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Intelligent Octopus go review 2024

Intelligent Octopus Go Tariff 

The Intelligent Octopus Go tariff is an electricty tariff specifically designed for Octopus Energy EV users, guaranteeing significant savings on your energy bill. As an end user of this tariff since early 2022, I will share a comprehensive review of my experience with Intelligent Octopus Go.

  • Six hours of cheap, green energy from 11.30 pm to 5.30 am every night at 7.5p per kWh.
  • It is perfect for loading shifting (using appliances at night) and charging a home battery.
  • Plug in your EV and set how much charge you’d like and by when using the Octopus app and Octopus will take care of the rest.
  • Reduce your carbon footprint and use more energy off-peak.

Octopus Intelligent Go is easy to use and is one of the most popular EV tariffs in the UK but is it worth switching to?

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Intelligent Octopus Go Review 2024.

Owning an Electric Vehicle and charging it at home on a standard electricity tariff can save you money compared to fueling a petrol or diesel car at the pump. However, switching to a dedicated EV tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go could potentially save you even more money.

I have saved a lot on my fuel bills with Intelligent Octopus Go and have been a happy Octopus Energy customer for 6 years.

Advantages of Intelligent Octopus Go;

  • Hassle-free EV charging at roughly 2p per mile.
  • Provides 6 hours of off-peak electricty every night for both the home and EV charging.
  • Decrease your environmental impact.
  • Make your home energy work smarter for you and the planet.🌍
  • Reduce your overall energy bill. It is anticipated that you could save around £600 compared to a standard tariff.
  • Compatible with solar, battery storage and other green technology.
  • It can combined with all Octopus Export tariffs. (You can even charge your home battery at 7.5p per kWh and export at 15p per kWh!)

Dissadavatges of Intelligent Octopus Go.

  • You will need either a compatible Electric Vehicle or EV charger to be eligible for this tariff.

My home set up using Intelligent Octopus Go.

Just as background I own;

  • Tesla Model Y
  • EV Charger – MyEnergi Zappi v2.
  • GivEnergy All-In-One 13.5 kWh battery
  • 6.1 kW solar array.

I am home all day with my 3 children. My solar panels and a 13.5 kWh GivEnergy battery were installed in my home in October 2023. Both with and without battery storage Octopus Intelligent Go has saved me hundreds of pounds over the last 2 years compared to a standard energy tariff. If you add in the savings of not fueling from diesel it’s an even bigger saving.

(If you are interested in how solar and battery storage can integrate with Octopus Intelligent Go scroll down to the lower part of this page.)

EV Home charging expectations – Is it worth switching tariffs to Intelligent Octopus Go?

I have been on the Intelligent Octopus Go Tariff for 2 years. When I bought my EV as well as driving electric to help the environment I also wanted cheaper, greener charging options at home.

octopus energy ev tariffsThe issue is the National Grid was built and is based on providing us with energy on demand. That may be ok for switching on a light switch but an EV requires a lot more electricity to charge at home. Some will argue that the grid can’t cope with the demands put on it by EV owners but it can.  We just need to think about how and when we use energy and adapt accordingly.

  • Octopus Kraken software can take the hassle out of deciding when is the greenest time to charge your EV.
  • After you have switched to Intelligent Octopus Go all you need to do is plug in and leave the rest to Octopus’ software.

The Octopus daytime rate is higher than traditional tariffs but even as a stay-at-home mum I still make big savings on my energy bill on Intelligent Octopus Go. I can’t avoid using energy during the day as I am at home with the kids but I make the most of my 6 hours of off-peak electricty at night which significantly lowers my average price per kWh.

How exactly does Intelligent Octopus Go work?

Octopus Energy will connect to your EV or EV charging equipment through the Octopus app. After completing the initial set up it’s all relatively straightforward. 

  • Plug your EV in and tell the app when you need your EV next and the percentage of charge you require.
  • If you are all set to charge before 5 pm Octopus will tell you your charge schedule around 5 pm. This will appear in the Octopus app. 
  • If you plug in after 5 pm a schedule will be created at this time.

The great thing about this tariff is that if Octopus decides to schedule your charge before the 11.30 pm off-peak time you will get these time slots at the off-peak rate of 7.5p per kWh too. The same rate is also applied to any other electricity used within the home during these times!👏Intelligent Octopus Go Tariff

While your EV is plugged in Octopus will make sure you charge when electricity is at its cheapest, and greenest on the national grid.

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)

How much can you save on Intelligent Octopus Go?

Octopus Energy predicts that the average EV owner who switches from a traditional tariff to Octopus Intelligent Go can save around £600 a year but in my experience, it is more than this!intelligent octopus go tariff tesla

I own a Tesla Model Y Long Range. If I drive 10,400 miles a year that would cost me very roughly £702 charging at home based on the current Energy Price Cap. Whilst on Intelligent Octopus Go the same 10,400 miles would cost roughly £195. (I have used the calculation of 4 miles per kWh) That is a saving of £507 before you take into account home energy use at the discounted rate too!! Imagine how much that would cost you in diesel!

You can’t sniff at the discounted home energy use either on Intelligent Octopus Go. There are six hours off-peak at 7.5p per kWh available for your home every night. Between 11.30 pm and 5.30 pm, you can set your dishwasher, and washing machine or if you are comfortable your tumble dyer to come on.

If you have a home battery then the savings are blown out of the water even further. I charge my 13.5kWh All In One, GivEnergy battery every night during the off-peak period. When I wake up only is my EV charged and ready to go but I have enough off-peak electricty to last me most of the day.

Charging your EV, home battery and using appliances all off-peak at night is allowed under the terms of the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff.

Even though this is an Octopus EV tariff it is also a wonderful opportunity to reduce your overall energy bill as well as your driving costs! You can’t do that on Ovo Charge Anytime which is restricted to only EV charging.

Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Energy Greener Day Forecasts.

You can now use the Octopus Greener Day forecasts to decide which day to plug in your EV. Intelligent octopus go tariff greenest day forcast

If you want to live sustainably the Octopus new live forecast shows you the greenest days to use power. It’s updated every Monday and Thursday.

Octopus does all it can to help EV owners charge on the greenest energy. Intelligent Go is more than a time-of-use tariff. It is an intelligent tariff that can help you use excess energy when it is in abundance. You choose when to plug in and Octopus will make sure you charge your EV at a time that puts the least stress on the National Grid.

Octopus can turn your EV charger off and on remotely.  All you need to do is plug in, select the percentage of charge you need and by when and Octopus will take care of the rest.

How much does the Octopus Intelligent Go Tariff cost per kWh?

The Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, like Octopus Go, provides an off-peak tariff for charging your EV charging at night.

The Intelligent Octopus tariff rates are cheaper than on Octopus Go (7.5p vs 9.5p) and the off-peak window lasts for longer at six hours versus four on Go.

  • 7.5p per kWh for electricity between 11.30 pm and 5.30 am every night regardless if you charge your EV or not.
  • Plus additional off-peak slots if Octopus decides to charge your Electric Vehicle earlier because it’s greener for the grid. (These additional slots also cover the rest of the house.)
  •  30.52p per kWh any other time. (The day rate will reduce in price on the 1st April 2024)

The daytime rate may vary depending on your geographical location but they are the same on both Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go. The day rate is based on South Wales. You can find out the rates for Intelligent Octopus Go for your area by entering your postcode. Just remember the day rate and standing charge will change from 1st April 2024.

The 6 hours of core off-peak electricity on Intelligent Octopus Go are available between 11.30 pm and 5.30 am 365 days of the year. This does NOT change and the whole house gets the discounted rate too. If you have a home battery you can quite easily fill it up during the 6 off-peak hours available.

Which Electric Vehicles or Electric Vehicle chargers are compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go?

Intelligent Octopus Go is compatible with 280 Electric Vehicles and more are being added.

Octopus Intelligent Go is also compatible with some EV chargers and in this instance, it doesn’t matter which car you have as Intelligent Octopus Go is controlling your EV charger rather than your EV.

As an example, I have a MyEnergi Zappy EV charger which is compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go. I could choose to connect either my Tesla to Octopus or my Zappi. Octopus sets a schedule and remotely accesses that device to switch it off and on to complete a charge.

Octopus Intelligent go tariff

You can check if your EV or EV charger is compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go on the Octopus website. It takes 30 seconds or less.

You simply need to answer two questions to find out if your EV or EV charger is compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go.

  • What electric vehicle do you have?
  • What EV charger do you have?

You’ll then need to confirm you own an iPhone on iOS 7 or higher or a device with Android 7 or above and have a working smart meter.

If you own an Ohme EV charger they set out this really thorough guide to integrating Intelligent Octopus Go with your charger.

How do you switch to Octopus Intelligent Tariff?

If you’re not yet an Octopus customer, switch to their standard tariff, Flexible Octopus, now and you can move to  Intelligent Octopus Go once your switch is complete.

You’ll need a smart meter we can connect and Octopus will need to check that they are received half hourly readings.

This is how much you will pay on Intelligent Octopus Go. The prices below are correct as of 14th March 2024. Quotes will vary depending on where you live in the country. (The day rate will go down and the standing charge will go up from 1st April 2024)

octopus intelligent go rates

Do I need to get all my family to switch their energy use to benefit from Octopus Intelligent Go?

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 Go this isn’t the case! Even if your kids don’t act that intelligently sometimes 😂

13th February 2024
Octopus Flexible Tariff -Eco7 average price (Electricity) 01/01/2024 to 31/03/2024Intelligent Octopus Go Tariff. (Electricity)
36.36p per kWh30.52p per kWh (05.30 - 00.30)
15.71p per kWh off-peak Eco 7.7.5p per kWh off-peak. (23.30 - 05.30)
52.28p per day Standing Charge 52.18p per day Standing charge.
🌟🎉🥁🚘 #winner

The numbers speak for themselves. The Octopus Intelligent Go tariff with its 7.5p slot is just unbeatable! 🎄🤶🏻

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 Go tariff. You will have to tick all the boxes to get on this beta tariff. You will need either a compatible EV OR a compatible EV charger plus any device that can run the Octopus iOS or Andriod app but the list is constantly being updated. It is an amazing deal that will allow you to charge your EV at the cheapest and greenest times simply by plugging it in at home.

I recently met with Alex who is the head of the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff at Octopus and he explained to me how and when additional EVs and EV chargers will be added to the list of those eligible for the tariff. I am quite active on Twitter and took forward some questions that people wanted to know about in terms of eligibility.

The main thing to remember is this is an evolving tariff which will only get better as time goes on. As EV sales ramp up we need innovators like Octopus to help us fuel our vehicles in the greenest and cheapest way possible.

@sarah_go_green #intelligentoctopusgo #intelligentoctopustariff #myenergi #ohme #octopusenergy #evtariffs #v2g ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

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How Octopus Energy can help support customers on their electrification journey.

The last 2 years have been crazy for energy prices. Prices are still much higher than before the crisis but Octopus has maintained cheap overnight charging for EV owners and for that, I am very grateful. 

With Intelligent Octopus Go you can hustle and load and shift lots of your appliances to the off-peak rate but you can’t avoid using electricity in the day unless, of course, you have solar or battery storage.

If you have battery storage Intelligent Octopus Go will help not only store energy when it’s greener at night but will radically reduce the payback period for your home battery. If you expand the green tech you have at home Octopus smart tariffs can grow and change with you, even on a seasonal basis. Octopus has it all covered from EV charging, solar and battery storage to heat pumps.

Now is a great time to switch to Octopus if you have a smart meter and want to sign up for one of the Octopus smart tariffs like Octopus Go or Intelligent Octopus Go. Where else will you get 7.5p a kWh? As a new customer, you can’t sign up for a smart tariff on the Octopus website. You’ll have to switch to an interim tariff first, which is the Octopus Flexible tariff. 

Existing Octopus Energy customers can also switch to the Intelligent Go tariff via the Octopus IOS or Andriod app. This is the method I used to switch to the Intelligent tariff. I found it easier as you can complete the test charge within the signup process within the appp.

How do you login to Intelligent Octopus Go? Is there a specific Intelligent Octopus App?

When you switch to the Intelligent Go tariff you’ll be asked to run a test charge in the Octopus Energy IOS app or Andriod App. As soon as the test is successfully completed, which takes around 7 minutes, an extra icon will appear at the bottom of the Octopus Energy app labelled “devices”.

When you are logged into the Octopus Energy App you will see the devices icon at the bottom of the screen. There is no separate login for Intelligent Octopus Go.

After clicking the devices tab you can set your charging requirements i.e. how much charge you need and by when.  After 5 pm your charging schedule will be displayed on this page.

intelligent octopus go

Can I still switch to the Octopus Intelligent Go Tariff if I have two electric vehicles?

Yes, you can still switch to the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff if you have two electric vehicles BUT you only charge one using smart charging if Octopus connects to the vehicle. The other you simply charge during the off-peak window which is 11.30 pm to 5.30 am the same as you would do, as an example, on Octopus Go. However, if Octopus are controlling your EV charger which car you plug in makes no difference.

What if I want to plug in my EV 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 Go 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 7.5p kWh for Bump Charging or your local day unit rate outside of these hours.

How do you get additional off-peak EV charging on Intelligent Octopus Go?

By linking your Electric Vehicle or your EV charger to the Intelligence Octopus Go app you could get even more hours discounted at the off-peak rate. The 6 hours of off-peak charging between 11.30 pm and 5.30 am are just the guaranteed off-peak hours.

The Intelligent Octopus Go app works out when energy is at the cheapest and greenest and if that’s outside your off-peak window it will ask your EV or EV charger to charge then BUT only charge you 7.5p per kWh!

If you get additional slots for EV charging outside the off-peak period you will also retain your 6 off-peak hours so you can use appliances such as the dishwasher or washing machine at 7.5p per kWh too. It’s a win for the planet and your pocket!!

Note: If you own an Ohme EV charger these extra slots aren’t viable even though you get them. It is something that I understand is being worked on.

Is there an Octopus Intelligent Gas Tariff?

No, the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff is simply for your electricity but you can pick a standard Octopus gas Tariff to sit alongside your Intelligent electricity tariff. The Octopus flexible tariff is capped by the Energy Price Guarantee and so would be an ideal interim tariff.

Tips I have picked up since switching to the Intelligent Go Tariff.

I have now switched to the Intelligent Go tariff.  I haven’t been on the tariff very long but what I have learned is that you do need to tweak something to make sure everything works as expected.

  • Make sure you cancel ALL charging schedules both in your EV and your home charger.
  • Put your home charger in dumb mode. On the MyEnergi Zappi, this is the Fast mode.
  • In your Tesla app pause charging once you have plugged in. Octopus will unpause the charge when your schedule starts. I found that my Tesla started charging as soon as I plugged in and even though Octopus says it should stop within 15 minutes I would prefer not to charge at all during peak times.
  • Once your charge is complete in the morning turn off smart charging within the Octopus app. You shouldn’t have to do this but there’s a glitch that keeps the car awake and causes the battery to drain more than it should. Just toggle off smart charging in the Octopus app when you have finished charging and turn it on when you plug in.
  • If you are not sure ask! Octopus has been very responsive on Twitter when I have raised questions about charging. Any problems have been resolved very quickly.

You can read my customer review of the Intelligent tariff and pick-up tips in my recent blog post.

Can I integrate Intelligent Octopus with Home Assistant?

Yes, you can integrate Intelligent Octopus with Home Assistant. This article on GitHub should help you get going.

Does Intelligent Octopus Go work with solar panels and battery storage?

The Intelligent Octopus Go tariff is designed for EV drivers but can be integrated with other green tech too.

I have 16 solar panels, 13.5 kWh battery storage and an EV.

  • I charge my battery at night for 7.5p per kWh.
  • I charge my EV periodically at night for 7.5p per kWh.
  • I export to the National Grid on Octopus Outgoing Fixed at 15p per kWh.
  • Force discharge my battery on Octopus Saving Sessions. (Paid up to £4.25 per kWh!!)

I can still charge my EV from excess solar but financially it’s cheaper to charge my EV at night at 7.5p per kWh and export as much as I can at 15p per kWh on my export tariff. You could get even more for your export on the Octopus Agile Outgoing tariff.

Some geeky Octopus customers use Home Assistant to automate this but it can all be done manually too using the settings in your batteries app. I have a Home Assistant Yellow hat I hope to set up in 2024. It’s a rabbit hole I am trying to find the time to commit to. For now, I am manually setting my export times or force charging from my battery during Saving Sessions.

If it’s more about using greener energy rather than the bottom line you can still charge your EV on excess solar on Intelligent Octopus Go.

How to turn off Octopus Intelligent Go smart charging so you can charge your EV from excess solar.

I simply turn off the smart charging in the Octopus Energy App. There is a toggle in the settings.

  • Log into Octopus App>
  • Devices bottom of screen>
  • Profile of a head (top left)>
  • Devices (Image of a car)>
  • Intelligent Octopus Go>
  • Scroll down to the last line>
  • Toggle the switch smart charging off.

When smart charging is off Octopus cannot control your vehicle or EV charger. So you are free to charge your EV in whichever way you wish.

When you want to give back control to Octopus as you want to schedule a charge via Intelligent Octopus Go simply toggle it back on again in the Octopus App.

If you charge via solar just remember to go back to all your original settings.

I have a Myenergi Zappi and I switch between fast mode for EV charging and Eco+ for charging off excess solar.

How much can you get paid for exporting excess solar energy if you are on Intelligent Octopus Go?

If you have solar panels you can have an Octopus export tariff sitting alongside Octopus Intelligent Go.

You can combine Intelligent Octopus Go Tariff with;

  • Octopus Outgoing Fixed – 15p per kWh
  • Octopus Agile Outgoing – Varies through the day.

Octopus Intelligent Go wins over Intelligent Go if you have solar panels as you can get pau 15p per kWh v 8p per kWh on an Octopus Fixed export tariff. On Octopus Go you are limited to Octopus Lite Outgoing and Octopus Agile Outgoing tariff.

Before the 15th of September 2023, Intelligent Octopus Go customers were limited to Octopus SEG rates which is almost only a quarter of the price.

Why is the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff a good alternative to Octopus Agile?

The Intelligent Go tariff offers 6 hours of off-peak charging with the chance of more discounted slots. If Octopus decides to charge your EV outside the hours of 11.30 pm to 5.30 pm then you get these at 7.5p per kWh too as does the rest of the house. Plus Octopus takes control. You just plug in and relax.

On Intelligent Octopus Go you don’t need to check when it’s the cheapest or greenest time to charge Octopus does it all for you. Whereas on Octopus Agile it’s either more hands-on as you need to keep track of the half-hourly rates or you have to get techie with something like Home Assistant.

If you do fancy Octopus Agile and have solar panels and battery storage take a look at Wonder Watt. I haven’t used it myself but it looks like it takes a lot of hassle out of monitoring prices.

Why did I switch to the Intelligent Octopus tariff?

I wanted to experiment with this new beta tariff. There are a minimum of 6 hours of off-peak electricity. It is an exciting tariff that allows the whole house to use energy off-peak and I wanted to try to bring down the average price per kWh by moving as much energy as I could to the off-peak window.

You can read my full blog post on why I switched and any tips I picked up on the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff in my recent blog post.

If you are considering OVO Anytime which on the face of it looks similar please read my other blog post. There are quite a few differences between OVO Anytime and the Intelligent Octopus tariff.

Is the Intelligent tariff any good and is it easy to switch to?

I started my switch by going onto the Octopus IOS app. I am an existing Octopus customer and it was very easy to switch tariffs online. There was an option to switch to the Intelligent tariff within the app and it was relatively straightforward. I had to answer a few questions to indicate the EV I have and the home charger that I use. I was then directed to plug my Tesla in to conduct a test charger. After a few minutes, I was all ready to go. 💚🛼

Where to find additional information.

Intelligent Octopus Go is advertised on the Octopus Energy website you will struggle to find information in many reviews. This is because the tariff is so new.  Lots of existing customers have a great rate on Octopus Go which they signed up to and fixed before the price rise.   You will find some chat about it on EV forums. Octopus never stops thinking of ways to save customers money! Ready to switch to Octopus? You can email smart@octopus.energy or agile@octopus.energy for further information if you still have specific questions on the tariff.

There’s no getting around it switching to Intelligent Octopus does take a little more time than a standard tariff but it’s proved worthwhile.

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