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Octopus Energy Intelligent Tariff
At the click of a button, the Intelligent Octopus tariff will charge your EV when energy is at its cheapest and greenest.
The Intelligent Octopus tariff is the latest Octopus Energy electric vehicle tariff on the market. It gives electric vehicle owners a minimum of 6 hours of super-cheap electricity every night at 7.5p per kWh. In some ways, the Intelligent Octopus tariff is a mash-up of both the Octopus Go and Octopus Agile tariffs combined! 🌍
How much does the Octopus Energy Intelligent Tariff cost per kWh?
The Intelligent Octopus tariff, like Octopus Go, provides an off-peak energy tariff for charging your electric vehicle at night. On Intelligence Octopus you will be charged a unit price of 7.5p per kWh for electricity between 11.30 pm and 5.30 am. Outside these times you will have a standard electricity fixed tariff which varies depending on your geographical location within the UK. In my region, this would be 30.77p per kWh. It’s a fixed tariff for 12 months.
So like Octopus Go, Intelligent Octopus is a fixed rate energy tariff with a discount period but instead of having 4 discount hours the new Octopus electric vehicle tariff, that is Intelligent Octopus offers 6 hours of off-peak charging. It doesn’t stop there!! By linking your electric vehicle or your EV charger to the Intelligence Octopus app you could get even more hours discounted to the off-peak rate. The Intelligent Octopus app works out when energy is at the cheapest and greenest and if that’s outside your off-peak window it will ask your car to charge than BUT only charge you 7.5p per kWh! You will also retain your 6 off-peak hours so you can use appliances such as the dishwasher or washing machine at 5p per kWh too. How cool is that!
What’s the catch – 6 hours plus of electricity at 7.5p per kWh for charging your electric vehicle?🙋♀️
Well, there is a catch with the intelligent Octopus tariff. You will have to tick all the boxes to get on this new beta tariff but the list is expected to expand. You will need to be either a Tesla owner OR own a Wallbox Pulsar Plus charger. (I am working on a new EV charger website but I have already done a review on the Wallbox Pulsar Plus so feel free to take a look at the review) Plus you will need an iPhone! The Intelligence Octopus app is only available on IOS at the moment!!
Martin Lewis yesterday warned that Cornwall Insight who provides an independent analysis of energy markets told him it predicts the price cap in April to rise to £1660 from the current £1,277 per year!!!! Putin (the Russian President) also said yesterday he would help increase the gas supply from Russia. The limited supply of gas from Russia is one of the reasons energy supply has jumped so greatly. It is a case of crossing every finger you have that prices will start to drop and not continue to rise. I really hope so!!! It’s yet another reason why we need to increase our own homegrown green energy supply in the UK so we aren’t so reliant on other countries.🥺😢💚
There may be some validity in switching if you have a smart meter and want to sign up for one of the Octopus smart tariffs, like Octopus Go or Intelligent Octopus. (It’s still a really great tariff if you own an EV. Where else will you get 7.5p a kWh?) You can’t sign up for a smart tariff on the Octopus website. You’ll have to call and go on an interim fixed tariff first. Please read all the information below and take on advice given by Octopus. Let’s hope this all ends really soon!!💚🥺🤯
Has the Intelligent Octopus increased in price?
Yes, due to the rise in whole energy prices on the 11th January 2022 the Intelligent Octopus off-peak rate increased from 5p to 7.5p per kWh. The daytime rate also increased to 30.77p per kWh and the standing charge increased to 24.86p per day.
If you are already on the Intelligent Octopus tariff your standard rate will not go up until your existing 12 months tariff period comes to an end. If you want to compare EV tariffs take a look at my other page.
How does Intelligent Octopus work?
Octopus Energy will connect to your car or charging equipment through the Intelligent Octopus app. You plug your EV in and tell the app when you need your EV next and the percentage of charge you require. Then, while your EV is plugged in your car will be charged when electricity is at its cheapest, and greenest on the national grid.👏
In October there has been a slight update to the app. When you set your “ready time” overnight in the app the time is limited to between 4 am and 11 am. That’s plenty of time to take advantage of cheap overnight charging. You can bump start charging from the app if you need to charge during the day. (This will be at the standard electricity price rather than off-peak)
You will need;
- A smart meter we can connect to (either a SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1)
- A compatible EV charging system (currently, either Tesla or Wallbox Pulsar Plus)
- An iOS smartphone
What are the benefits of the Intelligent Octopus tariff?
- Reduce your overall energy bill. It is anticipated that you could around £100 compared to Octopus Go.
- Decrease your environmental impact.
- Make your home energy work smarter for you and the planet.🌍
During the 6 hours off-peak period not only can you get your washing machine or dishwasher on at a reduced rate but you can set your car to charge when it is going to use the least CO2 even if that is outside your 6-hour off-peak window! Plus you won’t pay any more than 7.5p per kWh!! Beep, beep!!!! 🚘🌍💚
Here’s a quote from 22nd January 2022. You can check the most up-to-date rates for the Intelligent Octopus tariff on the Octopus website. Prices may vary slightly in different geographical locations.
| Compare Intelligent Octopus Tariff | |
|---|---|
| Electricity per kWh | 30.77p |
| Discount 4 hours 00.30 to 06.30 🚘 | 7.5p 👀 |
| Standing charge per day | 24.86p |
Does the electricity discounted rate end after my electric car is charged?
No, you get the full 6 hours of off-peak electricity at 5p per kWh every night!
Is there an Octopus Intelligent Gas Tariff?
No, the Octopus Intelligent tariff is simply for your electricity but you can pick a standard Octopus gas Tariff to sit alongside your Intelligent electricity tariff. For example Super Green Gas and Octopus Intelligent Electricity.
Do I need to get all my family to switch their energy use to benefit from Octopus Intelligent?
In a recent survey by Ofgem, most electric vehicle 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 Intelligent this isn’t the case! Even if your kids don’t act that intelligently sometimes 😂
Energy Prices
22/01/2022
Octopus 12 month Fixed Tariff. (Electricity) Intelligent Octopus Tariff. (Electricity)
34.63p per kWh 30.77p per kWh (05.30 - 00.30)
No off-peak. 7.5p per kWh off-peak. (23.30 - 05.30)
24.86p per day Standing Charge 24.86p per day Standing charge.
🌟🎉🥁🚘 #winner
The numbers really speak for themselves. The Octopus Intelligent tariff is only slightly cheaper outside the off-peak tariff window than a standard fixed Octopus tariff rate but you can fill your boots during the 5p slot! 🎄🤶🏻
What if I want to plug in my car and just get it charged as quickly as possible?
Octopus has this under control too. You can schedule a Bump Charge through the Intelligent Octopus app, which will start the car charging immediately. For this, you will be charged the unit rate at the time. If it’s during your off-peak window you will be charged – 5p/kWh for Bump Charging or your local day unit rate outside of these hours.
How do you switch to Octopus Intelligent Tariff?
As a new customer, you’ll simply have to switch to Octopus Energy and select an interim tariff before making your switch to Octopus Intelligence. 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 Intelligent Octopus.
- 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 Intelligent Octopus once you have confirmed all your equipment is compatible. (This is a new beta tariff so it may be a little more tweaking)
- You’ll need to download the Intelligent Octopus IOS app and register your car or charger.
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
Get a quote and find more information on signing up to Octopus Intelligent HERE.
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
Take your first step towards cheaper EV charging.↓🚘🥳
Ready to make the switch? Simply pick your interim tariff and contact Octopus Energy to get your smart meter installed or checked. Following half-hourly meter readings, you will be ready to switch to Intelligent Octopus.
Here is a quote for an Octopus 12 months fixed tariff, from 22nd January 2022. You’ll need to call Octopus Energy to make the switch. When you click on the link below you’ll get more information from Octopus Energy. Online quotes at the moment are suspended.
| Energy cost. | Price per kWh |
|---|---|
| Electricity | 34.63p per kWh. |
| Gas | 8.55p per kWh |
| Electricity standing charge | 24.86p per day. |
| Gas standing charge | 26.10p per day. |
| 12 Months fixed tariff. |
If you decide to switch please let them know you have been referred by Sarah-C. If they ask for the long link reference it’s Sarah-c.octopus.energy. You’ll get £50 credit on your first bill and I will get £50 too! Thanks!💚
