Octopus Go Tariff: Rates, Times and Our Review
Go is the EV driver's tariff. Five hours of dirt-cheap power between 12:30am and 5:30am, paid for with a slightly elevated day rate. If you can charge an EV at home overnight, the maths is usually a no-brainer — but only if you actually use the off-peak window.
In one sentence
5-hour off-peak window at ~8p/kWh for EV charging. Day rate slightly above the cap. Best for EV households.
What Octopus Go actually is
Octopus Go is a two-rate (time-of-use) electricity tariff with a cheap window from 00:30 to 05:30 every night. During those 5 hours you pay around 8.5p/kWh for everything in the house, not just the car.
Outside the cheap window you pay a 'peak' rate, which sits a few pence above the Ofgem price cap. The trade-off is simple: the more you can shift into the cheap window, the more you save.
You need a SMETS2 smart meter, a home EV charger (most types are fine — the tariff doesn't require one of Octopus's own chargers, which is what separates it from Intelligent Octopus Go), and an EV or other large overnight load.
Pros
- Cheap window rate is one of the lowest in the UK — typically 30–40% under the Ofgem cap.
- All electricity in the cheap window is discounted, not just the car — run your dishwasher and washing machine at 1am too.
- Predictable: same 5-hour window every night, no waiting for app to schedule.
- Works with any home charger, not just Octopus's own.
- No exit fees.
Cons
- Day rate is 1p–3p higher than the Ofgem cap, so non-EV usage costs more.
- If you forget to plug in by 12:30am, you've wasted the night.
- 5 hours isn't always enough for a depleted EV battery on a 7kW charger.
- Intelligent Octopus Go (a separate tariff) gives a longer 6-hour window and is often a better deal — if your charger and car are on the compatibility list.
Who Octopus Go suits
- EV drivers who can plug in by 12:30am and reliably get a full charge by 5:30am.
- Households with a home battery that can charge overnight and discharge during the day.
- Storage heater users who can run all heating in the 5-hour window.
- Heat pump owners who can pre-heat the house and a hot water tank overnight.
Who should avoid it
- Households without an EV or large overnight load — the higher day rate will cost more than you save.
- Anyone whose car needs more than 5 hours of slow charging on most nights (consider Intelligent Octopus Go instead, which gives 6 hours).
- Shift workers whose biggest loads are during the day.
- People without off-street parking or a home EV charger.
Current rates
Live rates pulled from the Octopus Energy public API for Octopus Go (IOG-SMB-FIX-OEV-12M-26-06-13). Standing charges and unit rates shown include VAT. Agile shows a 24h average; half-hourly prices vary throughout the day.
| Region | Unit rate | Standing charge |
|---|---|---|
| London | Off-peak 8.5p · Peak 27.5p | 44.12p/day |
| South East | Off-peak 8.5p · Peak 28.0p | 49.41p/day |
| North West | Off-peak 8.5p · Peak 27.0p | 46.63p/day |
| Scotland | Off-peak 8.5p · Peak 26.5p | 57.99p/day |
| Wales (South) | Off-peak 8.5p · Peak 28.5p | 56.56p/day |
Worked example: EV household, 4,500 kWh electricity/year
An EV-owning household uses 4,500 kWh/year of electricity — say 2,500 kWh for the car (overnight) and 2,000 kWh for the house (mostly daytime).
On the Ofgem cap at 27p/kWh that's £1,215 in unit charges. On Octopus Go with 2,500 kWh at 8.5p (£213) and 2,000 kWh at 28p (£560), the bill is £773 — a £442 saving.
If the same household never plugs the EV in (or charges it at 7pm instead of 1am), the higher peak rate means they pay £1,260 — £45 more than the cap. The tariff only works if you actually use the window.
Work out your own numbers on Octopus Go
- Heating with electricity? Cost each heater per hour, day and year with the electric heating running cost calculator using this tariff's unit rate.
- Want to move appliances into the cheap window automatically? See our review of the Hive Active Plug for scheduling washing machines, heaters and dryers overnight.
How to switch to Octopus Go
- Confirm you have a working SMETS2 smart meter sending half-hourly readings.
- Sign up at octopus.energy/go (or switch within the Octopus app if you're already a customer).
- The change takes 14 days. Until it's active, you stay on your old tariff.
- Set a recurring schedule on your charger to start at 00:30 and stop at 05:30. Most chargers (Ohme, Zappi, EO, Wallbox, etc.) have this built in.
- After your first bill, compare to what you'd have paid on the cap — if you're not at least £200/year ahead, look at Intelligent Octopus Go or move back to standard.
Independent review. PowerGuardian is not affiliated with Octopus Energy. Rates shown are indicative for Octopus Energy's Octopus Go tariff at the time of review — check the supplier's website for current pricing before signing up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Octopus tariffs
Octopus Agile
Half-hourly variable rate. Best for flexible households with a smart meter. Risky if you can't shift usage.
Read reviewOctopus Cosy
Heat pump tariff with two off-peak windows. Cheapest UK option for low-flow-temp heating. Peak rate stings if you can't avoid 4pm–7pm.
Read reviewOctopus Tracker
Single daily rate for gas and electricity. Cheaper than the cap most of the year, painful during winter wholesale spikes.
Read review