Tesla Electric UK: What the Ofgem Licence Means

Tesla Electric UK is Tesla's planned electricity supply business for Great Britain — and, as far as public reporting shows, it has a licence but no product. Ofgem granted Tesla Energy Ventures Limited a supply licence in March 2026, yet as of the latest reporting (September 2026) there is still no published tariff, no rate card and no sign-up. This guide sets out what is confirmed, what is speculation, and what Powerwall and solar owners can actually do today.

What has been confirmed

The licence. Ofgem granted Tesla Energy Ventures Limited an electricity supply licence covering England, Scotland and Wales, with reports dating the decision to 11–12 March 2026, after an application process that began in July 2025. The licence covers both domestic and non-domestic customers.

Electricity only. Tesla applied for an electricity licence, not a dual-fuel one. Most mainstream suppliers sell gas as well, so a Tesla tariff would be aimed at all-electric or electrified households rather than the typical gas-heated home.

Standard obligations apply. As a licensed supplier, Tesla must meet Ofgem's consumer-protection, billing and financial-responsibility conditions, and Ofgem can enforce them. Ofgem stressed that it does not assess or grant licences to individuals, only to companies. The decision was not uncontested: campaign group Best for Britain said more than 18,000 of its supporters had written to Ofgem to object.

What has not been announced

A licence is permission to trade, not a product. According to a September 2026 review by installer Spirit Energy, no tariff rates, sign-up or launch date had been published, and Tesla still needed billing, customer-service and industry-code arrangements in place. Anything you read quoting specific Tesla Electric UK unit rates or a launch date is a guess.

The expectation, based on Tesla's Texas business, is a tariff built around time-of-use pricing that links EV charging, a home battery and solar, drawing power when it is cheap and exporting when it is dear. Industry commentary points to a phased rollout from late 2026 or early 2027, probably opening to existing Powerwall owners first. Treat that as informed speculation, not a commitment.

What it could mean for Powerwall and solar owners

Battery arbitrage. A supplier that also controls your battery can dispatch it automatically. That is the idea behind a virtual power plant: the battery charges when wholesale prices are low and discharges when the grid is stretched, and you share the value. How much you would earn depends entirely on rates that do not yet exist.

Export rates are the thing to check. Under Ofgem's Smart Export Guarantee, only licensed suppliers above a size threshold (150,000 domestic customers) must offer an export tariff. A brand-new supplier will not be forced to, so when Tesla publishes terms, check whether and how it pays for exported solar before you move.

It is not the only game in town. Powerwall owners can already join a smart tariff through Octopus. Octopus announced in June 2024 that Powerwall customers can use its Kraken platform to automate battery charging and export, and claimed around £250 a year of savings on Intelligent Octopus Flux versus a standard import and export tariff for an average customer. That is Octopus's own figure, not an independent one. Our guide to the best Octopus tariffs for solar owners compares the options.

What to do now

• Don't delay a purchase waiting for Tesla Electric. There is nothing to compare yet, and you can change supplier later.
• Stay on a tariff that suits your battery today. If you have a battery, a time-of-use tariff is usually the right fit already.
• Read the small print on launch: unit and export rates, standing charge, exit fees, how much control Tesla takes of your battery, and whether you need a Tesla app or hardware.
• Remember it is a new supplier. The track record that older suppliers have built up is something Tesla does not yet have in Britain. Weigh promised savings accordingly.

We will update this page when Tesla publishes real terms.