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Intelligent Octopus Go is an electricity tariff for drivers who charge an electric vehicle at home. It combines a six hour overnight rate for the whole property with automated vehicle charging through the Octopus app. Eligibility depends on the meter and connected device. Checked 10 July 2026.
Every home on Intelligent Octopus Go receives the quoted off peak rate from 11.30pm until 5.30am. Electricity used anywhere in the property during those hours receives that rate, not only energy delivered to the car. Octopus connects to a compatible electric vehicle or charging point. The driver enters a departure time and desired battery level in the app. Octopus then selects periods when electricity is expected to be cheaper and often linked with lower carbon generation. A managed charging period can occur outside the overnight window. When Octopus schedules it, eligible vehicle charging is billed at the off peak rate, subject to the daily allowance.
The lowest advertised off peak rate is 8 pence per kilowatt hour. The exact off peak rate, daytime rate and standing charge depend on the postcode and live quotation. Octopus is currently offering fixed rates rather than one national price. For context, the average electricity rate under the Ofgem price cap from 1 July to 30 September 2026 is 26.11 pence per kilowatt hour for a Direct Debit household. The average standing charge is 57.19 pence a day. Comparing 8 pence with 26.11 pence produces a unit rate reduction of about 69 per cent. That does not mean every bill falls by 69 per cent. Daytime use, regional rates, standing charges, vehicle efficiency and mileage all affect the result. There is no exit fee, allowing customers to change tariff if the charging arrangement no longer suits them.
Intelligent Octopus Go operates with a maximum of six hours of managed vehicle charging in each daily period. Octopus measures the allowance from midday to midday. The home continues to receive its off peak rate between 11.30pm and 5.30am. The car can receive up to six hours of managed charging at the cheaper rate, whether scheduled overnight or at other times. If Octopus places an eligible vehicle charge outside the overnight window, the home may also receive the off peak rate during that half hour. Charging beyond the six hour allowance can be billed at the daytime rate, even during the normal overnight period. Drivers who regularly arrive with a nearly empty battery should examine this limit carefully. Six hours through a 7 kilowatt charger can deliver roughly 42 kilowatt hours before charging losses, enough for ordinary daily driving but not always a complete refill.
Smart charging differs from setting a timer. Octopus must retain control of the connected device so it can create and alter the schedule. A driver can unplug during a planned session. The system creates a new schedule after reconnection. Leaving the car plugged in does not consume the allowance. Only active managed charging time counts. Charge Cap is being introduced through the Octopus app. When available and enabled, it can stop the vehicle before charging moves onto the expensive rate. Notifications can warn when the requested target may need more than six hours. A bump charge overrides smart scheduling when electricity is needed immediately. It is convenient, but the energy is charged at the daytime rate. Frequent use can reduce savings.
The customer must have a battery electric vehicle or plug in hybrid charged mainly at the Octopus supplied home. A compatible smart meter must provide half hourly consumption data. Octopus must also communicate with either the vehicle or home charger. Compatibility changes as manufacturers, software and integrations develop, so drivers should use the current Octopus checker before switching. The Octopus Energy app is essential. The customer must register the eligible device within seven days and maintain an active authorisation. If the connection remains inactive for more than thirty days, or the equipment changes to an unsupported model, Octopus can move the account to a standard tariff. Some integrations work differently. Ohme users manage schedules in the Ohme app. Certain BMW, Mini and Polestar drivers set targets through the manufacturer's app and may need to adjust them manually when warned that charging could exceed the allowance.
Solar panels do not prevent joining. Octopus bills electricity recorded as imported by the smart meter, rather than all energy entering the vehicle. Solar energy used directly by the car is therefore not charged as grid import. A home battery can charge during the overnight window and support the property during the expensive daytime period. Its controls need careful configuration so it does not discharge into the car and recharge from the grid unnecessarily. Intelligent Octopus Go can be paired with Outgoing Octopus, Agile Outgoing or the Octopus Smart Export Guarantee. Export earnings should be assessed alongside import savings when selecting the best arrangement.
The strongest candidates are drivers who charge regularly at home, can leave the vehicle connected for several hours and can move household demand into the overnight period. Washing machines, dishwashers, immersion heaters and batteries can use the cheap whole home window where safe controls are available. The tariff may be less suitable for drivers who rely mainly on public charging, need frequent bump charges, lack a compatible device or routinely require more than six hours of charging. Octopus reports that customers on its fixed Intelligent Octopus Go tariff typically saved ยฃ771 between May 2025 and April 2026 compared with the cost of the same half hourly consumption on Flexible Octopus. This is historical evidence, not a guaranteed saving. The sensible decision uses the household's own mileage, vehicle consumption, charging losses and daytime electricity demand. A live postcode quotation should then be compared with Octopus Go, Flexible Octopus and any suitable solar or battery tariff.
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