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.
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
- On Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go, everything you use in the cheap window is billed at the cheap rate.
- Delay-start settings on dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers are the easiest wins.
- An immersion heater or a heat pump's hot water cycle can run in the cheap hours.
- A home battery can fill overnight and run the house in the day, effectively extending the cheap rate.
Some suppliers’ EV tariffs only discount the electricity that goes into the car. Octopus’s do not: on Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go, every unit your home uses in the cheap window is billed at the cheap rate. Moving more of your use into those hours is the second-biggest saving after the car itself.
The easy wins
- Dishwasher: use delay start so it runs in the cheap window.
- Washing machine and tumble dryer: delay start, or run them as the cheap window begins or ends while you are awake.
- Charging everything else: e-bikes, laptops, power tool batteries and phones can charge overnight.
Hot water
If you have an immersion heater, a timer set to the cheap window heats the tank for the day ahead. With a heat pump, schedule the hot water cycle in the cheap hours. A well-insulated cylinder holds heat until the evening.
Heating
Storage heaters are designed for this. With a heat pump, pre-heating the house in the cheap hours can help if the home holds heat well. See EV and heat pump for tariff choice.
Home batteries
A battery that fills up overnight at the cheap rate can power the house through the day and into the evening, so you avoid most of the day rate. This is one of the most effective upgrades on an EV tariff. With solar too, read Flux vs Intelligent Octopus Go.
On Intelligent Octopus Go: the bonus slots
When Octopus schedules your car to charge outside 23:30 to 05:30, the whole home gets the cheap rate during those slots. You cannot plan for them in advance, but the Octopus app shows upcoming slots, so you can start a wash if one is coming up.
Safety first
Follow manufacturers’ instructions for anything you run unattended. If you would rather not run appliances while asleep, Octopus Go’s window ends at 05:30 and Intelligent Octopus Go’s begins at 23:30, so an early start or late evening load still lands in the cheap hours.
How much difference does it make?
Every kWh moved from the day rate to the cheap rate saves the difference between the two, often 25p or more. Moving 3kWh a day (a dishwasher and a wash) saves around £270 a year at that gap. Check your own rates in your quote.
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
Is it safe to run appliances overnight?
Follow the manufacturer's advice. Fire services generally advise against leaving tumble dryers and washing machines running while you sleep or are out, so if you are cautious, run them at the start or end of the cheap window when you are awake.
Do smart plugs help?
Yes, for simple loads such as a dehumidifier. Octopus mentions smart plugs and integrations with Alexa and IFTTT for automating devices in the off-peak period.
Does Intelligent Octopus Go discount the home outside 23:30 to 05:30?
Only while Octopus is smart charging your car. During those scheduled slots the whole home gets the cheap rate too.
Sources and further reading
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: EV tariffs and FAQsOff-peak rates for all the energy you use; smart plugs, Alexa and IFTTT; checked 28 October 2026
- octopus.energyOctopus Energy: Intelligent Octopus GoWhole home discounted during smart charging slots outside the night window
EV Compared
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