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.
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 |
Quick answers
- Your whole home gets the cheap rate from 23:30 to 05:30 every night.
- Octopus also schedules up to six hours of car charging in any 24 hours at the cheap rate, inside or outside that window.
- When smart charging runs outside the night window, the whole home gets the cheap rate during those slots too.
- You need a compatible car or charger, a smart meter sending half-hourly readings and a phone that runs the Octopus app.
- In exchange you let Octopus decide when the car charges, and you cannot join another flexibility scheme.
Intelligent Octopus Go is Octopus Energy’s smart EV tariff and, by Octopus’s account, the most popular EV tariff in the UK. It combines a fixed cheap window for your home with automatic, scheduled car charging.
What you get
- A cheap night window for the whole home, every night from 23:30 to 05:30. Everything you use in those six hours is billed at the off-peak rate.
- Up to six hours of smart car charging in any 24 hours at the same off-peak rate. Octopus picks the slots based on wholesale prices, so they often fall in the night window but can be at other times.
- The cheap rate for the whole home during any extra slots. If Octopus schedules your car outside 23:30 to 05:30, the rest of the house also gets the cheap rate while it charges.
Octopus advertises smart charging from 7.9p/kWh. Day rates vary by region; get a quote for yours.
How charging works day to day
You connect your car or charger to the Octopus app once. After that:
- plug in whenever you are home,
- set the time you need the car by and how much charge you want,
- Octopus schedules the charge and shows you the planned times in the app.
If plans change, a bump charge starts charging immediately. Bump charging is billed at the rate in force at the time, so in the day that means your day rate. Our guide to smart charging and bump charges covers the details.
What you need
- An Octopus Energy electricity supply.
- A smart meter that sends half-hourly readings (SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1).
- A compatible car or charger. Octopus says more than 280 cars work, and its own chargers work with any EV.
- An iPhone on iOS 14 or later, or Android 7 or later.
The trade-offs
- You hand over control of timing. That is the point of the tariff and why Octopus can offer the lower rate, but some drivers prefer to choose for themselves.
- One flexibility scheme only. Octopus enrols you in its own flexibility service, so you cannot join another.
- Compatibility can change. Octopus says car makers’ systems change and it cannot guarantee a car will stay compatible; it promises to tell you and offer alternatives if one drops off.
- Day rates are higher. As with any EV tariff, the saving relies on most of your use landing in cheap slots.
Who it suits
Most EV drivers with a compatible car or charger who can plug in overnight. If nothing you own is compatible, Octopus Go is the alternative. If you have solar and a battery or a heat pump, see our decision guide first.
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
What are the Intelligent Octopus Go times?
The whole home gets the off-peak rate from 23:30 to 05:30 every night. On top of that, Octopus can schedule up to six hours of car charging in any 24 hours at the off-peak rate, which may fall inside that window, outside it, or both.
What happens if I need to charge straight away?
Press bump charge in the Octopus app. The car charges immediately, billed at whatever rate applies at the time: off-peak during 23:30 to 05:30 and your day rate outside it.
Can I have two cars on Intelligent Octopus Go?
Yes. Octopus lets you add more than one EV, although it lists a few combinations that do not work together. The tariff covers one property only.
Is there an exit fee?
The fixed version Octopus was selling when we checked has a £50 exit fee if you move tariff or supplier. Flexible versions have no exit fee.
Sources and further reading
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: Intelligent Octopus GoSmart charging from 7.9p/kWh; 23:30 to 05:30; up to 6 hours smart charging; bump charge; £50 exit fee; typical saving £771 (May 2025 to April 2026); checked 28 October 2026
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: EV tariff FAQsApp requirements (iOS 14, Android 7), flexibility service, multiple cars, one property, more than 280 compatible cars
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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