not include exporting
Best Solar Generation
| Date | kWh | |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | 26th May 2023 | 32.90 |
| Front generation | 14th June 2023 | 19.80 |
| Back generation | 7th June 2023 | 14.70 |
| Worst generation | 12th December 2022 | 0.20 |
Best Solar Export and Profit
| Date | kWh | Profit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exported kWh | 15th June 2024 | 22.20 | |
| Exported profit | 15th June 2024 | 22.20 | £3.15 (15p kWh) |
| Profit day | 14th April 2024 | 18.20 | £2.67 |
Solar Generation
| Metric | Date | kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Best Generation | 30 April 2026 | 28.70 |
| Best front generation | 30 April 2026 | 17.20 |
| Best back generation | 28 April 2026 | 11.80 |
| Worst generation | 1 April 2026 | 8.00 |
| Worst front generation | 3 April 2026 | 4.10 |
| Worst back generation | 1 April 2026 | 3.50 |
Export and Profit (Rate 12p kWh)
| Metric | Date | kWh | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Battery and Solar Export Profit | 24 April 2026 | 10.30 | |
| Best kWh export day (Solar) | 24 April 2026 | 10.30 | |
| Best export profit | 24 April 2026 | 10.30 | £1.24 |
| Cheapest Day | 7 April 2026 | £0.16 |
The graph below shows the generation for both front and back panels
Total Solar Generation
The graph below shows generation, battery discharge, battery charging, export, import to use and consumption for 2026
Showing generation, battery discharge, battery charging, export, import to use and consumption for 2026
Energy Breakdown
The graph below shows the generation for each day
Graph showing production for the month
The graphs below show the generation split between the front and back panels
Graph showing production for the front facing panels
Graph showing production for the back facing panels
The graphs below show the yearly generation split across both the back and front panels
Total Front Solar Generation
Total Back panel generation
Octopus Cosy
The costs shown here do include the standing charge. Any comparisons are compared to the unit cost if we were not on Cosy Octopus. There are two comparisons. One is the cost of what we imported from the grid for battery charging. The other is, the cost of the energy used by the house, house consumption.
Overview for the month Grid Information
| Standard Tariff | 24.67p | |
| Standing Charge | 52.19p | |
| Cost from the grid | £36.80 (Cosy) | £63.20 (Standard) |
| Savings including export | £41.30 | |
| Exported (@12p kWh) | 99.30 kWh | £14.90 |
| Charging slots used | 21 | |
| Battery Suspended Slots | 300 | |
| Average unit slot price | 14.36p | |
| Cheapest slot | 13.09p | |
| Most expensive slot | 26.67 | |
| House consumed | 670.10 kWh | |
| Solar generated 2026/2025 | 610.00 kWh | 599.90 kWh |
| Battery Charged/Discharged | 222.00 kWh | 216.80 kWh |
| Percentage generated by solar | 91% | |
| Self Sustained Days (More solar than consumed) | 12 | |
| Self Sustained Days (More solar than we imported) | 27 | |
Here is the Octopus Watch report summary
Octopus Watch summary
Featured posts
Solar panel performance declines over the years. I thought it might be interesting to see how mine compares. Of course weather comes into it, but hopefully this will be a useful guide.