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.
Tariff facts, checked 28 October 2026
| Intelligent Octopus Go | EV tariff with smart charging |
|---|---|
| Cheap rate | From 7.9p/kWh (Octopus's advertised smart charging rate) |
| Times | 23:30 to 05:30 for the whole home, plus up to 6 hours of scheduled car charging in any 24 hours |
| You need | 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 |
| Cheap rate | 9.4p/kWh off-peak |
| Times | 00:30 to 05:30 every night |
| You need | Any EV and any charger, and a SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter |
Quick answers
- A fixed EV tariff locks your unit rates and standing charge for its term, usually 12 months.
- Octopus's fixed EV tariffs have carried a £50 exit fee; flexible versions have none.
- Flexible EV tariffs come under the Ofgem price cap; fixed tariffs do not.
- Which versions are on sale changes; when we checked, Intelligent Octopus Go was offered as a fix only.
Octopus sells its EV tariffs in two forms. The tariff rules (cheap hours, smart charging, whole-home rate) are the same; what differs is how long the prices last and what it costs to leave.
Fixed
- Unit rates and standing charge are locked for the term, typically 12 months.
- There is usually an exit fee. Octopus’s fixed Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go carried £50 when we checked.
- Not covered by the Ofgem price cap, because the price is already set.
Good for: households who want certainty for budgeting, and anyone switching when wholesale prices look likely to rise.
Flexible (variable)
- Rates can rise or fall with wholesale prices. Octopus gives notice before changes.
- No exit fee, so you can move tariff or supplier at any time.
- Covered by the Ofgem price cap, which is reset every three months.
Good for: people who want freedom to move, for example if you expect to change car, add solar or move house.
Availability changes
Octopus decides which versions to offer at any time. When energy prices are volatile it sometimes offers fixes only; when we checked, its Intelligent Octopus Go page said it was only offering fixed rates. Octopus Go was available as both. The quote for your postcode shows what is on sale today.
How to decide
- Will your situation change in the next year? A new car, solar panels or a house move could make a different tariff better. If so, the exit fee is worth weighing.
- How much is the difference? Compare the fixed and flexible rates for your region. A small premium for a fix buys certainty; a big one may not be worth it.
- When does your fix end? Put the date in your diary and compare again a month before.
A £50 exit fee is small next to the savings an EV tariff brings over a year, so for most drivers the choice is about certainty rather than cost.
How we test and where our numbers come from
Tariff times, rules and rates come from Octopus Energy's own tariff pages and its public price API on the date shown. Off-peak rates quoted are national; day rates and standing charges vary by region, so check your postcode. EV Compared earns a referral reward if you switch through our Octopus links; it does not change what we write. Last checked 28 October 2026. How we work out our own figures.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave a fixed Octopus EV tariff early?
Yes, but you may pay an exit fee. Octopus's fixed Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go tariffs on sale when we checked had a £50 exit fee if you move tariff or supplier.
What happens at the end of a fixed term?
Octopus contacts you before the end of the term with the options available. If you do nothing, you move to another tariff, so check what it is and compare.
Do flexible tariffs change without warning?
No. Octopus says it always gives reasonable notice before changing the rates of its flexible tariffs.
Sources and further reading
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: EV tariffsFixed and variable versions; variable EV tariffs under the price cap; checked 28 October 2026
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: Intelligent Octopus GoOnly offering fixed rates at the time of checking; £50 exit fee
- api.octopus.energyOctopus price API: Octopus Go 12M Fixed12-month term, £50 exit fee
- ofgem.gov.ukOfgem: energy price capWhat the cap covers; reset every three months
EV Compared
The EV Compared editorial team tracks the UK electric vehicle market full time: new model launches, list prices, WLTP and real-world range, public charging tariffs and the tax rules that decide what an EV actually costs to run. Every guide is checked against manufacturer specifications and official GOV.UK figures, and updated whenever the numbers move.
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