Octopus Power Pack: is vehicle-to-grid (V2G) ready in the UK?

What is V2X and what are the benefits?

V2X refers to the ability of an EV battery to discharge power to other systems – including the grid (V2G), the home (V2H), or directly to devices (V2L). In theory, it enables your EV to do what a home battery already can: store cheap electricity or solar energy, power your home, and support the grid by exporting electricity during peak times.

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If widely adopted, V2X could help balance the grid by flattening demand peaks and allowing more renewable generation to be used locally. It could also offer households greater energy independence and earn revenue from smart charging and exporting.

Whether V2X is a substitute for a home battery depends on the use case from person to person. If your car is at home most of the time, V2X could act like a home battery. If it’s away during critical charging or export times, it may not. For instance, storing solar energy for evening use requires the car to be home when the sun is shining – something not all users can guarantee.

The Power Pack is the most complete V2G bundle we’ve seen in the UK – and the biggest step toward mainstream V2X adoption. But it also highlights why it’s taken so long to get here.

Why has it taken so long for V2X to arrive?

Vehicle-to-grid has been in the making for several years. V2G trials were run in the UK between 2018 and 2022 by companies like Octopus and OVO and involved hundreds of participants. So why is it still not common place? Three key barriers stand out:

1. Battery degradation concerns: Many automotive manufacturers cite battery degradation as the main reason for not offering V2G. Range is a key purchasing criterion for EVs, and every additional charge/discharge cycle reduces battery lifetime – and with it, range. This is particularly relevant for “NMC” batteries, commonly used in premium EVs like Audi, BMW and Porsche. While NMC offers high performance and energy density, it lasts only around 3,000 cycles – half as long as “LFP” technology (~6,000 cycles) which is now more common in non-premium Chinese EVs. For Tesla owners, the battery chemistry depends on which factory built the car. Notably, one study shows V2G doesn’t significantly degrade batteries if done well – but manufacturers remain cautious. Learn more about how NMC and LFP chemistries compare in solar batteries and what it means for lifetime and safety.

2. Lack of common standards: Large-scale V2G adoption needs shared standards to enable smooth two-way communication between EV, charger and grid. This includes authenticating the vehicle, automating billing, managing loads, and ensuring secure data exchange. "ISO 15118-20" is the relevant standard – but it hasn’t been widely adopted, and it’s not mandatory in the UK. As a result, most V2G systems today remain bespoke and hard to scale.

3. Contractual complexity: V2G complicates lease and warranty terms. Most lease contracts specify an annual mileage – but V2G degrades the battery without increasing mileage, potentially breaching those terms. Billing also becomes difficult. Say your employer gives you a company car: you charge it at home on a cheap night tariff, then discharge it at work during peak hours. Who pays for the charge, and who benefits from the discharge? While Octopus has addressed some of this with Power Pack, broader industry clarity is still needed.

Similar questions arise in flats or shared ownership settings, where communal infrastructure and tenancy agreements often create additional hurdles. In many cases, home batteries for flats may offer a more practical solution.

Is V2X widely available in the UK today?

For V2X technology to work, 3 elements need to be in place:

• A compatible car
• A compatible charger
• A permission from the grid operator

There currently only a few V2X-enabled car models available in the UK. From a technical perspective, a much wider range of models would be able to perform Vehicle to grid and you will find some longer lists online. However, as of June 2025, it is allowed by manufacturers for only the following models:

• Nissan LEAF
• Nissan e-NV200
• Kia EV9
• Renault E5
• SAIC MAXUS e Driver 9
• BYD Dolphin

However, there are no chargers ready to buy which would support the most common CCS charging standard. Any bidirectional EV charger in the UK needs to go through so-called “type-testing”, which certifies that the device can safely feed back into the grid. Out of 14 applications made in the UK for bidirectional chargers, 11 failed! The remaining 3 are all for the old CHAdeMo standard, which has practically been discontinued in Europe. Even outside the UK, the picture looks similar. While there are just a few CCS-compatible bidirectional chargers available, they come at a price point of several thousand pounds.

Permission, on the other hand, is possible to obtain. In the UK, V2G chargers are treated just like any other storage system. In practice this means, you will either need a G98 or G99 approval, which is a standard process.

What is Octopus Power Pack?

In June 2025, Octopus Energy announced Power Pack – the UK’s most complete vehicle-to-grid (V2G) proposition to date. The offer comes in two formats:

• A full Power Pack Bundle: this includes a leased BYD Dolphin EV, a bidirectional Zaptec Pro charger, and access to the Power Pack tariff – all for £299 per month.
• Just the Power Pack tariff: available to users who already have both a compatible EV and a Wallbox Quasar 1 charger – the only model currently certified for V2G in the UK, though not available to buy.

Both options rely on bidirectional AC charging, meaning the inverter sits inside the vehicle rather than the charger itself. This setup is simple – but the tradeoff is that only a handful of EVs can use it today. While DC-based systems offer faster speeds and broader compatibility, AC systems like Power Pack are currently the most practical entry point – albeit with limited car support and functionality.

The required charger for the Power Pack Bundle isn’t certified yet – and the standalone charger isn’t on sale. The Zaptec Pro, included in the bundle, is not yet approved for V2G use according to the ENA Type Register. Certification would need to be completed before the scheme’s launch in September 2025. Meanwhile, the Wallbox Quasar 1 needed for the tariff offer isn’t currently available for purchase in the UK.

While Octopus markets this as V2G, the system technically supports V2H as well. Power discharged from the EV flows first into the home to offset usage, with any excess exported to the grid – mimicking how a home battery operates. However, from a billing standpoint, the EV is treated separately. Energy used to charge or export from the vehicle is measured independently, and your household usage continues to be billed under your standard tariff.

To qualify for free EV charging, drivers must plug in at least 20 times per month, keep energy use under 210 kWh/month, and allow Octopus to manage charging and discharging times using smart controls. A smart meter and a G99 export certificate from your local DNO are also required.

How much of a breakthrough is Power Pack?

Power Pack is a welcome step – but how transformative it proves to be remains to be seen. On one hand, it’s the UK’s most complete V2G package to date, combining hardware, vehicle, and tariff into a single offering. On the other hand, it supports only one EV model (the BYD Dolphin), it’s charger (the Zaptec Pro) has not yet been type-tested for V2G use, and the system relies on AC bidirectional charging – which limits compatibility and power output compared to DC-based alternatives. At £299 per month, the overall value proposition will also depend on how the BYD Dolphin performs and how much flexibility drivers are willing to give up.

Nonetheless, this may be exactly the kind of push needed to kickstart mainstream V2G adoption in the UK. Until then, home batteries are a proven way to store cheap energy, support the grid, and future-proof your home. Explore how a home battery with [Capture AI] can start saving you money today.