Octopus Energy guide
Octopus EV tariffs explained
Octopus Energy supplies more UK homes on EV tariffs than any other supplier. This guide covers every Octopus tariff that matters to an electric car driver: what each one does, who it suits, what you need to join and how to get the most from the cheap hours. Tariff times and rules change rarely; rates change more often, so the table below shows the rates we last checked and every guide links to a live quote for your postcode.
How we make money: links to Octopus Energy on these pages are affiliate links. If you switch through one, we may earn a referral reward at no cost to you. We cover tariffs that do not suit everyone, and we say so when another supplier or tariff would be cheaper. See our editorial policy.
Octopus tariffs for EV drivers at a glance
Times and rules from Octopus Energy's tariff pages; rates from its public price API. Checked 28 October 2026. Off-peak rates are national; day rates and standing charges vary by region.
| Tariff | What it is | Cheap rate | Times | You need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Octopus Go | EV tariff with smart charging | From 7.9p/kWh (Octopus's advertised smart charging rate) | 23:30 to 05:30 for the whole home, plus up to 6 hours of scheduled car charging in any 24 hours | A compatible car or charger, a smart meter sending half-hourly readings and the Octopus app |
| Octopus Go | EV tariff with a fixed night window | 9.4p/kWh off-peak | 00:30 to 05:30 every night | Any EV and any charger, and a SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter |
| Agile Octopus | Half-hourly prices linked to the wholesale market | Changes every half hour and can fall below zero | The next day's prices are published between 4pm and 8pm | A smart meter sending half-hourly readings |
| Octopus Flux | Import and export tariff for solar and battery homes | Cheapest import 02:00 to 05:00, best export 16:00 to 19:00 | Three price periods a day | Solar panels and a home battery, an export MPAN and the MCS certificate |
| Outgoing Octopus | Export tariff | 12p/kWh for every unit exported | Prime Outgoing pays 16p/kWh from 4pm to 7pm and 9p/kWh the rest of the day | Solar or other generation, an export MPAN and a smart meter sending half-hourly export data |
| Cosy Octopus | Heat pump tariff | Three cheap periods: 04:00 to 07:00, 13:00 to 16:00 and 22:00 to 00:00 | Peak rate 16:00 to 19:00 | A heat pump, electric radiators or an electric boiler |
| Octopus Power Pack | Vehicle-to-grid add-on | Free EV charging while Octopus manages your V2G charger | Plugged in 12 hours a day on 20 days a month | A V2G-enabled BYD Dolphin with a V2G-enabled Zaptec Pro, and no existing solar or battery export |
Start here
- Which Octopus Energy tariff is best for your electric car? A short decision guide: answer four questions about your car, charger and home and you will know which Octopus tariff to look at first.
- How Octopus EV tariffs work: off-peak rates, smart meters and the whole home The mechanics behind every Octopus EV tariff: two rates, a smart meter, a cheap window for the whole home, and why the day rate matters as much as the night rate.
EV tariffs
- Intelligent Octopus Go explained: how the smart EV tariff works Octopus's most popular EV tariff: what you get, how scheduled charging is billed, what you need to join and the trade-offs.
- Octopus Go explained: the EV tariff that works with any car and charger The original UK EV tariff: five cheap hours a night for your car and home, no compatibility list, and you control the timer.
- Intelligent Octopus Go compatibility: which cars and chargers work? Two routes onto the tariff, via your car or via your charger, how to check yours in a minute, and your options if neither is supported.
- Intelligent Octopus Go smart charging: schedules, bump charges and billing How Octopus decides when your car charges, how every kind of charge is billed, and simple habits that keep scheduled charging reliable.
- Agile Octopus for EV drivers: can half-hourly prices beat an EV tariff? Half-hourly wholesale-linked prices, a 100p cap and occasional negative prices: how Agile works for charging an EV, and who it really suits.
- Fixed or flexible: choosing an Octopus EV tariff contract Fixed versions lock your rates for a year with an exit fee; flexible ones can change with notice and let you leave freely. How to choose.
Solar, batteries and V2G
- EV and solar panels: the best Octopus tariff combination Pair an EV import tariff with an export tariff, decide whether Flux beats it, and get more of your own solar into the car.
- Outgoing Octopus explained: flat, Prime and Agile export tariffs Octopus's export tariffs side by side: a flat rate, an evening Prime rate and a wholesale-linked Agile rate, and how to choose with an EV.
- Octopus Flux vs Intelligent Octopus Go for solar, battery and EV homes Two good tariffs for well-equipped homes: how Flux's three price bands compare with Intelligent Octopus Go's cheap night, and which usually wins with an EV.
- Octopus Power Pack explained: free EV charging with vehicle-to-grid The UK's first vehicle-to-grid tariff add-on: what Octopus offers, the one car and charger pair it lists, and the rules you sign up to.
- EV and heat pump: Intelligent Octopus Go or Cosy Octopus? One import tariff, two big electric loads: how Cosy's three cheap periods compare with Intelligent Octopus Go's cheap night, and how to decide.
Costs and savings
- How much does it cost to charge an EV on an Octopus tariff? The two-line formula for any car and any tariff, a worked example for a typical driver, and how home charging on an EV tariff compares with the alternatives.
- Use your Octopus EV tariff's cheap hours for the whole home Both Octopus EV tariffs discount everything in your home during the cheap window. Practical, safe ways to move more of your use into it.
- Is an Octopus EV tariff worth it? How to check for your home Most EV drivers save, but the higher day rate means some do not. A simple way to check with your own numbers before you switch.
- Octopus Electroverse: public charging for Octopus EV tariff customers One card and app for public charging across the UK and Europe, a discount for Octopus EV tariff customers, and when it is worth using.
Switching
- How to switch to an Octopus EV tariff, step by step The order things happen in, how long each step takes, and what to have ready so your switch to an Octopus EV tariff goes smoothly.
- Octopus EV tariffs without a wallbox: charging from a three-pin plug You don't need a wallbox to get an Octopus EV tariff. What works with a three-pin cable, how much range you can add overnight, and when a charger is worth it.
Quick answers
- What is the best Octopus tariff for an electric car?
- For most EV drivers it is Intelligent Octopus Go, if your car or charger is on its compatibility list: it has the lowest rate for car charging and six cheap hours a night for the whole home. If your car and charger are not compatible, Octopus Go works with any EV and gives five cheap hours a night.
- Do I need a smart meter for an Octopus EV tariff?
- Yes. Every Octopus EV and smart tariff needs a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings: a SMETS2 meter, or a first-generation SMETS1 meter made by Secure.
- Does the cheap rate cover my whole home or just the car?
- Both Octopus EV tariffs give the whole home the cheap rate during the night window. On Intelligent Octopus Go, the whole home also gets the cheap rate whenever Octopus schedules your car to charge outside that window.
- Can I join an Octopus EV tariff straight away?
- Not usually. You join Octopus on a standard tariff first, Octopus connects to your smart meter (it says this generally takes around 14 days), and then you move to the EV tariff.