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Intelligent Octopus Go Tariff – 2025 Review & Update

If you drive an EV and want to cut your energy bills without the hassle, Intelligent Octopus Go could be the smart solution you’ve been waiting for. I’ve been on this tariff since 2022, and it’s already saved me hundreds of pounds with minimal effort. Now, in April 2025, Octopus Energy has launched a powerful new option: Intelligent Octopus Drive Pack. In this post, I’ll break down how both tariffs can help you charge your car for less, reduce your home energy costs, and lower your carbon footprint, all while taking advantage of the latest smart technology.

Updated 7th May 2025 by Sarah Chambers

About the author: I’ve been a happy Octopus Energy customer for 7 years.

This is me. I can be found on social media as Sarah_Go_Green, and I have been an Octopus customer for 7 years. I’m featured on the Octopus website and their YouTube channel as a solar customer. I’ve been on the BBC news, published in the Telegraph for owning part of a wind turbine.

Recently, I’ve been in Bloomberg simply for being an energy geek. I love renewable energy and make it my mission to reduce my family’s home energy bills while improving our carbon footprint. I’ve got around 7,000 followers across X and TikTok where I talk about electrifying my home and reducing my Octopus energy bill. I can help you too!

👥 Who is Intelligent Octopus Go For?

EV drivers who are looking for low-cost, smart charging at home.
Families or remote workers with daytime usage who want to reduce their overall electricity bill and own an EV.
Homeowners with solar panels or batteries want to optimise off-peak charging alongside EV charging.
Anyone exploring greener, tech-friendly alternatives to petrol and gas when charging their EV at home.

🔌 What is Intelligent Octopus Go?

Intelligent Octopus Go is a smart time-of-use electricity tariff designed for EV drivers. It provides:

6 hours of off-peak electricity every night from 11.30 pm to 5.30 am at just 7.0p per kWh.
Octopus schedules your EV charge during the greenest and cheapest periods.
It can integrate with solar panels, battery storage, and other smart tech.
You can charge your home battery during the off-peak window.

You plug in your EV, tell the app how much charge you need and by when, and Octopus handles the rest, optimising for cost and carbon reduction.

Even better? If Octopus starts your charge early, those extra hours are billed at the off-peak rate too.

🚗 My Setup

Tesla Model Y Long Range
MyEnergi Zappi v2 charger
13.5 kWh GivEnergy All-In-One battery
6.1 kW solar array

I’m home all day with my three children. My solar and battery setup means I can stretch those off-peak savings further. I regularly charge both my car and my battery overnight, run appliances like the washing machine during the off-peak slot, and export excess solar to the grid on a separate Octopus export tariff. It’s a win-win.

🔁 New for April 2025 – Drive Pack & Go Saver

🚗 Intelligent Octopus Drive Pack

Ideal for high-mileage EV users (my guesstimare 20,000+ miles per year). For £30/month, you get unlimited overnight EV charging as long as Octopus controls the charging.

No increase in your daytime rate.
A bolt-on add-on like “all-you-can-eat” EV charging.
Great for new EV owners or those who don’t want to track usage.

💡 But take a breath before diving in.

Is Octopus Drive Pack worth it? Only if you drive a lot.

At first glance, the Octopus Drive Pack sounds like an unbeatable deal. For just £30 a month, you get unlimited EV charging at home. But is it really the best option for everyone?

Here’s the reality: unless you drive over 20,000 miles a year, you may actually end up spending more — and losing out on valuable off-peak savings for your home.

I’m currently on Intelligent Octopus Go, which gives me access to a super-low 7p per kWh off-peak rate. The best part? That rate applies to everything in my home, not just the car. I use it to charge my Tesla Model Y, run appliances, and top up my home battery.

To put it in perspective:

A full charge for my long-range Model Y costs around £5 and gives me about 280 miles of range.
If I charge it six times a month, that adds up to £30 and gives me roughly 1,680 miles.
Over a year, that’s just over 20,000 miles — the break-even point for Drive Pack.

So what’s the catch? If you don’t regularly hit that mileage, Drive Pack isn’t saving you anything. Even worse, you’d lose access to the 7p rate for your home, which is where I make huge savings thanks to my energy usage habits and battery storage.

If you’re short of time or don’t want to do the maths, there’s no shame in going for the simplicity of the Octopus Drive Pack. But there’s also no exit fee, so why not give Intelligent Octopus Go a test drive for a month? See how your usage pans out. You might be surprised by how much you save without any bolt-ons.

@sarah_go_green Is the @Octopus Energy Intelligent Drive Pack worth switching to for your EV charging. #intelligentdrivepack. #moneysavingtips ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

“Intelligent Drive Pack is a completely new way to save – perfect for drivers who want predictability, flexibility and great value rolled into one.

“It’s another step towards making electric cars the obvious choice for everyone.” – Rebecca Dibb – Simkin, Octopus Energy.

💸 Intelligent Octopus Go Saver

If you’re leasing an EV through Octopus, this exclusive tariff gives you 6p per kWh off-peak instead of 7p. Same smart benefits, even more savings.

⚡ Why I Still Love Intelligent Octopus Go

Despite new options, I’m still loyal to the original Intelligent Go:

I charge my EV and home battery every night.
I run major appliances off-peak.
The whole house benefits from the low 7p rate.

My average price per kWh is far below standard rates, even though I’m home all day. Yes, I am geeky, but you can just plug in and let Octopus schedule your charge. You then have the option to do your own programming to get your dishwasher to come on at night. Mine has a function button where I can delay the start time for set number of hours, and that works great! The same applies to my washing machine.

🔬 Project Mercury & The Smart Grid Future

Earlier this year, I visited Manchester for Project Mercury, where Octopus is trialling next-gen smart grid tech. The goal? Let your supplier manage high loads like EVs and heat pumps to balance demand and lower costs.

Drive Pack and similar bolt-ons are a peek into the future – energy plans that adapt to your lifestyle and tech setup. Whether you’ve got solar, EVs, batteries, or heat pumps, Octopus is making it smarter and simpler.

🧠 How Intelligent Octopus Go Works.

Octopus has its own in-house software called Kraken, and this is where the magic happens.

Octopus connects to your EV or charger via the app.
You plug in, set your charge time and %.
The schedule appears at 5 pm if plugged in before then, or shortly after if you plug in later.
You can bump start anytime for instant charging (note: this is at your daytime rate).

If Octopus charges your EV before 11.30 pm, those early slots are still billed at 7.0p per kWh and apply to the whole home. 🎉

📱 Smart Charging Tips

Cancel all previous schedules in your EV and charger.
Set your charger to Fast Mode or whichever mode you have for plug and charge straight away.
Cancel any scheduled charging in your EV app.

💰 How Much Can You Save?

I drive 10,400 miles a year.
Charging on the standard cap: ~£702/year
Charging with Intelligent Go: ~£195/year
That’s a £507 saving—before household energy savings!

Add battery storage and solar? The savings skyrocket. I charge my battery at night and use it during the day. Even better, I export as much of my solar generation at 15p per kWh on Octopus Outgoing.

🛠️ Tech Compatibility & Setup

You’ll need:

A smart meter sending half-hourly readings
A compatible EV or EV charger (Zappi, Ohme, etc.)
Octopus iOS or Android app

Use the Octopus checker to see if your tech qualifies—it takes seconds. Click “Will it work for me?”

🔄 Switching to Intelligent Octopus Go

New customers: Switch to Flexible Octopus first.
Once live, request a switch to Intelligent Go in the app.
Existing customers: Switch in the app if eligible.

☀️ Solar, Batteries & Octopus Export

Charge your EV and battery at 7.0p per kWh overnight.
Export solar at 15p (Outgoing Fixed) or higher with Agile Outgoing.
Use the app to toggle smart charging off when using excess solar.

This lets you maximise exports during the day and take advantage of cheap, green grid electricity at night.

🔍 Compare Octopus EV Tariffs

Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of Octopus’ top EV tariffs as of April 2025:

Feature	Intelligent Octopus Go	Drive Pack (Add-On)	Go Saver (Lease Only)
Off-peak rate (per kWh)	7.0p	Unlimited EV only	6.0p
Off-peak window	11:30 pm – 5:30 am	Octopus-controlled	11:30 pm – 5:30 am
Whole home off-peak usage	✅ Yes	❌ EV only	✅ Yes
Compatible with solar/battery	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Extra green charging slots	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Exit fees	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None
Best for	Custom usage + tech	High mileage drivers	Octopus EV leases

FAQs about the Octopus Intelligent Go Tariff

What is the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff?
It’s a smart time-of-use tariff from Octopus Energy that gives EV owners 6 hours of overnight electricity at just 7p per kWh, plus the option for Octopus to control your charge for extra savings.

Can I use the Intelligent Go tariff without solar panels?
Yes! Solar and battery storage help, but even without them, many users (like me) have saved hundreds annually.

Is Octopus Intelligent Go better than OVO Anytime?
Intelligent Go offers whole-house off-peak pricing, not just EV charging. That means you can save on appliances, battery storage, and more—not just your car.

Do I need a specific charger for Octopus Intelligent Go?
No, as long as your EV is comptable. If your EV is not compatible, then you will need a compatible EV charger (like Ohme or Zappi). Octopus provides an easy tool to check.

How do I switch to Intelligent Octopus Go?
Start on the Flexible Octopus tariff. Once your account is live and you have a smart meter, request a switch via the app.

🟢 Pros & Cons of Intelligent Octopus Go

Pros:

Cheapest Octopus EV tariff for off-peak usage
Whole-home discount during off-peak hours
No exit fees—easy to trial
Compatible with solar, batteries, and smart tech
Extra discounted hours if Octopus decides it’s greener outside the off-peak times or you need a longer charge window.

Cons:

Higher daytime rate than some standard tariffs
Requires compatible tech and a smart meter
May need some setup tweaks for smart charging but if I can do it then I am sure you will cope!! Octopus can help you, though, if you get stuck.

🌱 Final Thoughts

Intelligent Octopus Go is more than a tariff, it’s a tool to lower your carbon footprint and your bills. It works best with other green tech, but can still save you money even without them.

With the 2025 additions of Drive Pack and Go Saver, there’s now something for every EV owner. Octopus continues to lead the way in smart, green energy.

If you’re still stuck at the petrol pump or unsure about your options, get in touch. I’m Sarah Chambers (@sarah_go_green), and I love helping people save money and go green. 💚

🔗 Ready to make the switch? Head to the Octopus Energy website or message me for help with a referral link or personalised advice!