OCTOPUS ENERGY GO TARIFF
Octopus Go is a smart electricity tariff that guarantees cheap overnight electricity at 9.0p / kWh for 4 hours every night (between 12.30 and 4.30 am) and 40.10p per kWh for the remaining 20 hours. The off-peak tariff assures EV drivers of reduced motoring.
Octopus Go is designed for customers who can charge their Electric Vehicles at home off-peak. Charging can be done very cheaply overnight keeping costs to around 2.25p per mile.
Octopus Go
Charging your electric car overnight is a cheap, and easy way to reduce your energy bill. On Octopus Go you’ll get a reduced rate of 9.5p per kWh between 12.30 am and 4.30 am.
- The scheduling function within your EV.
- A smart charger or cable.
What are the benefits of Octopus Go?
- Reduce your overall energy bill.
- Reduce the cost of energy charging your electric vehicle.
- Decrease your environmental impact.
- Make your home energy work smarter for you and the planet.🌍
During your off-peak times, you have to work your side hustle in using cheap energy. So get the EV charged and preset the dishwasher and washing machine. You can also start using energy to charge phones, devices, or even home battery storage, anything that would use a lot of kWh. This is where shifting your energy use can really start to pay off financially. Plus you’ll also be helping the planet!!👏💚
How much does Octopus Go cost?
From the 15th of September 2023, Octopus Go is 9.0p per kWh off-peak with a daytime rate of 30.52p per kWh. The daily standing charging charge remains at 52.18p. The Octopus Go rate is a variable tariff. It is an amazing deal if you want electric off-peak for charging!! (Prices may vary slightly in different geographical locations.)
As Octopus Go is a flexible tariff it should, in theory, rise and fall in line with the Energy Price Cap. The next review is October 2023 when the price cap is due to drop further.
Octopus Go Tariff From 01/10/23 | Energy Price |
---|---|
Electricity. | 30.52p per kWh |
Off-peak pricing. 4 hours - 00.30 to 04.30 🚘 | 9.0p per kWh |
Standing charge. | 52.18p per day |
You can check the Octopus Go rate for your geographical area on the Octopus website. (These will show the current rates and not the reduced rates which come into effect on 1st July 2023)
Is there an Octopus Go Gas Tariff?
No. Octopus Go is simply for your electricity but you can pick a standard Octopus gas Tariff to sit alongside your Go electricity tariff. For example, the Octopus Flexible tariff.
Is Octopus Go any good?
Yes, it is good for EV charging but Intelligent Octopus Go is cheaper. The off-peak rate on the intelligent tariff is 7.5p per kWh for 6 hours. The Intelligent Octopus Go tariff is without a doubt a better deal.
There isn’t a hidden catch in switching to Octopus Go. You’ll just need a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings to Octopus. You’re not locked into this tariff. You can switch to another tariff at any time or even leave Octopus Energy with no penalties.
🤦♀️🧑💻⚡️👊
Has the Octopus Energy Go tariff decreased in price over the last 12 months?
On the 21st of April 2023, Octopus reduced the off-peak rate from 12p per kWh to 9.5p per kWh. On the 1st of July 2023, the day rate will now be reduced quite dramatically too.
@sarah_go_green @Octopus Energy #gotariff #intelligenttariff #intelligentoctopus #octopusgo #octopusevtariff #octopustariffs #smarttariffs ♬ Happy Ukulele – TonsTone
The Octopus Go tariff had its last off-peak price variation on the 15th of September 2023 when the off-peak rate was reduced from 9.5p per kWh to 9p per kWh.
Is it cheaper to stay on the Octopus Flexible tariff or switch to Octopus Go?
- The Octopus Flexible tariff is now 30.22p per kWh for electricity from 1st July until 31st September 2023 in South Wales.
- From the 1st of July 2023, the Octopus Go daytime rate in South Wales is 30.52p per kWh.
The Octopus Go rate like the Octopus Flexible tariff is a variable rate that can go up and down in line with the Energy Price Cap. The price of the electricty will drop to around 27.35p per kWh on the Octopus Flexible tariff on the 1st of October so we can expect a price drop too for Octopus Go daytime rates.
With the day rates in line with the Octopus Flexible tariff, this is really a no-brainer if you are looking for an EV tariff.
I use around 55% of my energy off-peak and I don’t have high mileage. My average price per kWh with a day rate of 40p is between 16p and 19p a kWh. Imagine how much that will drop now the day rate is 30p per kWh!!
Does the whole household need to change their energy use to benefit from Octopus Go?
No. In a recent survey by Ofgem, most EV owners stated that they hadn’t made any changes to how they use their electricity at home. The assumption seemed to be that to fully benefit from the switch to an intelligent tariff the whole household needs to modify their energy use. 🤯 With Octopus Go this isn’t the case! 👏
“But my wife and kids don’t care, if they need their clothes they’ll put on the tumble dryer.”
That’s fine! You only need to try and load shift around 40% to make a real difference. I have 3 teenagers and it is possible.
If you look at your Octopus dashboard, you will also see many third-party devices and ideas that help keep your energy consumption down!!
Comparing Octopus Flexible tariff to Octopus Go tariff for EV charging.
Compare Energy Prices | |
---|---|
Octopus Flexible Tariff -EPC average price (Electricity) 01/10/2023 to 31/12/2023 | Octopus Go Tariff. |
34.59p per kWh | 30.52p kWh (04.30 - 00.30) |
14.94p per kWh off-peak Eco 7. | 9.0p kWh off-peak. (00.30 - 04.30) |
52.28p per day standing charge. | 52.18p per day standing charge |
How do you switch to the Octopus Go tariff?
As a new customer, you’ll simply have to switch to Octopus Energy and go on their Flexible tariff before making your switch to Octopus Go. As a new customer, you have to sign up for a nonsmart tariff when you switch. It’s then a case of moving from your interim tariff to your chosen smart tariff, such as Octopus Go.
- Switch to Octopus Energy. (This usually takes around 17 days)
- Octopus must be satisfied that they are receiving half-hourly readings from your smart meter. (This usually happens within 14 days but could take longer.
- You can then switch to Octopus Go.
You can check on your Octopus Energy dashboard to see if half-hourly readings are being received.
If you haven’t got a smart meter it’s a case of switching, requesting a smart meter, and waiting for an installation date to become available in your area. You’ll need a Secure SMETS1 (Secure is a brand name and it’s written on the front of the meter) or a SMETS2 smart meter to switch to any of the Octopus smart tariffs.
How can I tell if I have a SMETS2 smart meter already?
Look out for ‘GUID’ or a Device ID which looks like this: AA-BB-CC-DD-EE-FF-00-GG-ZZ on the front of the meter. If you can see a number like this it is a good indication you have a SMETS2 meter.
There’s no getting around it switching to Octopus Go does take a little more time than a standard tariff.
Here’s what Octopus has to say.
“Octopus Go is a beta product. If you’re OK that some things may not work the first time, that installations and processes may take longer than we’d like, and that on occasion data issues with smart meters can take significant time to fix or prevent things from working at all, but that you’d like to work with us to make world-changing energy tariffs a reality. You will always be able to switch to one of our fairly priced standard tariffs at any time.”
Take your first step towards cheaper EV charging.↓🚘🥳
Ready to make the switch? Simply switch to your interim tariff, such as flexible Octopus ( the flexible Octopus tariff is protected by the Energy Price Guarantee) and contact Octopus Energy to get your smart meter installed or checked. Following half-hourly meter readings, you will be ready to switch to Octopus Go.
All traditional and smart tariffs are available to new customers. Yes, you can switch to Octopus Energy using the link.
Quick Tips
If you have been with another supplier and you’re not sure if your SMETS1 smart meter will work Octopus look for the word “Secure”. It should be written on the front of your smart meter. Secure is a tradename. Secure also supplied meters to Utilita, Shell, OVO, E.ON, and Bristol Energy. Any other brand of SMETS1 smart meter will not retain its smart functionality if you switch to Octopus.
Read about a new beta tariff called Octopus Intelligent Go.
Will I get paid for exporting my solar energy with Octopus Go?
Yes, Octopus Energy Go Outgoing tariff currently pays customers to export electricity to the grid. On Octopus Go you are limited to Octopus Lite Outgoing which is 8p per kWh. (You can get more for your export if you choose Intelligent Octopus as your EV tariff) Find out more about Octopus Outgoing tariffs.
You will need your MCS Certificate and DNO response which you should find in your installers pack. Email seg@octopus.energy to find out more.
My experience getting a smart meter with Octopus Energy
There is a waiting list and I have to be honest I did wait a while for mine! Plus after the smart meter installation, I got slightly frustrated that it didn’t go online straight away. After installation, the engineer couldn’t get it to connect. It was resolved quickly by Octopus but it did take a few weeks for the meter readings to be switched over. The engineer submits the old readings and they have to in turn be updated in the central system along with my new meter number. So even after having the meter installed, there is a further wait. Octopus suggests 14 days but in my experience, it was slightly longer. So you have to be prepared for a wait!
Once your meter is sending half-hourly readings you are ready to be switched over to the Octopus Go tariff! Moving across from my Octopus fixed rate was relatively pain-free.
Waiting for a smart meter and getting half-hourly readings was my main concern. I’m a few days in now and delighted I made the switch. If anything changes I can switch back but so far it’s been a great experience.
If you are a new Octopus Energy customer you can join Octopus and you will get a £50 credit. You can then request a smart meter whilst on an interim tariff before requesting the switch to the Octopus Go. Just remember there will be a wait!
I would be delighted if you used my code to switch to Octopus as I get £50 too! So a massive thank you if you use my link! Click HERE⟵ 🥳❤︎
Octopus Go review – Compare Octopus Go v Octopus Agile.
Compare Octopus tariffs for an EV.
Octopus Go doesn’t really require that much thought, it’s a plug-and-go solution. There is also an intelligent version of this tariff called Intelligent Go which takes this tariff to another level. When you sign up for Intelligent Octopus Go your EV or your EV charger decides when to charge in order to help balance the grid.
Historically as an example, you would have saved more with Octopus Agile, and you still can but with the Intelligent Octopus Go the minimum amount of off-peak hours you will get is 6 and at the lower rate of 7p per kWh. So if you have battery storage and an EV it is very attractive!
Octopus Agile tariff is based on wholesale energy prices which can be affected by, for example, the amount of wind or demand on the national grid. If you can juggle when you use energy bring the price you pay per kWh down. Sometimes you can even get paid to charge your EV on Octopsu Agile. The Agile tariff has a cap of £1 per kWh.
It can be quite confusing working out which Octopus tariff is best for your individual charging needs. This app allows you to compare Octopus Energy tariffs to find. (find this in the app store here)
“This app is excellent at picking through the complexity of Octopus smart tariffs using your actual data. The 49p/month premium option is well worth it too as this gives a better comparison of how shifting use to cheaper periods changes things. The developer is also very helpful. Recommended.”
Just to give you an idea of Octopus Agile prices take a look at these prices.
Octopus Agile tariff price on Wednesday 4th October 2023
This is the November version 1 of the Agile tariff.
Min: 4.3p per kWh (03.30)
Max: 36.9p per kWh (18.30)
Average: 15.2p per kWh.
Av. Excluding Peak times: 12.6p per kWh
Peak Time 1600 – 1900: 32.0p per kWh.
The prices are based on national average prices per kWh.
Thanks to @energystatsuk for the daily figures.
Octopus Agile Tariff Pricing
I have listed the cheapest 4-hour energy slots over the last 7 days. Plus the average daily price per kWh.
Octopus Agile Tariff. | Average price kWh | Cheapest price 30 minutes. |
---|---|---|
National Average Price of Energy. | Energy Price. | Energy Price. |
Average price per kWh over 7 days. | ||
Wednesday 04/10/23 | 15.2p per kWh | 4.3p per kWh.(22.30) |
Tuesday 03/10/23 | 15.2p per kWh | -1.1p per kWh (04.30) |
Monday 02/10/23 | 23.1p per kWh | 17.0p per kWh (03.30) |
Sunday 01/10/23 | 19.7p per kWh | 10.8p per kWh (02.30) |
Saturday 30/09/23 | 21.4p per kWh. | 14.3p per kWh.(13.30) |
Friday 29/09/23 | 18.2p per kWh | 5.6p per kWh (03.30) |
Thursday 28/09/23 | 16.9p per kWh | -7.4p per kWh.(05.00) |
This is a quote for the Octopus Go tariff from the 4th of October 2023. It may vary depending on your geographical location in the UK.
EV TIPS
Tip: Before opting for the Octopus GO tariff you should weigh up if you could save even more money by getting creative with the Intelligent Octopus tariff. This is the tariff I am on. You can read my experience switching to the Intelligent tariff in my recent blog.