How long does it take to sign up?
It only takes a couple of minutes, to enter your details, the property details and your bank details. You don't even need to liaise with your old supplier all the work is done by Octopus Energy.
Will I be charged a cancellation fee by my existing supplier?
You can apply to leave your existing supplier 49 days before the end of a fixed term tariff, and the supplier is banned from charging an exit fee. To easily calculate your earliest fee free leaving date use our 49-day exit fee calculator.
Do I need a smart meter?
Yes. If you don't already have a smart meter - join Octopus Energy on a fixed tariff, they will arrange to install a smart meter, then switch to a smart Octopus tariff fee free as soon as the meter is fitted and working.
If you already have a smart meter - join Octopus Energy on any fixed tariff, they will read your smart meter for a couple of days to check they are getting good readings, then they will switch you to a smart Octopus tariff fee free.
Is Octopus Energy a good supplier?
Did you know they are a Which Recommended Provider year after year!
Unlock Exclusive Benefits as an Octopus Energy Customer!
fluffy octopus toy! Free loan of a Thermal Camera to spot heat losses!
Why aren't the Octopus smart tariffs on comparison sites?
It is hard to compare these tariffs against a traditional tariff without knowing your normal daily pattern of use. If you are able to shift loads from the peak times you will reduce the cost of your electricity overall.
How do I know I will save money?
Unfortunately, energy comparison sites can't do the calculations for you as this innovative product is so different to the traditional tariffs and each household has a different consumption pattern. Octopus Energy are keen for these tariffs to work and have a transparent pricing formula, sometimes related to the spot price of electricity for each half hour period, they are also a Which Recommended Provider year after year, and are rated 5 stars on Trustpilot!
Without a smart meter you will need to estimate your use, you could use an energy monitor and find your normal electrical demand during the day. Or just give the tariff a try! Remember to use our referral link for £50.00 credit on your bill to make a saving from the start.
If you are already using a smart meter, see if you can download your half hourly consumption data from your current supplier, then merge the data with our historic Octopus tariff prices files (make sure the dates and time local or UTC line up) and multiply the amount consumed by the price to get the cost for each half hour. Find the sum of the all the half hour segments and compare this to your bills for the period (including the daily standing charge if applicable) to see if you would have paid less, even without any simple lifestyle changes.
Do I have to change my lifestyle?
No, but, with a little planning you could save more money. Start with the largest electrical loads and see if they can be planned to avoid the peak periods or even better planned for the cheapest rate times. Large consumption items include:
- Electric vehicle charging
- Immersion heaters
- Electric underfloor heating
- Tumble driers
- Washing machines
- Dish washers
- Electric hobs and ovens
Many of these large consumer items are becoming smart and have features such as delayed start or timed finish so you can control the timing. Older appliances could have their start time adjusted using a timer switch. Remember, when the prices go negative (plunge pricing) these are the appliances you should plan to use. Before running these appliances during the night, please do think of fire safety; check your smoke alarms, make sure doors are closed and have an escape plan!
The price is mostly lower than a traditional tariff, but could it cost me more?
Yes, using large loads during the peak time can cost more, this tariff puts you in control. The tariffs are capped to protect you from extreme spot prices.
I have / I am thinking of getting photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, does this make a difference?
That's great, depending on the direction of your solar panels you could find that you are generating a lot of your own electricity during the peak time which saves you even more money. When planning use of large consumption appliances, you will have to consider the weather as well as the tariff prices to maximise your savings.
I have / I am thinking of getting battery storage, does this make a difference?
Yes, with enough battery capacity you could charge them at the lowest rate and during price plunges, then power your house from the batteries during the peak time.
Is all the data on this website free?
Yes, it is all freely available data from the Octopus Energy API, we just format the data to make it user friendly. If you find this data useful and are considering switching to Octopus Energy please use our referral code and get £50.00 off your bill.
How do I download my own data from the Octopus Energy API?
The data can be found using the following API endpoints:
https://api.octopus.energy/v1/products/ {product_code} / {tariff_type} / {tariff_code} /standard-unit-rates/?period_from=2022-01-01&period_to=2023-01-01&page_size=500
{product_code} for example 'VAR-19-04-12'
{tariff_type} 'electricity-tariffs' or 'gas-tariffs'
{tariff_code} for example 'E-1R-VAR-19-04-12-H' this comprises the register E-1R, E-2R or G-1R electricity single register, electricity dual register (economy7) or gas single register; the product code and a letter at the end (-H) which indicates the region code (find your region code)
How can I report an issue, suggest a feature or ask question?
Please use our Contact page to send us a message.